Russia and China Will Have Operational Anti Satellite Weapons in the Next Few Years

Experts have warned for some time that wars in space are not just Hollywood fiction. And the scenario appears increasingly more likely, according to the latest analysis by the U.S. intelligence community.

“We assess that, if a future conflict were to occur involving Russia or China, either country would justify attacks against U.S. and allied satellites as necessary to offset any perceived U.S. military advantage derived from military, civil or commercial space systems,” warns the 2018 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community, released this week by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.

The United States has benefitted from a tidal wave of innovation in the space industry, but so have many other nations. “Foreign countries — particularly China and Russia — will continue to expand their space-based reconnaissance, communications, and navigation systems in terms of the numbers of satellites, the breadth of their capability, and the applications for use,” said the report.

Both Russia and China continue to pursue anti-satellite weapons knowing that, if successfully employed, could undermine U.S. military capabilities, analysts noted. “Russia and China aim to have nondestructive and destructive counter-space weapons available for use during a potential future conflict.”

U.S. intelligence predicts that “destructive” Russian and Chinese anti-satellite weapons probably will reach “initial operational capability in the next few years.” China’s military is setting up specialized units and has begun “initial operational training with counter-space capabilities that it has been developing, such as ground-launched anti-satellite missiles.”

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Russian Mercenaries are Leading the Attacks on American Troops and Allies in Syria

American forces in Syria, along with their local partners, have now weathered two separate attacks from troops fighting on behalf of dictator Bashar Al Assad, one of which almost certainly involved some number of Russian military personnel or contractors from a company called Wagner. Though the United States soundly defeated its opponents in both cases, the incidents could be another sign of increasingly worrisome tensions with Russia in Syria as the situation in the country careens toward a larger regional conflagration.

On Feb. 13, 2018, U.S. personnel called in a air strike, involving an MQ-9 Reaper drone, to destroy a T-72 tank that had been firing at them and members of the American-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), the bulk of which are Kurdish fighters, on the eastern side of the Euphrates River near Syria’s strategic city of Deir ez-Zor.

Almost a week earlier, those same American troops had summoned a massive amount of air and artillery support to brush back approximately 500 pro-Assad fighters and members of Wagner armed with tanks and other heavy weapons who assaulted their positions. The SDF and their U.S. advisers are situated to the east of a formal de-confliction line that is supposed to separate United States and Russian military activities and, by extension, those of their allies, specifically to avoid these sorts of dangerous engagements that could escalate into a larger conflict. The first skirmish reportedly resulted in the deaths of dozens of Russian private military contractors, who often act as deniable stand-ins for the Kremlin’s own forces.

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Russia has Successfully Tested a Modernized Missile Defense Interceptor

The Air and Space Forces conducted a successful test launch of a "new modernized interceptor of the Russian missile defense system" at the Sary-Shagan test site. According to a VKS spokesman, the new interceptor has better accuracy and range and extended service life.

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The Russian MoD has Ordered two Battalions of T-14 Armata Tanks

Russian Deputy Defence Minister Yuri Borisov has confirmed an order for two battalions of T-14 main battle tanks (MBTs), the Ministry of Defence (MoD) reported on its website on 9 February.

The order for the T-14 MBTs and T-15 heavy infantry fighting vehicles (IFVs) is understood to have been placed in December 2017. Touring the Uralvagonzavod factory in Nizhny Tagil, Russia, Borisov said, “It’s no secret that we already have a contract for trials and combat operations: two battalions of Armata tanks and one battalion of heavy infantry fighting vehicles.” Both vehicles are based on the Armata common platform.

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This is, iirc, only 60 tanks and 30 IFVs.

They are for evaluation and extended trials.

Which Countries are Embracing the Robopocalyse the Fastest?

The top 10 most automated countries in the world are: South Korea, Singapore, Germany, Japan, Sweden, Denmark, USA, Italy, Belgium and Taiwan. This is according to the 2017 World Robot Statistics, issued by the International Federation of Robotics (IFR).

“Robot density is an excellent standard for comparison in order to take into account the differences in the automation degree of the manufacturing industry in various countries,” says Junji Tsuda, President of the International Federation of Robotics. “As a result of the high volume of robot installations in Asia in recent years, the region has the highest growth rate. Between 2010 and 2016, the average annual growth rate of robot density in Asia was 9 percent, in the Americas 7 percent and in Europe 5 percent.”

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Robopocalypse Report #99 (mini version)

DOT Secretary Elaine Chao thinks deregulation will help autonomous vehicles come to market faster.

US DOT called a summit on self driving cars on March 1st.

Driverless cars might not actually help with traffic and other problems, according to some.

Will self driving cars actually kill car ownership in 2030?

How do you get people to trust self driving cars more?  By making them act like people?!

A motorcyclist that got in a dust up with a GM/Cruise self driving car is suing the company.  This might set legal precedent for who is liable for the self driving vehicle.

Byton will get its self driving tech from Aurora.

Continental, the German car components maker, has selected NVIDIA as its computational core for its self driving products.

Data released by California show the self driving cars being developed are needing human intervention less and less.

Didi has teamed with Renault-Nissan to start a self driving car service in China.

Drive.ai released its report on progress on its autonomous vehicles.

Embark's self driving semi drove from California to Florida.  Or is was the semi semi autonomous?

Ford patented the concept of an autonomous police car.  It's not robocop.

A convoy of autonomous Hyundais drove from Seoul to Pyeongchang.

Mclaren's will have autonomous tech in the future.

Nuro wants to use self driving cars to deliver packages.

Rimac's new hypercar will have a 120 kwh battery and level 4 autonomy.  Supposedly.

The Teamster's Union is demanding UPS NOT use drones or self driving vehicles as part of the contract negotiations.  You would think a union that takes its name from those people who used to drive teams of horses would be a bit sharper than that.

Tesla keeps having people try to trick its Autopilot software into allowing hands free driving.

Tesla is still planning the delayed coast to coast self driving car demo.

A Toyota exec claims self driving cars will kill mass market cars, except for luxury and performance cars.  This is a possible outcome in metropolitan areas, but out back home in New Mexico and other 'fly over' places, I bet that will not work.  The density will be too low.

Uber claims self driving trucks will result in more, not less truck drivers on the road.

Uber and Lyft want to ban nonfleet self driving cars from dense urban cores.  Some are decrying that.

Uber vs Waymo trial over theft of self driving car tech got under way Monday.  What was learned on day one of the trial?  In opening statements, Uber and Waymo throw some lightning bolts.  Levandowski considered selling Otto to Lyft.  Uber and Waymo reached a settlement where Waymo would get .34 % (or roughly at the current valuation of Uber of ~$245 million).  Uber was able to negotiate down the settlement from ~$500 million.

Udelv has started testing autonomous delivery vehicles in San Mateo, California.

Waymo is buying thousands of FCA minivans for its expanding Phoenix area self driving car service.

Waymo's cars are the most advanced.

Yandex's self driving car tech is making progress.  Watch their self driving car navigate Moscow.

When a Flying Car Crashes...

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2004 EW95: A C Type Asteroid Found in Kuiper Belt

2004 EW95: A phyllosilicate bearing carbonaceous asteroid in the Kuiper Belt

Authors:

Seccull et al

Abstract:

Models of the Solar System's dynamical evolution predict the dispersal of primitive planetesimals from their formative regions amongst the gas-giant planets due to the early phases of planetary migration. Consequently, carbonaceous objects were scattered both into the outer asteroid belt and out to the Kuiper Belt. These models predict that the Kuiper Belt should contain a small fraction of objects with carbonaceous surfaces, though to date, all reported visible reflectance spectra of small Kuiper Belt Objects (KBOs) are linear and featureless. We report the unusual reflectance spectrum of a small KBO, (120216) 2004 EW95, which exhibits a large drop in its near-UV reflectance and a broad shallow optical absorption feature centered at ~700 nm. These features, confirmed through multiple epochs of spectral photometry and spectroscopy, have respectively been associated with ferric oxides and phyllosilicates. The spectrum bears striking resemblance to those of some C-type asteroids, suggesting that those objects may share a common origin with 2004 EW95. 2004 EW95 orbits the Sun in a stable mean motion resonance with Neptune, at relatively high eccentricity and inclination, suggesting it may have been emplaced there by some past dynamical instability. These results appear consistent with the aforementioned model predictions and are the first to show a reliably confirmed detection of silicate material on a small KBO.

China Conducted Another Missile Defense Test

China has successfully carried out another test of an anti-missile intercept system, the Defence Ministry said on Tuesday, describing it as defensive and not aimed at any country.

China has been ramping up research into all sorts of missiles, from those which can destroy satellites in space to advanced nuclear-tipped ballistic missiles, as part of an ambitious modernization scheme overseen by President Xi Jinping.

The Defence Ministry said in a brief statement the “ground-based midcourse anti-missile intercept technology” had been tested on Monday within China’s borders.

“The test reached its expected goals,” the ministry said. “This test was defensive and not aimed at any country.”

It provided no other details.

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China's Space Ambitions are Growing

NATTY yellow carts whizz tourists around Wenchang space port, a sprawling launch site on the tropical island of Hainan. The brisk tour passes beneath an enormous poster of Xi Jinping, China’s president, then disgorges passengers for photographs not far from a skeletal launch tower. Back at the visitor centre there is a small exhibition featuring space suits, a model moon-rover and the charred husk of a re-entry capsule that brought Chinese astronauts back from orbit. A gift shop at the exit sells plastic rockets, branded bottle openers and cuddly alien mascots.

The base in a township of Wenchang city is the newest of China’s four space-launch facilities. It is also by far the easiest to visit—thanks in part to the enthusiasm of officials in Hainan, a haven for tourists and rich retirees. Wenchang’s local government has adopted a logo for the city reminiscent of Starfleet badges in “Star Trek”. It is building a space-themed tourist village near the launch site, with attractions that include a field of vegetables grown from seeds that have been carried in spaceships.

If the dream is to turn this palm-fringed corner of Hainan into a tourist trap comparable to Florida’s balmy space coast, there is still a lot to do. Several idle building sites suggest that some investors have gambled rashly. Signs have been taken down from a patch of scrub that was once earmarked for an amusement centre. On a recent weekday, pensioners wintering nearby were among the few visitors to the launch site. A local says that people often come out feeling like they have had a lesson in patriotism, but not much fun.

Perhaps this will change when Wenchang gets up to speed. The base is crucial to China’s extraterrestrial ambitions because it is the only site from which it can launch its latest and largest rocket, the Long March 5 (pictured). Narrow railway tunnels limit the size of the components that can be delivered to the three other bases. Rockets are anyway more efficient the closer they are launched to the equator, where the faster rotation of Earth provides extra lift. Of China’s launch centres, Wenchang is by far the nearest to that sweet spot.

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Boston Dynamics Mini Spot can Open Doors

China Might Beat the Rest of the World to an Exascale Supercomputer

China's rise to the top of the supercomputing world has been swift. It's only been in this decade that the country first claimed bragging rights to the world's most powerful supercomputer. It has held a tight grip on those rights the last few years. The United States is expected to reclaim the top spot later this year, as it is nearing completion of Summit, a supercomputer that is expected to be twice as powerful as its closest rival. Nevertheless, China is widely expected to produce the first supercomputer capable of carrying out 1 billion billion calculations per second, or 1 exaflop. If this exascale supercomputer comes online in 2020 as promised, that could put it a year or more ahead of similar exascale systems now being developed in the United States, Japan, and the European Union.

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Olympic Drone Swarm

Ukraine Might Separate Cryptocurrency Mining From Cryptocurrency Use...Legally

Ukrainian legislators should separate the regulation of crypto mining from the legal status of cryptocurrencies. The new approach was proposed by the chairman of an important parliamentary committee who criticized law enforcement agencies for cracking down on crypto miners. Police confiscated mining equipment in a series of raids this week. Authorities claim that coins have been used to finance pro-Russian separatists.

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Most Cryptocurrencies Will Collapse According to Goldman Research Head

The tumble in cryptocurrencies that erased nearly $500 billion of market value over the past month could get a lot worse, according to Goldman Sachs Group Inc.’s global head of investment research.

ost digital currencies are unlikely to survive in their current form, and investors should prepare for coins to lose all their value as they’re replaced by a small set of future competitors, Goldman’s Steve Strongin said in a report dated Feb. 5. While he didn’t posit a timeframe for losses in existing coins, he said recent price swings indicated a bubble and that the tendency for different tokens to move in lockstep wasn’t rational for a “few-winners-take-most” market.

“The high correlation between the different cryptocurrencies worries me,” Strongin said. “Because of the lack of intrinsic value, the currencies that don’t survive will most likely trade to zero.”

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Man Suing Tmobile for "Hackers" Stealing his Bitcoins Through Social Engineering

A man sued T-Mobile on Sunday, claiming that the company’s lack of security allowed hackers to enter his wireless account last fall and steal cryptocoins worth thousands of dollars.

Carlos Tapang of Washington state accuses T-Mobile of having “improperly allowed wrongdoers to access” his wireless account on November 7th last year. The hackers then cancelled his number and transferred it to an AT&T account under their control. “T-Mobile was unable to contain this security breach until the next day,” when it finally got the number back from AT&T, Tapang alleges in the suit, first spotted by Law360.

After gaining control of his phone number, the hackers were able to change the password on one of Tapang’s cryptocurrency accounts and steal 1,000 OmiseGo (OMG) tokens and 19.6 BitConnect coins, Tapang claims.

The hackers then exchanged the coins for 2.875 Bitcoin and transferred it out of his account, the suit states. On November 7th, the price of Bitcoin was $7,118.80, so had the hackers cashed out then, they would have netted a profit of $20,466.55.

Tapang goes on to say, “After the incident, BTC price reached more than $17,000.00 per coin,” but given the volatility of bitcoin prices, the hackers may not have benefited from the soar.

The suit alleges T-Mobile is at fault partly because the carrier said it would add a PIN code to Tapang’s account prior to the incident, but didn’t actually implement it. Tapang also states that hackers are able to call T-Mobile’s customer support multiple times to gain access to customer accounts, until they’re able to get an agent on the line that would grant them access without requiring further identity verification. The complaint also lists several anonymous internet users who have posted about similar security breaches to their own T-Mobile accounts.

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Cryptocurrencies Affect One Another, but not Other Asset Classes

A sharp fall in the value of Bitcoin may cause other cryptocurrencies to crash, but is unlikely to have a significant impact on traditional assets, according to new research published in the journal Economics Letters.

Researchers from Anglia Ruskin University, Dublin City University and Trinity College Dublin examined the performance of three established cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin, Litecoin and Ripple - and analysed their relationship with a variety of other financial assets such as gold, bonds and stocks.

The study found that Bitcoin prices affect Ripple, with a spillover of 28.37%, and Litecoin (42.3%), while the highest spillover from a cryptocurrency to a "traditional" asset was Bitcoin to Forex (FX), at 15.25%. In reverse, the highest price spillover from traditional assets to a cryptocurrency - Forex (FX) to Bitcoin - is only 4.18%.

The study also found that the volatility of cryptocurrencies is significantly higher than that of other assets, and that Ripple and Litecoin have limited influence on Bitcoin, proving that Bitcoin is the clear leader in the cryptocurrency market. The research also suggests that Ripple and Litecoin have seen their values increased thanks to the rapid growth of Bitcoin.

Co-author Dr Larisa Yarovaya, Lecturer in Accounting and Finance at Anglia Ruskin University, said: "We identified that cryptocurrencies are relatively isolated from other financial assets, but are interlinked with each other.

"This means a decrease in the price of Bitcoin is unlikely to decrease the price of gold, or negatively affect the stock market of US, but the strong links between Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies mean that those markets will fall.

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US Regulators Believe Cryptocurrencies Need Special Oversight

Digital currencies such as bitcoin demand increased oversight and may require a new federal regulatory framework, the top U.S. markets regulators will tell lawmakers at a congressional hearing on Tuesday.

Christopher Giancarlo, chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), and Jay Clayton, chairman of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), will provide testimony to the Senate Banking Committee amid growing global concerns over the risks virtual currencies pose to investors and the financial system.

Giancarlo and Clayton will say a patchwork of rules for cryptocurrency exchanges may need to be reviewed in favor of a rationalized federal framework, according to prepared testimony published on Monday.

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India Interested in Blockchain Tech, NOT Cryptocurrencies

The Indian government is getting more serious about using blockchain technology into the growing digital economy of the country. But this does not mean it is going soft on cryptocurrencies.

“Distributed ledger system or the block chain technology allows organization of any chain of records or transactions without the need of intermediaries,” said finance minister Arun Jaitely while presenting the Union Budget 2018-19 in Parliament on Thursday.

“The Government does not consider crypto-currencies legal tender or coin and will take all measures to eliminate use of these crypto-assets in financing illegitimate activities or as part of the payment system. The government will explore use of block chain technology proactively for ushering in digital economy.”

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British Banks are Banning Cryptocurrency Purchases

It's happened in the US and now it's happening in the UK. Lloyds Banking Group, which runs Halifax, Bank of Scotland, MBNA and, of course, Lloyds, has banned its customers from buying bitcoin with their credit cards. "We do not accept credit card transactions involving the purchase of cryptocurrencies," a Lloyds Banking Group spokesperson told the Guardian. It's thought to be the first UK bank — or rather, banking chain — to block its members from investing in the cryptocurrency. The worry, presumably, is that people will borrow cash and then be saddled with large amounts of debt they cannot pay back due to Bitcoin's fluctuating value.

Bitcoin had a stellar trajectory in 2017, rising from roughly $800 in January to $19,783 in late December. As the value grew, so did the attention of traditional investors and tech-savvy citizens who wanted to make a quick buck. The following month, however, Bitcoin's value cratered. The reasons are unclear, but it was a harsh reminder of the volatility of cryptocurrencies. Bitcoin now sits at just under $8,000 and understandably, banks are worried about its customers getting caught up in the craze. We've asked HSBC, Barclays, Santander and First Direct for their current position on credit card-funded Bitcoin transactions.

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US Banks are Banning Purchasing Cryptocurrencies With Credit Cards

If you use your Bank of America-, JP Morgan Chase- or Citigroup-issued credit card to buy cryptocurrency, then you'll have to find an alternative ASAP. According to Bloomberg, the banks have banned crypto purchase using their cards due to the virtual coins' volatile nature. BofA has already started declining credit transactions with known exchanges, though its debit cards aren't be affected by the ban. Citigroup also announced on Friday that it'll no longer process crypto purchases, while JP Morgan Chase's new rule will take effect today.

JPMorgan spokesperson Mary Jane Rogers said the bank has decided to impose a restriction on crypto purchases, because it doesn't want to deal with the risks associated with it. In addition to the difficulties of keeping an eye on purchases -- something they're required to do -- associated with crypto-coins, there's also always the risk of somebody buying more than they can afford to pay. In addition, identity thieves could use stolen credit cards to buy cryptocurrency, and banks have little chance (if any) to get that money back.

These banks aren't the only financial institutions backing away from anything associated with crypto. Capital One Financial and Discover also don't allow cryptocurrency purchases with their credit cards. Discover chief David Nelms even described people using virtual coins as "crooks... trying to get money out of China or wherever." A Coinbase staff member has also revealed in a Reddit post that major credit card networks and providers recently changed the terms of digital currency purchases. The new terms allow them to treat those purchases as a cash advance, which carries additional charges and have higher interest rates.

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Ehang Flying Car Company's Passenger Drones Make First Manned Flights

Thank god for the long peace

Or at least Dr Oppenheimer.

India Spending Almost $25 billion for Next Aircraft Carrier

The Indian Navy is moving ahead with a big-ticket proposal for acquiring its third aircraft carrier which is expected to cost around Rs 1.6 lakh crore along with the additional component of 57 fighter aircraft.

The Navy has one operational aircraft carrier in the INS Vikramaditya while another one, INS Vikrant, is under construction at the Cochin Shipyard Limited (CSL) and is expected to join service in the next few years.

“The Navy is planning to field its Rs 70,000 crore proposal before the defence ministry in near future which will cost around Rs 1.6 lakh crore at the approval stage itself along with the fighter plane component and the actual costs will go higher further as the programme moves ahead,” government sources told Mail Today.

The Navy has plans of buying 57 twin-engine fighter planes for the third aircraft carrier for which American F-18 and French Dassault Rafale are in the race.

“If one goes by the cost of the 36 Rafales acquired for the Air Force, the 57 planes are not going to cost us less than Rs 90,000-95,000 crore,” the sources said.

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Some think it is a waste.

Paleolithic Papers #18

Genus Homo:

Stone tools found in Attirampakkam, India push back the first occurrence of Levallois style stone tools.  200,000 years earlier than the previous occurrence.

John Hawks speculates about the potential for mitochondrial DNA introgression.

How to screw up stone tools.

H. sapiens:

The Indonesian island of Kisar is unusually rich in cave paintings.

It now appears that modern humans dispersed out of Africa multiple times prior to 60,000 years ago.

Humanity might be at its peak potential physically.

There is a bunfight over how to interpret South African mesolithic sites.

How deep into the Pleistocene did modern humans live in Indonesia?

The Out of Africa model is getting challenged again.

The Americas were peopled in one wave, by and large, for so implied by the genome of a 11,500 child found in Alaska from a new population from Holocene/Pleistocene Boundary Alaska.

Scandinavia was populated through two migrations at the end of the ice age.

A new jaw found in Israel of what appears to be a modern human pushes back the oldest date modern human remains have been found outside of Africa.  John Hawks has his own take.

At least four distinct populations of humans were present in Eurasia during the Late Pleistocene.

Archaeologists have reconstructed post ice age spear points from Holocene Boundary Alaska.

A Mesolithic 'crayon' may have been recovered from England.

The Bonn-Oberkassel dog found buried with two modern humans was very ill from distemper and would have required extensive care that would have made it useless as a helper or hunter for some time before its death.

H. neanderthalensis:

Were the Neandertals stymied by the glacial lakes of Siberia?

Neandertals appear to have collected hunting trophies.

Did the Neandertal home range get fragmented into smaller pockets due to climate change?

H. erectus:

Inner tooth morphology from the H. erectus finds of Zhoukoudian.

H. habilis:

Where OH24 and OH56 were found.

Genus Australopithecus:

A. africanus:

Little Foot has been prepared and shared with the world.

Genus Sahelanthropus:

John Hawks points out something weird is afoot with the Sahelanthropus femur.

META:

Human evolution has been uneven, punctuated.

A hypothesis has been proposed for the evolution of the digital sesamoids in the hominin line.

Taking a look at the materials of stone tools and their performance.

Lessons learned from the Piltdown doubters.

How hominins procured the raw materials for stone tools in the Lower Pleistocene.

Estimating body masses in hominins.

When did pair bonding become a thing in hominins?

Deep Space Gateway Update #1

Sierra Nevada Corporation (SNC) has formalized its agreement with NASA under Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships-2 (NextSTEP-2), signing a contract to design and develop a prototype for a deep space habitat. The formal signing of the contract under NextSTEP Broad Agency Announcement, Appendix A: Habitat Systems, aimed at enabling potential long-duration human missions in deep space, clears the way for actual production of SNC’s prototype in the coming months.

SNC is partnering with Aerojet Rocketdyne and ILC Dover to begin the conceptual architectural design; they will build a full-scale ground prototype of the main habitable volume over the next 19 months.

“The future of human spaceflight includes long-duration travel in deep space and these prototypes will help develop the concepts to make it possible. The idea that humans are starting to expand farther into space than ever before is exciting and we’re thrilled to be a part of it,” said Fatih Ozmen, owner and CEO of SNC.

The public-private habitation development work supports NASA’s study of a deep space gateway concept in cislunar space. Located in lunar orbit, a gateway could enable a new level of space exploration never before possible. NASA gateway studies and prototypes will be used to look at commercial capabilities and risk reduction as the agency defines requirements and objectives for the spaceport.

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Japan and the United States have expressed interest in collaborating on the Deep Space Gateway.

The Russians claim they will send their first cosmonauts to the DSG in 2027.  Better check your tickets again, Vladimir.  After all, you guys just said the rocket for such a launch won't really be ready until 2032.

Is the Cyrptocurrency Tether Actually Backed by US Dollars?

THE CRYPTOCURRENCY WORLD, with its volatility, is all about FUD—fear, uncertainty, doubt. And nothing is generating more FUD right now than an unusual currency called tether.

Unlike bitcoin and its many siblings, tether is what is called a stablecoin, an entity designed to not fluctuate in value. With most cryptocurrencies prone to wild swings, tether offers people who dabble in the market the option of buying a currency that its backers say is pegged to the US dollar. Trading bitcoin for dollars at a bank can be cumbersome and costly; by comparison, acquiring tether is simple, cheap and fast.

But in recent weeks a chorus of skeptics has called into question nearly everything about tether. The root of the controversy is whether the company behind it, also called Tether, is telling the truth when it claims that every unit in circulation is matched by a US dollar it holds in reserve. If the company has a dollar for every tether, that means in theory any holder can sell tethers back to the company for an equal number of dollars at any time. This belief keeps the value of a tether pegged to a dollar.

Critics on Twitter, Reddit, in blog posts, and at a recent bitcoin conference have been demanding that the company prove its reserves through external audits. Not only has Tether failed to do so, last week it confirmed rumors that it had severed ties with Friedman LLP, the accounting firm on tap to perform those audits. On Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission had sent subpoenas to Tether. A Tether spokesperson said, "We routinely receive legal process from law enforcement agents and regulators conducting investigations. It is our policy not to comment on any such requests." The spokesperson declined other comment.

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China Appears to Have Mounted a Railgun on a PLAN Ship

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This is what happens when you stupidly piss away a 30 year lead on tech.  Congress is to blame.  The Pentagon is to blame.  Current and former Presidents are to blame.

Lockheed to Deliver 60 kw Laser Weapon to US Navy by 2020

Lockheed Martin Aculight is being awarded a $150,022,901 contract for Surface Navy Laser Weapon System Increment 1, High Energy Laser and Integrated Optical-dazzler with surveillance system.

Under this contract Lockheed Martin Aculight will develop, manufacture, and deliver two test units in fiscal 2020, one unit for US Navy destoryer DDG 51 FLT IIA, and one for land-based testing, a US DoD announcement said Friday.

This contract includes options which, if exercised, would bring the cumulative value of this contract to $942,818,114.

A request for proposal for the High Energy Laser with Integrated Optical-dazzler and Surveillance (HELIOS) system had been released by the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) on 18 June 2017.

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Russia Claims it Will Land a Probe on the Moon Next Year

The launch of Russia’s Luna-25 lunar landing station is scheduled for 2019, with no delays in the timeframe of the mission’s commencement, the Lavochkin Research and Production Association (the lander’s manufacturer) told TASS on Thursday.

"Under the schedule, the launch of the Luna-25 mission is planned for 2019," the Lavochkin Research and Production Association said.

Some media outlets reported on Thursday that the launch of the Luna-25 lander had allegedly been rescheduled for 2020.

As was reported earlier, Russia plans to dispatch the Lunar-25 research landing module to the Earth’s natural satellite in 2019, the Luna-26 orbiter in 2021 and the Luna-27 lander in 2022.

The Luna-25 project aims to launch an automatic probe for research in the Moon’s South Pole. The module is expected to land in the Boguslavsky crater to analyze the composition of regolith, the lunar dust, carry out stereo-photography for preparing the surface’s 3D map and identify the lander’s coordinates with millimeter accuracy using a laser angled reflector.

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Terminator Times #41

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Drones):

A second drone has been found at the Joint Ft Worth training facility.

DARPA has completed its second phase of its CODE swarming demo.

The US Army is working with engineering plastics for 3d printable drones.

The US Air Force wants Grey Wolf missiles that are cheap to produce and take advantage of swarming technologies.

The US Air Force awarded General Atomics a contract to upgrade Reapers.

The USAF has greatly increased the number of Reapers in Kandahar.

The US Navy wants to have General Atomics fly its own MQ-9 Reapers in Afghanistan.

The US Navy also wants Northrop to install sense and above tech on its MQ-4C Tritons.

The US Navy has denied Iranian drones chased a destroyer out of the Gulf of Oman.

The Royal Canadian Navy has outlined its plans for a UAV.

China will launch its improved Wing Loong UAV this year.

France will evaluate Airbus' unmanned helicopter for use on future frigates with an eye towards reducing risk.

A Chinese Wing Loon I has been spotted at a Pakistani airbase.

Three Chinese Wing Loong IIs have been spotted in the UAE, indicating the UAE was the export launch customer.

The Czech MoD wants to procure a UCAV.

Iranian UAV missions are increasing in the Persian Gulf.

The Russians suffered an attack by a number of drones in Syria.  More info emerged.  The Russians claim they countered with smart shells fired from artillery.  Who is responsible for the attack?  IS claims it, but...  The Russian media has stated the US military is supporting IS against Russia, including during the attack: the US denied any participation.  The attack itself signals a big change in warfare.

Turkey and Indonesia are set to develop a MALE UAV together.

Why does Boeing's MQ-25 prototype appear so stealthy?  New photos appeared of Boeing's bird in St Louis.

Boeing is developing an unmanned cargo aerial vehicle (more).

British Aerospace's MAGMA drone has piqued a lot of interest.

CMI outlined its plans for integrating UAVs into its turrets.

General Atomics demonstrated an autonomous take off and landing capability with the MQ-9B.

Kratos has entered a secret UAV into production with a $23 million contract from an unnamed US government agency.

Leonardo is set to lead the EU's maritime drone demo.

UVision is testing an extended range Hero loitering munition.

Should drone swarms be countered with prop driven fighters?

Unmanned Ground Vehicles (Ogres & Bolos):

ARI has selected an Australian company's tech for its UGV comms.

HDT will deliver 20 UGVs for the US Army for evaluation.

Milrem demoed its THEMIS UGV's autonomy.

Unmanned Surface Vehicles (robo boats):

The US Navy will work with Textron to arm the CUSVs being developed.

The US Navy is ramping up testing of USVs.

Rolls Royce has proposed a concept USV that launches VTOL UAVs.

Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (robo subs):

The US believes the leaked Russian Status-6 nuclear armed UUV is be a real threat.  The weapon is intended as a 'third strike.'

The US Navy will begin training operators for large UUVs.

The US Navy sent a document on their UUV program to congress.

Houthi rebels celebrate capturing the US Navy UUV.

META:

Don't fear the robopocalypse!

The US Army wants robotic combat vehicles.

A/2017 U1 Oumuamua: Even More Information on our First Interstellar Visitor

Breakthrough Listen observed Oumuamua with a radio telescope and released its data to the public.  Oumuamua was radio silent.

Oumuamua is a natural, not made object.

Oumuamua could be a binary contact asteroid.

Oumuamua might be left over from a star that died.

How common and where do interstellar 'roids like Oumuamua come from?

Can we backtrack Oumuamua to its origin? 

Oumuamua appears to have a carbon rich crust.

Intel Announces 49 Qubit Quantum Computer

Quantum computing has been a major research topic for multiple companies the past few years, with D-Wave, IBM, and Intel all launching their own systems and improving them at a fairly rapid clip. At CES 2018 this week, Intel’s CEO, Brian Krzanich, declared the company’s new 49-qubit quantum computer represented a step towards “quantum supremacy.”

A 49 qubit system is a major advance for Intel, which just demonstrated a 17-qubit system two months ago. Intel’s working with the Netherlands-based Qutech on this project, and expanding the number of qubits is key to creating quantum computers that can deliver real-world results.

When Intel launched its 17-qubit system in October, it wrote: “Qubits are tremendously fragile: Any noise or unintended observation of them can cause data loss. This fragility requires them to operate at about 20 millikelvin – 250 times colder than deep space.” This is also why we won’t be seeing quantum computers in anyone’s house at any point. While early classical computers were also room-sized and required commensurate cooling solutions, there’s no known way to build hand-sized or even desktop quantum machines that incorporate the cooling required.

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Chinese Infantry may Outgun American Troops

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China claims to have entered its QTS-11 OICW into service.  

The QTS-11 is of the same breed as the now cancelled OICW the US Army was pursuing, but could not get to work: it involved an air bursting 25mm grenade launcher mated to a 5.56mm assault weapon.  That proved to be too heavy, by US Army standards and they went with just developing the grenade launcher as a standalone weapon.  Due to some weird legal wrangling - HK wanted the US gov to grant some statements regarding international law about explosive projectiles below a certain diameter and the US gov didn't - HK refused to continue with the manufacture of the weapon.  Orbital ATK was the contract holder with the US Army - having teamed with HK - and failed to deliver the weapons.  The US Army then cancelled the contract last April.  Orbital ATK is now in legal hell with HK to pursue another manufacturing partner to try to win back the contract.

However, in the mean time, if the Chinese have successfully pulled off the introduction of an effective OICW, the US Army Infantryman is outgunned.  Big time.  Really big time.  

And we have a very serious problem.

Stealth Saga #71

Sixth Generation Fighters:

Long range, hyperspectral sensors are key to defeating A2AD strategies.

KF-X:

Saab is joining to help develop the AESA radar for the KFX.

PAK-DA:

Russia claims it will start the PAK-DA prototype Real Soon Now.

J-20:

China has stated the J-20 has participated in combat exercises for the first time.

B-2 Spirit:

3 B-2s have deployed to Guam.

A B-2 overflew the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl.

Take a look at this B-2 wing flutter video and see what it means.

B-21:

The short term funding proposals might delay the B-21 program.

F-22:

Lockheed won a sustainment contract for the F-22 worth $7 billion.

F-35:

How the F-35 got its name.

A USAF F-16 pilot will fly with the USMC in its F-35Bs.

The USMC is planning on deploying the F-35B to CENTCOM for its 'first taste of combat' in 2018.

The USS Wasp is acting as a mini carrier in Asia.

The US Navy is integrating the F-35 into its sensor networks for its surface fleet.

Lockheed might be advertising a capability for the F-35 that may not exist.

A helicopter filmed three F-35s at the Fiesta Bowl game.

Italy has started flying its F-35B in its naval colors.

Germany may want to buy a small number of F-35 to be NATO compliant even if it does buy mostly Eurofighters.

South Korea and Japan want F-35Bs for their jeep carrier amphibs (and for remote island runways).  There is a proposal to convert the JS Izumo into a fixed wing carrier circulating in the Japanese MOD.  To start with, the Japanese want to be able to fuel USMC F-35Bs from the JS Izumo.  China is not pleased by this.

South Korea wants to buy additional (20+) F-35s.

Turkey is inviting bids to customize its F-35s.

SpaceX Commercial Human Spaceflight Missions Slip

Crucial flight tests for NASA’s two commercial crew vehicles are slipping ever closer to 2019. The space agency released the following updated schedules for Boeing’s CST-100 and SpaceX’s Dragon 2 vehicles today:

Targeted Test Flight Dates

Boeing Orbital Flight Test (uncrewed): August 2018

Boeing Crew Flight Test (crewed): November 2018

SpaceX Demonstration Mission 1 (uncrewed): August 2018

SpaceX Demonstration Mission 2 (crewed): December 2018

Boeing’s schedule has not changed from the previous update. SpaceX’s demonstration flights have slipped from April and August to August and December, respectively. No reasons have been given for the slips.

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A lot of risk remains.

China has Begun Building its Third Aircraft Carrier

China started building its third aircraft carrier, with a hi-tech launch system, at a Shanghai shipyard last year, according to sources close to the People’s Liberation Army.

One of the sources said Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard Group was given the go-ahead to begin work on the vessel after military leaders met in Beijing following the annual sessions of China’s legislature and top political advisory body in March.

“But the shipyard is still working on the carrier’s hull, which is expected to take about two years,” the source said. “Building the new carrier will be more complicated and challenging than the other two ships.”

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Russia Tested the SARMAT ICBM

Sources in the military or defense industry tell Russian press that the first ejection test of the Sarmat missile did take place in Plesetsk. Normally, MK is not the most reliable source, but this time the information appears to be correct - sources on the other side also say that the test did happen.

The MK report leaves the impression that the test took place in the last few days of this year, but the test apparently took place in early December. Which is interesting - a few days ago Rogozin had a chance to comment on the progress of the Sarmat program and he refused to say anything. In any event, the program is clearly behind the schedule and my take is that the chances of Sarmat being deployed in 2020 are extremely slim.

One detail in the MK report caught eye of a few observers - the missile reportedly flew "several tens of kilometers" before landing "within the test site." This is a bit too far for an ejection test. It's quite possible that the reporter mixed up meters and kilometers. Or the launch involved a limited test of the first stage engines. A mix-up seems a safer bet, but a test of the engines is possible as well.

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China's Second Aircraft Carrier (Shandong) to Start Sea Trials

China's second aircraft carrier might conduct its first sea trials in February, military analysts said after Taiwan media reported that China's first aircraft carrier the Liaoning sailed near the island on Friday.

China launched its second aircraft carrier in April 2017 after the Liaoning, a refitted Soviet Union-made carrier that went into commission in 2012.

China's second aircraft carrier is the country's first domestically made carrier.

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Russia is Expanding its Naval Base in Syria

A plan to expand the Russian naval facility at the Syrian port of Tartus has been formally approved in Moscow.

On 29 December Russian President Vladimir Putin formally signed into law a plan that was agreed by Moscow and Damascus on 18 January 2017. This followed ratification of the agreement by the Duma on 21 December and the Federal Council on 26 December.

The Kremlin released a document saying the agreement covered the expansion of the territory of the Russian Navy’s logistics centre at Tartus, saying Syria is transferring land and water areas, as well as real estate, in the port.

The agreement also covers visits by naval vessels to all Syrian ports and territorial waters and the status of Russian personnel in the country.

It is valid for 49 years, at the end of which it will automatically be renewed for 25-year periods.

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China is Banning Bitcoin Miners

As China’s crackdown on cryptocurrencies broadens to bitcoin miners, some of the industry’s biggest players are shifting operations overseas.

Bitmain, which runs China’s two largest bitcoin-mining collectives, is setting up regional headquarters in Singapore and now has mining operations in the U.S. and Canada, Wu Jihan, the company’s co-founder, said in an interview. BTC.Top, the third-biggest mining pool, is opening a facility in Canada and ViaBTC, ranked No. 4, has operations in Iceland and America, their founders said.

The moves underscore how China’s once-dominant role in the world of cryptocurrencies is shrinking as policy makers clamp down.

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An Update the Chinese Aircraft Carrier CV17 Shandong

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Terminator Times #40

Drones (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles):

The US will provide Lebanon with ScanEagle drones.

A drone struck a US Army helicopter.

The US Army Research Lab designed quickly 3d printable drones.

The USAF is retiring the MQ-1 Predator this summer.

The USAF's Global Hawk is getting a new optical sensor.

The USAF just gave a $48 million contract to Aurora for its Orion UAV.

The USMC has been testing fully autonomous helicopters.

USMC VMU-4 retired its last RQ-7b.

Two Marines UAV operators received Achievement Medals with the Remote 'R' Impact device.

The US Navy has placed its first LRIP order for the Triton.

China's Wing Loong II hit multiple targets with five different types of munitions a test run.

India is advancing its procurement of General Atomics Guardian UAVs.

The Israeli Navy is working on a VTOL UAV for its ships.

Russian UAV teams practiced jamming attacks on simulated opponents.

Taiwan will launch the production of the Teng Yun MALE UAV.

AeroVironment has teamed up with SoftBank to develop a long persistence, solar powered HALE drone.

Airbus has been testing autonomous fly and landing capabilities for helicopters.

Airbus is getting help with its Zephyr pseudo satellite UAV.

BAe has been testing the MAGMA drone flown without control surfaces.

Boeing unveiled its MQ-25A Stingray entry: more pix here with a link to a video.  This is the follow-on to the UCLASS that turned from a stealthy strike asset to a tanker.  It appears Boeing updated its UCLASS design to be a tanker.  The prototype is undergoing engine trials and will conduct deck handling demonstrations in the coming year.

The FAA has approved and given a designation to the Boeing MQ-25 prototype: N234MQ.  Supposedly, the Navy wants t build up to 72 MQ-25s.

General Atomics got a $328+ million contract to support the Predator and Reaper drones.

Ogres & Bolos (Unmanned Ground Vehicles):

The US Army has selected four vendors for its SMET UGV program.

Robo Boats (Unmanned Surface Vehicles):

The US Navy has given Leidos another contract for a second Sea Hunter II USV.

China has been showing off the Tianxing-1, an armed USV capable of over 50 knots.

Israeli Seagull USVs were used for mine hunters for the HMS Ocean during an exercise.

Robo Subs (Unmanned Underwater Vehicles):

DARPA has awarded the payload bay design for the US Navy's Orca XLUUV.

General Atomics is building a permanent magnet motor for the US Navy's LDUUV.

The Houthi rebels in Yemen captured a US Navy UUV.

META:

The UN is getting hung up on just defining what killer robots are, nevermind any progress on actually banning them.

Saab has laid out its vision of manned/unmanned teaming in war.

Thales Alenia Participating With THree Companies in Studying the Deep Space Gateway

Thales Alenia Space is partnering with three U.S. companies that are working on NASA studies of concepts for the proposed Deep Space Gateway, leveraging its expertise in space station and cargo module development.

Thales announced Dec. 14 that Boeing was the latest company it was working with as part of NASA’s Next Space Technologies for Exploration Partnerships (NextSTEP) 2 effort. Thales has previously also been working with Lockheed Martin and Orbital ATK. Thales did not disclose the value of the individual contracts with the three companies.

For all three companies, Thales is providing expertise in areas such as structures, environmental controls and thermal controls, said Walter Cugno, vice president of Thales Alenia Space’s exploration and sciences domain, in a call with reporters. The company’s contributions are currently limited to studies, he said, and does not include hardware at this time.

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