No, Russia Isn't Helping to Build the Deep Space Gateway

At least not yet. Possibly never.

Russia's media outlets released claims Roscosmos and NASA had signed an agreement where Russia would help the US build the new Deep Space Gateway space station. 

The actual truth of the matter is that Russia and NASA signed an agreement to study how Russia might participate in the DSG.

The difference is pretty big.  

One claims the Russians are full participants.  The other, more truthful one, is along the lines of "let's talk about it."

The Russians might have aspirations for participating in deep space exploration, but to be, frank, they have slipped the delivery of their science lab for the ISS yet again.  Now it will be in 2019.  The ISS is now going on 20 years old, the Russians haven't finished their part...and they want to go into deep space?

hmmm.

To be fair, NASA keeps slipping their own missions, too. (also looking at you, JWST) However, the DSG is slated to start construction now in June 2022 with the second SLS launch.

However, given Russia's bad behavior on Earth and the lack of a need to make sure their scientists don't go off to sell their services to other countries (the pitch for why ISS instead of the SSC to Clinton), why bother with them?

Russia's Most Syrian Adventure #82: The Drawdown That Wasn't

This means that in the first week after the withdrawal was announced, Russia pulled out three Su-24Ms, four SU-34s, all 12 Su-25s, and four Mi-35M helicopters, while adding at least two Mi-28N and two Ka-52 helicopters. The photo also shows IAI Searcher Mk2 Forpost UAVs.

In other words, the current size of the Russian air presence at Hmeymim is comparable to what Russia had at the start of the operation, minus the Su-25s, but with the addition of Su-35s.

link.

Robopocalypse has Come for....TWITTER!

If you have a Twitter account, the chances are that you have fewer than 50 followers and that you follow fewer than 50 people yourself. You probably know many of these people well but there may also be a few on your list who you’ve never met.

So here’s an interesting question: how do you know these Twitter users are real people and not automated accounts, known as bots, that are feeding you links and messages designed to sway your opinions?

You might say that bots are not very sophisticated and so easy to spot. And that Twitter monitors the Twittersphere looking for, and removing, any automated accounts that it finds. Consequently, it is unlikely that you are unknowingly following any automated accounts, malicious or not.

If you hold that opinion, it’s one that you might want to revise following the work of Carlos Freitas at the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Brazil and a few pals, who have studied how easy it is for socialbots to infiltrate Twitter.

link.

Watch for Yourself: Snowden and Putin on Russian TV

Dig the grave, dude.