Rapidly developing Sipitang still has several needs – assemblymanVICTORIA Mary Clarke has shared a touching tribute to her late husband Shane MacGowan on the first anniversary of his death. The Pogues frontman passed away 12 months ago surrounded by his family after an eight-year health battle, aged 65. The legendary singer-songwriter 's wife, Victoria, took to her social media today to share a picture of Shane. Alongside the old snap, Victoria wrote out a heartfelt message, marking the anniversary of her husband's passing. She said: "It's @shanemacgowanofficial anniversary tomorrow and I just wanted to say that I know that a lot of people will remember Shane for his music and his songs and his singing. "And I know that there are lots of bands doing tribute gigs and playing his songs an they feel that his spirit lives on through the music. "But I feel that Shane's heart and soul are the most important and beautiful thing to remember and his soul will live and love for eternity. "It was always his enormous love for humanity that made him the person that he was as a human being. "He had a way of seeing straight through the b******t and the flattery and all of the elitist nonsense that sets people apart from each other. "He respected everyone equally and he had a tenderness and compassion for the outcasts and the marginalised especially the homeless and those people struggling with addiction. "He had the best laugh and the best sense of humour that I ever came across and he had no need to be better than anyone else. He loved unconditionally and he made me feel totally adored and cherished. "He was a great believer in forgiveness and he was a firm believer in the unconditional love of the Divine and in the beauty of heaven. "I am grateful that he made it through all of the suffering and he got to go home to his mother Therese and to the joy of his eternal soul. "I pray for anyone who is grieving and I hope you can feel peace and harmony in this difficult time." The journalist's fans and friends took to the comment section to share their love. Tamara said: "We will be lighting candles in memory of Shane, the man, out hero and all he represented and all he gave to us. Victoria, you radiate the same open-mindedness and love for humanity." Vera wrote: "Your angel and a genius with a pure heart." Geraldine commented: "Sending you love angel." Another added: "Such beautiful words. Lots of love always." The Pogues also hailed their "brother" on the one year anniversary of his death today. MacGowan's former bandmates shared a black and white picture of Shane performing in his heyday on their social media channels. The band wrote: "Remembering our brother Shane today and everyday with nothing but love."BBC, Dec 26: Former Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh has died at the age of 92. Singh was one of India's longest-serving prime ministers and he was considered the architect of key liberalising economic reforms, as premier from 2004-2014 and before that as finance minister. He had been admitted to a hospital in the capital Delhi after his health condition deteriorated, reports say. Singh was the first Indian leader since Jawaharlal Nehru to be re-elected after serving a full first term, and the first Sikh to hold the country's top post. He made a public apology in parliament for the 1984 riots in which some 3,000 Sikhs were killed. But his second term in office was marred by a string of corruption allegations that dogged his administration. The scandals, many say, were partially responsible for his Congress party's crushing defeat in the 2014 general election. Singh was born on 26 September 1932, in a desolate village in the Punjab province of undivided India, which lacked both water and electricity. After attending Panjab University he took a master's degree at the University of Cambridge and then a DPhil at Oxford. While studying at Cambridge, the lack of funds bothered Singh, his daughter, Daman Singh, wrote in a book on her parents. "His tuition and living expenses came to about £600 a year. The Panjab University scholarship gave him about £160. For the rest he had to depend on his father. Manmohan was careful to live very stingily. Subsidised meals in the dining hall were relatively cheap at two shillings sixpence." Daman Singh remembered her father as "completely helpless about the house and could neither boil an egg, nor switch on the television". Consensus builder Singh rose to political prominence as India's finance minister in 1991, taking over as the country was plunging into bankruptcy. His unexpected appointment capped a long and illustrious career as an academic and civil servant - he served as an economic adviser to the government, and became the governor of India's central bank. In his maiden speech as finance minister he famously quoted Victor Hugo, saying that "no power on Earth can stop an idea whose time has come". That served as a launchpad for an ambitious and unprecedented economic reform programme: he cut taxes, devalued the rupee, privatised state-run companies and encouraged foreign investment. The economy revived, industry picked up, inflation was checked and growth rates remained consistently high in the 1990s. Singh was born in Gah, an underdeveloped village in what is now Pakistan 'Accidental PM' Manmohan Singh was a man acutely aware of his lack of a political base. "It is nice to be a statesman, but in order to be a statesman in a democracy you first have to win elections," he once said. When he tried to win election to India's lower house in 1999, he was defeated. He sat instead in the upper house, chosen by his own Congress party. The same happened in 2004, when Singh was first appointed prime minister after Congress president Sonia Gandhi turned down the post - apparently to protect the party from damaging attacks over her Italian origins. Critics however alleged that Sonia Gandhi was the real source of power while he was prime minister, and that he was never truly in charge. Critics said Mr Singh always played second fiddle to Sonia Gandhi Critics said Mr Singh always played second fiddle to Sonia Gandhi The biggest triumph during his first five-year term was to bring India out of nuclear isolation by signing a landmark deal securing access to American nuclear technology. But the deal came at a price - the government's Communist allies withdrew support after protesting against it, and Congress had to make up lost numbers by enlisting the support of another party amid charges of vote-buying. A consensus builder, Singh presided over a coalition of sometimes difficult, assertive and potentially unruly regional coalition allies and supporters. Although he earned respect for his integrity and intelligence, he also had a reputation for being soft and indecisive. Some critics claimed that the pace of reform slowed and he failed to achieve the same momentum he had while finance minister. The biggest triumph during Mr Singh's first five-year term was to bring India out of nuclear isolation by signing a landmark deal with the US When Singh guided Congress to a second, decisive election victory in 2009, he vowed that the party would "rise to the occasion". But the gloss soon began to wear off and his second term was in the news mostly for all the wrong reasons: several scandals involving his cabinet ministers which allegedly cost the country billions of dollars, a parliament stalled by the opposition, and a huge policy paralysis that resulted in a serious economic downturn. LK Advani, a senior leader in the rival BJP party, called Singh India's "weakest prime minister". Manmohan Singh defended his record, saying his government had worked with "utmost commitment and dedication for the country and the welfare of its people". Pragmatic foreign policy Singh adopted the pragmatic foreign policies pursued by his two predecessors. He continued the peace process with Pakistan - though this process was hampered by attacks blamed on Pakistani militants, culminating in the Mumbai gun and bomb attack of November 2008. He tried to end the border dispute with China, brokering a deal to reopen the Nathu La pass into Tibet which had been closed for more than 40 years. Singh with his daughter Upinder Singh (R) and his wife Gursharan Kaur (L) Singh increased financial support for Afghanistan and became the first Indian leader to visit the country for nearly 30 years. He also angered many opposition politicians by appearing to end relations with India's old ally, Iran. A low-profile leader A studious former academic and bureaucrat, he was known for being self-effacing and always kept a low profile. His social media account was noted mostly for dull entries and had a limited number of followers. A man of few words, his calm demeanour nevertheless won him many admirers. Responding to questions on a coal scandal involving the illegal allocation of licences worth billions of dollars, he defended his silence on the issue by saying it was "better than thousands of answers". In 2015 he was summoned to appear in court to answer allegations of criminal conspiracy, breach of trust and corruption related offences. An upset Singh told reporters that he was "open for legal scrutiny" and that the "truth will prevail". After his time as premier, Singh remained deeply engaged with the issues of the day as a senior leader of the main opposition Congress party despite his advancing age. In August 2020, he told the BBC in a rare interview that India needed to take three steps "immediately" to stem the economic damage of the coronavirus pandemic, which had sent the country's economy into a recession. The government needed to provide direct cash assistance to people, make capital available for businesses, and fix the financial sector, he said. History will remember Singh for bringing India out of economic and nuclear isolation, although some historians may suggest he should have retired earlier. "I honestly believe that history will be kinder to me than the contemporary media, or for that matter, the opposition parties in parliament," he told an interviewer in 2014. Singh is survived by his wife and three daughters.
HALIFAX — An influential United States Republican senator delivered some blunt criticism of Canada's military spending on Friday, telling a major security conference in Halifax the federal government has to do better to please president-elect Donald Trump. In a panel discussion on the first day of the Halifax International Security Forum, Republican Sen. James Risch — who may become the next chair of the U.S. Senate's foreign relations committee — said he wasn't speaking for the incoming president. But he reminded delegates that Canada is failing to reach military spending levels equivalent to two per cent of its GDP — a commitment of the 32 NATO countries — leaving Canada one of a minority of alliance members no longer meeting the target. "My good friends in Canada say, 'We're working on this.' And we say, 'What does that mean?' And they say, 'We're kind of looking at (meeting the spending goal) by 2032,'" the Idaho senator said. "I don't speak for the president-elect of the United States, but if he were in this room, you would get a very large guffaw from him ... talking about 2032. It's got to be better than that. It really, truly has to be better than that." About 300 policy analysts, politicians and defence officials from 60 countries are participating in the 16th annual forum, which runs until Sunday. The gathering comes just under three weeks after the U.S. election that returned Trump to power with Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and Congress. Earlier in the day at the conference, Defence Minister Bill Blair said his government knows it needs to increase defence spending, both to help Ukraine in its war with Russia, and to protect Canadian territory. But, Blair said, he has to ensure Canada gets "good value" for its investments. “When our allies say they want us to meet the commitment, I've told them the answer is ‘Yes,’ and I’ve told them you’re pushing on an open door," he said. "We are going to make those investments." Some of the American criticism is unfair, Blair said, as the Liberal government committed during a July NATO summit to "a credible and realistic plan" of spending two per cent of GDP on its military by 2032, as it buys a fleet of up to 12 new submarines. He said there are examples in which Canada can "accelerate" its spending by making purchases that mesh with its allies, citing Ottawa's announcement it would replace CP-140 Aurora maritime patrol aircraft with the Boeing P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The defence minister also announced that a surface-to-air defence system Canada bought two years ago has arrived in Ukraine to help protect the country against Russian missiles, though he would have liked the aid to have reached the war theatre sooner. “There's a lot in some of our procurement processes that have really slowed us down," he said. NATO's 32-member nations agreed to each spend the equivalent of at least two per cent of their GDP on defence, but Canada is among the nine members that aren't going to do that this year. The alliance's figures project that Canada will spend the equivalent of 1.37 per cent of its GDP on defence, placing it at the back of the pack. The Defence Department projects the figure to tick upward over the coming years, rising to 1.76 per cent by 2030. However, the Liberal government is also facing domestic criticism for not being clear on how it will make military spending one of its top priorities. Retired Lt.-Gen. Andrew Leslie — a former Liberal MP — told the House of Commons defence committee two days after the U.S. election that he detects "no sense of urgency" from the government to meet those commitments. Nicolas Todd, who is attending the security forum as vice-president of government relations with the Canadian Association of Defence and Security Industries, said in an interview Friday that if the Liberal government wants to advance more rapidly on military spending, it needs to clearly signal its spending plans. "What we've seen so far is an expectation to hit two per cent. That's not a plan. We need a detailed, year-over-year money plan on what it will take," he said. He contrasted the government's announcement Thursday — a pause of the federal sales tax on a long list of items, at a cost of $6.3 billion — with a slow growth in military spending. Peter Van Praagh, president of the forum, said during the opening news conference that a path to world peace still depends on Ukraine defeating Russia, which will require continued support from the United States and its allies. “If Russia gets away with this naked aggression, we are entering a world where might makes right. That’s a world that is not safe for anybody,” he said. While military spending will be key to assisting Ukraine, Admiral Rob Bauer, chair of the military committee of NATO, told the conference in a separate panel that procurement remains a major issue. The Dutch military officer said, "there isn't yet enough focus when it comes to defence production," as Russia has put its economy on a war footing. Bauer said that more than 1,000 days into the war in Ukraine, he's hearing from military chiefs of staff in the NATO alliance they have funds available to buy ammunition and armaments, but the defence industry can't deliver the munitions in a timely way. "We cannot support Ukraine at the pace that is necessary," he said. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 22, 2024. — With files from The Associated Press. Michael Tutton, The Canadian PressWashington Commanders release 2023 first-round pick Emmanuel ForbesRupert Murdoch: Media mogul reportedly loses court battle to change family trust and hand Lachlan control
BEIJING , Nov. 21, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Baijiayun Group Ltd ("Baijiayun" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: RTC), a one-stop AI video solution provider, recently announced it has completed autumn upgrade. Driven by both technological development and market demands, the audio and video technology service market has entered a period of intensive cultivation and development. Baijiayun recently announced that it has carried out an important upgrade to its live and on-demand products, aiming to enhance the quality of live and on-demand products and provide customers with more targeted services. In terms of live broadcast products and services, Baijiayun has added multiple new functions. The newly added "My Invitation" and "Invitation Leaderboard" functions enable users watching the live broadcast to share the live broadcast link with one click and easily invite others to watch the live broadcast. The list of successfully invited users will be clearly displayed in the "My Invitation" area in the live broadcast room, enabling users to view their invitation results and sense of accomplishment of sharing. The newly added "Chat Messages on the Wall" function in the live broadcast room brings a brand-new experience to classroom interaction. Teachers or teaching assistants in the group classroom live broadcast room can easily set the wonderful remarks of students as "on the wall" for display, and the on-wall operation can be completed by double-clicking the message. This function not only enables teachers to highlight students' excellent viewpoints in real time but also makes the students whose remarks are set on the wall feel valued and encouraged, and at the same time greatly enhances the interactivity and participation of the classroom. Through this function, students can participate more actively in classroom discussions and jointly create an active and efficient learning atmosphere. In addition to the comprehensive optimization of live broadcast functions, Baijiayun has also carried out innovative upgrades in the on-demand video function. Among them, the addition of the on-demand intelligent translation function provides users with a more convenient and efficient learning experience. Baijiayun's live and on-demand products have added an "Intelligent Translation" service. It not only automatically generates bilingual subtitles but also allows intelligent translation, secondary editing, and deletion of subtitle content for the automatically generated subtitles and custom uploaded subtitle files. On the viewing end, students can choose to display bilingual or single-language subtitles according to their own needs. The intelligent translation function also provides educational institutions and teachers with a broader market and development space. Through translated subtitles, they can promote their course content to the global market and attract more students and fans. This not only helps to enhance their popularity and influence but also brings more business opportunities and benefits. About Baijiayun Group Ltd Baijiayun is a one-stop AI video solution provider with core expertise in SaaS/PaaS solutions. Baijiayun is committed to delivering reliable, high-quality video experiences across devices and localities and has grown rapidly since its inception in 2017. Premised on its industry-leading video-centric technologies, Baijiayun offers a wealth of video-centric technology solutions, including Video SaaS/PaaS, Video Cloud and Software, and Video AI and System Solutions. Baijiayun caters to the evolving communications and collaboration needs of enterprises of all sizes and industries. For more information, please visit ir.baijiayun.com . Safe Harbor Statement This press release contains certain "forward-looking statements." These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about the parties' perspectives and expectations, are forward-looking statements. The words "will," "expect," "believe," "estimate," "intend," and "plan" and similar expressions indicate forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain, and shareholders and other potential investors must recognize that actual results may differ materially from the expectations as a result of a variety of factors. Such forward-looking statements are based upon management's current expectations and include known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are hard to predict or control, that may cause the actual results, performance, or plans to differ materially from any future results, performance or plans expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking information provided herein represents the Company's estimates as of the date of this press release, and subsequent events and developments may cause the Company's estimates to change. The Company specifically disclaims any obligation to update the forward-looking information in the future. Therefore, this forward-looking information should not be relied upon as representing the Company's estimates of its future financial performance as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release. A further list and description of risks and uncertainties can be found in the documents the Company has filed or furnished or may file or furnish with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which you are encouraged to read. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those indicated or anticipated by such forward-looking statements. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate only to the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date they were made except as required by law or applicable regulation. For investor and media enquiries, please contact: Company Contact: Ms. Fangfei Liu Chief Financial Officer, Baijiayun Group Ltd Phone: +86 25 8222 1596 Email: ir@baijiayun.com View original content: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/continuously-optimize-user-experience-baijiayuns-live-and-on-demand-products-complete-autumn-upgrade-302313368.html SOURCE Baijiayun Group Ltd
CAIRO: The Arab League regional bloc called on Iran on Thursday not to fuel “strife” in Syria, after the ouster of Tehran ally president Bashar al-Assad ended decades of rule by his clan. Assad’s government crumbled on December 8 and he fled for Russia, another key backer of his rule, after an coalition of fighters wrested control of city after city until they reached Damascus. With Assad’s fall, Iran lost a key ally in the region, just as its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah emerged massively weakened but not crushed from a year of war with Israel. The Arab League, which last year welcomed back Assad after a decade of isolation, emphasised the need to “respect Syria’s sovereignty, territorial integrity and stability, to restrict weapons to the hands of the state, dissolve all armed formations and reject all destabilising foreign interventions”. Syria’s new authorities on Thursday launched an operation in a stronghold of Assad, after deadly clashes pitting their fighters against gunmen affiliated with the former government. Iran says only Syrians can decide on their country’s fate The Arab League said it was “following with concern the events taking place in several Syrian cities and areas with the aim of igniting the sparks of conflict.” It also said it “rejects the Iranian statements aimed at fuelling strife among the Syrian people”, according to a statement from the secretariat. It did not specify which statements it was referring to. On Sunday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei predicted “the emergence of a strong, honourable group” in Syria following the ouster of Assad, saying the country’s young men had “nothing to lose”. Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei lashed out on Thursday against unspecified media reports on Iran “interfering in Syria’s internal affairs” as “baseless”. Iran was committed to “supporting the territorial integrity and national unity of Syria and the formation of an inclusive political system,” he said in a statement. Syria’s new leaders have criticised Iran over its role in Syria over the years. “Iran must respect the will of the Syrian people and the sovereignty and safety of its country,” Syria’s new foreign minister wrote on social media site X on Tuesday. “We warn them against spreading chaos in Syria and hold them responsible for the consequences of their recent statements,” he added.Halifax security forum: United States senator questions Canada's military spendingThe College Football Playoff was changing how fans, players and coaches viewed bowl season even before it expanded to 12 teams. There have been dips in ratings. Last season, an Alamo Bowl featuring Arizona and Oklahoma averaged 3.93 million viewers — an 18% decline from the 4.78 million who watched Washington and Texas in the same bowl game a year earlier. But don’t tell Kalani Sitake and Deion Sanders that the non-Playoff bowl games are meaningless. Not after the Buffaloes and Cougars were picked to finish 11th and 13th, respectively, in the Big 12 Conference. “We were supposed to be in the crib right now, focused on recruiting, improving our rosters. Nevertheless, we’re here,” Sanders told reporters this week. “We’re taking it serious because we were predicted not to be here by some of you wonderful folks.” The man they call Coach Prime added: “Do you know how many people wish they could be in our situations? We’re going to take full advantage of it. All our kids are playing. We’re going to play our toughest, our hardest. This is a game, not just routine. This is a game that both of us wants to win.” (BYU Athletics) The BYU football team participates in a rally in San Antonio, Thursday, Dec. 26, 2024, ahead of the Alamo Bowl against Colorado on Saturday. How to watch No. 17 BYU vs. No. 23 Colorado Venue: The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas Kickoff: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. MT TV: ABC Pregame reading BYU QUARTERBACK JAKE RETZLAFF surely riled up some Sun Devil and Cyclone fans when he gave this game his own nickname. “I think it’s the people’s Big 12 championship,” he said. COUGARS ATHLETICS DIRECTOR TOM HOLMOE says the year he spent with Deion Sanders changed the trajectory of Holmoe’s career. (Joseph R. Villarin | AP) Deion Sanders walks out of the San Francisco 49ers' practice facility on Sept. 15, 1994. The free-agent defensive back signed a one-year $1.1 million contract with the 49ers, where he first met future BYU athletics director Tom Holmoe. COLORADO QB SHEDEUR SANDERS gave his take on BYU’s defense. HEISMAN TROPHY WINNER TRAVIS HUNTER is motivating the Cougars. Here’s how. HE WAS SELLING PLASMA and sleeping in his van. Now, this BYU lineman is playing in the Alamo Bowl.
Among the many promises and commitments that he has made during his ongoing transition period, President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to pull U.S. support for the World Health Organization and cancel its commitments related to the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement. If a new report issued this week by the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources and incoming chairman Republican Wyoming Sen. John Barrasso, is any guide, Trump perhaps should add U.S. support for the International Energy Agency to his growing list of cancellation opportunities. “French President Macron’s observation that IEA has become the ‘armed wing for implementing the Paris Agreement’ is regrettably true,” said the report . “With the many serious energy security challenges facing the world, however, IEA should not be a partisan cheerleader. What the world needs from IEA—and what it is not receiving now—is sober and unbiased analyses and projections that educate and inform policymakers and investors. IEA needs to remember why it was established and return to its energy security mission.” The IEA was established in 1974 in response to the first Arab Oil Embargo which resulted in dramatically higher prices for crude oil and gasoline at the pump. Originally supported by 31 member countries including the United States, the agency’s mission was to provide accurate information related to global oil supply and demand which subscribing countries could use to help form effective energy policies. That original mission held firm for decades, during which the IEA was widely considered a leading source of real, unbiased energy information. But politics tends to corrupt everything it touches, and the IEA has unfortunately proved to be no exception to that rule. As the politics surrounding climate alarmism rose to new highs following the signing of the Paris Climate Agreement , the agency came under increasing pressure to radically alter its mission from that of a provider of real information worthy of trust to more of an activist posture. In 2020, the report notes, this led to a shift in the IEA’s mission statement and to a new design to its modeling processes that form the basis for its annual World Energy Outlook. As its modeling base case, the agency abandoned its longstanding Current Policies Scenario, which Barrasso’s report describes as “essentially a ‘business as usual’ reference case,” in favor of a more aggressive Stated Policies Scenario. Barrasso’s report describes this new scenario as “a hypothetical outlook based on unimplemented policies and grounded in unrealistically optimistic assumptions about the pace and scale of the transformation, especially concerning the adoption of electric vehicles by consumers.” It is an approach intentionally designed to introduce bias into the modeling process, and thus into the IEA policy recommendations for which the modeling process serves as the foundation. This inevitable bias had an immediate and very noticeable effect. In a report published by the IEA in May 2021 Executive Director Fatih Birol laughably stated that “there will not be a need for new investments in oil and gas fields” and urged oil and gas producers to halt investments in exploration and development of new oil reserves. But that was before oil prices exploded as global demand exceeded supply during the recovery from the COVID pandemic, and by August Birol had completely reversed himself, joining President Joe Biden in a desperate call for more oil drilling to help resolve the situation. Obviously, this sort of flip-floppery does severe damage to the agency’s already crumbling credibility as well as to the justification for governments to continue pouring millions of dollars into its operations each year. Barrasso’s report correctly notes that the IEA’s “reputation has lost its luster.” Barrasso’s report is blunt about the kinds of reforms he would like to see at the IEA, urging Birol to abandon its advocacy posturing against investments in oil, natural gas, and coal, and to “once again produce for its World Energy Outlook a real unbiased, policy-neutral ‘business as usual’ reference case of the kind the Energy Information Administration produces.” The Wyoming senator stops short of calling for the U.S. defunding of the IEA, but the agency’s currency is information. If that currency has lost its value, then perhaps Trump should consider a more aggressive approach. David Blackmon is an energy writer and consultant based in Texas. He spent 40 years in the oil and gas business, where he specialized in public policy and communications. The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation. All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org .North Korean Hackers Strike Again: Secure Your Investment with the Best Crypto Presales of 2025!
SpinLaunch just proved that satellites are a lot more sturdy than one would think. In its pursuit of catapulting payloads to space, the California-based startup recently accelerated a small satellite under extreme gravitational forces, using minor tweaks, and a little bit of glue, to keep it together. In a recent demonstration, SpinLaunch tested an off-the-shelf satellite with a few ruggedized components for the first time, spinning it to 10,000Gs inside a lab to prove that the spacecraft can survive mass acceleration. This marks a major milestone for the company, which is seeking to build a groundbreaking centrifugal launch system that can deliver small satellites to low-Earth orbit. “For prospective launch customers, [the demonstration] serves as a valuable engineering case study and helps to answer the common question of how to build a satellite for SpinLaunch,” Sev Sandomirsky, director of satellite programs at SpinLaunch, told Gizmodo in an email. “This testing serves as the foundation for the development of a wide variety of payloads, including the satellites that enable critical science and power the global economy.” For the test, SpinLaunch partnered with Portland State University’s open-source CubeSat program, OreSat. The space startup made a few design adjustments to the small satellite; notably, SpinLaunch engineers rotated the battery cells so they acted as pillars, supporting their own weight along their long axis, and added a little bit of glue behind the cells. The team of engineers also upgraded the structure of the satellite from Aluminum 6061 to Aluminum 7075, known for having more strength, and reinforced larger parts of the circuit boards to minimize stress on sensitive components. “While relatively minimal, these core adjustments ensured the satellite’s structural compatibility for SpinLaunch,” Sandomirsky said. Surprisingly, the 1U CubeSat used for the demonstration required a small number of modifications to survive 10,000Gs. “A compelling finding from our years of testing satellite subsystems in our accelerator is that many parts of modern satellites are already capable of withstanding the high-g environment,” Sandomirsky added. “We don’t claim that every component or every technology can survive our launch environment, but we have proven that high-performance, cost-effective satellites can be launched with our launch system.” Founded in 2014, SpinLaunch is developing a cost-effective, and environmental friendly way of delivering payload to space. The company wants to build a kinetic launch system, which is essentially a giant centrifuge designed to catapult objects to high altitudes. Once the payload reaches stratospheric heights, a propulsion stage takes over to complete the journey to low-Earth orbit. SpinLaunch claims that its launch system will result in a 10-fold reduction in launch costs and a 70% reduction in the use of fuel compared to chemical rockets. It almost sounds too good to be true, but the company is slowly inching closer to its vision . SpinLaunch has had success with testing its suborbital 108-foot (33-meter) accelerator A-33 at Spaceport America in the New Mexico desert. During the first test in October 2021, the accelerator, working at 20% capacity, flung a 10-foot projectile to an altitude of tens of thousands of feet. A little over a year later, SpinLaunch hurled a Test Launch Vehicle packed with demonstration payloads for NASA, Airbus, Cornell University, and satellite manufacturer Outpost Space.