NASA | Goddard Spaceflight's "Pandora" Mission Is Intently Imaging Exo-Planet Transits, From A Low Earth Orbit: Mini-'Scope Tech!

Using only a very small craft, and a low Earth orbital trajectory -- this lil' guy is both very economical, and very efficient. It will help inform future JWST passes of these exo-wonders, looking for liquid water signatures at the most promising of them. Do read the Goddard Spcelight introduction -- and watch the clever YouTube, below.

My tickets for four hours inside the Obama Presidential Library are up today at noon -- so I'll have more on that, tomorrow -- but in the mean-time, this will likely be today's only entry. Here's Goddard's blog:

. . .The results of the mission will lay a firm foundation for interpreting measurements by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope, as well as future observatories focused on finding habitable worlds. In fact, Pandora’s near-infrared detector is a spare originally developed for Webb.

"The spacecraft is healthy and all of the instruments are performing as well as we could have hoped,” said Jordan Karburn, Pandora’s deputy project manager at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California. “Our team’s hard work throughout the commissioning process has paid off, and we can now confidently start science. . . ."

Launched into low Earth orbit on Jan. 11, Pandora is an ambitious small satellite (SmallSat) funded by NASA’s Astrophysics Pioneers program. Pioneers are designed to explore compelling questions about the universe with fast-paced, low-cost missions that require a higher-than-usual tolerance for failure.

Three factors make Pandora unique. It carries a novel all-aluminum telescope about 18 inches (45 centimeters) in diameter, it will study planets and their host stars simultaneously in both visible and infrared light, and it will observe targets for a much longer time than flagship observatories like Webb are able to. . . .

And, Goddard's video explainer:



नमस्ते

Pennsylvania Has Recorded Two Measles Deaths: A First In Over A Third of a Century. Deplorable.

Yes, this is what happens when a feckless former drig addict billionaire a-hole is put in charge of public health.

Thanks, Donald and RFK. Jr. -- these deaths are your fault. You've encouraged ignorant parents to forgo needed vaccines and now their kids are dying. Charming. This was eradicated in the 1970s -- but measles as a killer, has returned, thanks to. . . you two:

. . .Two people have died in Pennsylvania from measles, the state health department said Tuesday. Both individuals from Lancaster County were unvaccinated.

These the first deaths related to measles within the state in 35 years, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and the first deaths reported this year in the U.S.

"My deepest sympathies are with the loved ones who are facing this unimaginable loss," Dr. Debra Bogen, the state's secretary of health, said in a statement. "Because measles was largely eliminated in the Commonwealth for more than three decades, people are not familiar with this disease and don't fully understand the potential severity of the illness. . . ."

These deaths are yours, Donald Trump and RFK, Jr. Your inane blather, and luddite policies. . . are the "but for" cause of them. May the mid-terms punish your feckless, malignantly unscientific. . . bloviating.

नमस्ते

Another Motions Hearing -- On Abrego Garcia's Quest To "Be Left Alone, In The US" As A Resident, With Lawful Papers -- Vis-A-Vis ICE/DHS MAGA Goons...

The time is drawing very near, when Abrego Garcia will be "free to live his life" -- either here stateside, or in Costa Rica -- where the Tangerine 2.0 goons cannot reach him.

Then he would be free to return in late 2028, after the next national presidential election is lost (by MAGA).

In any event, here is the overnight paperless order out of Judge Xinis' chambers:

. . .PAPERLESS NOTICE of Hearing:

Cause No. 8:25-cv-02780-PX (US DC, Maryland Dist.)

A Motions Hearing has been scheduled for September 14, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. on all outstanding motions in Courtroom 2C, 6500 Cherrywood Lane, Greenbelt, Maryland 20770, before Judge Paula Xinis. . . .

Now you know; onward resolutely.

नमस्ते

This Sunday Morning, The Nancy Grace Roman Space 'Scope Will Liftoff, For A Minimum 5 Year Mission...

Now almost two decades in the planning-to-execution, this excellent deep space science project is. . . ready to take to the inky black depths, about one million miles from home.

I am keeping my fingers crossed that the Musk rocket will perform to specs on this lift. Here's the latest, on scheduling:

. . .NASA and SpaceX are targeting Roman’s liftoff for no earlier than 7:26 a.m. EDT Sunday, Aug. 30, aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from Launch Complex 39A at the agency’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Launch coverage begins at 6:20 a.m. . . .

Named for NASA’s first chief astronomer, the Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope will pair sharp infrared vision with a field of view at least 100 times larger than the agency’s Hubble Space Telescope. Its crisp, sweeping surveys will help scientists investigate dark energy and dark matter, discover and characterize exoplanets, map billions of galaxies, study black holes, and explore objects from our own solar system to the edge of the observable universe.

After launch and separation from the rocket, Roman will travel to the second Sun-Earth Lagrange point, or L2, about one million miles from Earth. The mission has a five-year primary lifetime with a goal of operating for 10 years, and Roman’s science data will be publicly available after processing. . . .

Now you know, on a flawlessly cool and sunny day. here -- with baby grrls coming over for after school fun this evening! Woot!

नमस्ते

Evanston Will Keep Marching Forward, With Its Entirely Lawful Reparations Payments -- Even As AUSA Boutros Tries To Slow Roll This Coming Dismissal...

This nonsense suit, nominally filed by some whyte crisis actors who never lived in Evanston. . . just keeps dragging on (since 2024 at this point, on a program for which applications closed in 2021). But all the while, we in Evanston (we people of good will) go about our lawful, sane and compassionate official business.

We will dutifully ignore the Fitton-financed morons -- as well as the MAGA USA in Chicago (Boutros) who writes and files far-right political tracts, instead of any actual legal briefs, in this matter at least. Trust that.

And, trust that yours truly will be sitting in the courtroom, in the Dirksen federal building -- on the morning below:

. . .MINUTE entry before the Honorable John F. Kness:

At the Court's instance and in view of the parties' briefing on Defendant's motion to bifurcate discovery [45] and the US's motion to intervene as a plaintiff [48], the hearing set for 8/25/2026 is stricken and reset to 10/7/2026 at 10:00 A.M. . . .

Onward -- with just two weeks, until a month in the EU. . . Nice, France -- then Florence, Italy. . . then Rome, or Paris (depending on weather, mostly -- but back by October 2, even if I am in Northern Ireland for a few days). Smile.

नमस्ते

Tangent [Exclusive]: Mr. Mulleady Has Apparently Agreed To Plead Guilty To Some Charges, In Miami, Florida...

While I was in the High Rockies, apparently Mr. Mulleady offered to plead guilty to at least some charges, related to his true threats of harm, including a picture of a gun -- sent by means of interstate commerce (the web) -- to Martin Shkreli and others.

Many regular readers here will recall that the jury in his multi-count federal felony menacing trial. . . deadlocked, last Spring.

But both sides have agreed to a 30 day continuance on a motion, in order to document the plea deal. Here's that -- in text:

. . .The parties have negotiated a plea in this case, and are currently working out the details and documents. Both the undersigned and the government will be in trial next week during the current hearing date. Mr. Mulleady thus respectfully requests that this Court continue the currently set hearing date for 30 days. Once the documents are finalized, the parties will reach out to the Court to set a change of plea date.

Undersigned counsel has conferred with AUSA Felipe Plechac-Diaz regarding the relief requested herein. The government has no objection to this continuance. . . .

My hunch, then, is that it will limit Mulleady's jail time to that which he has already served, in Dade. . . and the matter will be a five year supervised release, with deferred sentencing.

We shall see, but I doubt very much he will get the acquittal he was seeking -- and he will remain a convicted felon, which makes any life in a white collar world. . . unlikely (unless he becomes a POTUS, I guess).

Onward, grinning.

नमस्ते

I've Removed Some Political Bluster, In The Pull-Quote -- But This Law Firm Memo Is Probably Right -- About The Direction Of Amazon's Current NLRB/Defense Cases...

Now that billionaires have captured a 3-1 majority of the NLRB, some right leaning labor / corporate defense law firms are clucking and gloating about the coming bloodbath in the laws protecting US workers' rights to organize union votes. [You may read lots more of that political invective here.]

It is a false-framing though, to cast these as Biden labor policies. These laws strech back to the early 1990s. And they were mostly given renewed teeth, in the two Obama administrations. In any event, they've been settled law for over 12 years. And now, Bezos and Musk will wipe them off the books. Here's that:

. . .What Happened?

The NLRB has historically refrained from overturning precedent unless it has three votes to do so. Now that James Macy has been approved by the Senate, the Board has three Republican appointees (Macy, Chairman James Murphy, and Scott Mayer) and just one Democratic appointee (David Prouty). That means we can expect the Board to begin taking action to strip away many of the legal standards set [over the last 14 years]. . . .

Speech and Expression During Union Campaigns / Captive Audience Meetings (Amazon.com Services)

There is no issue that our Labor team feels more strongly about. All of them provide a 100% prediction that that new Board will [permit] employers to require mandatory attendance at employer meetings regarding unionization.

This will overturn the. . . 2024 decision that. . . held that mandatory captive audience meetings violate the NLRA. . . .

An employer forcing its employees to sit through anti-union lectures (on pain of being docked pay, or even losing their jobs, no less). . . plainly violates what MAGA claims are rights to not listen, under the free association [or refusal to associate] jurisprudence, that they would say is embedded in our First Amendment rights.

These guys cannot keep the players straight -- when employers want to lecture employees about participating in preventative health programs at work, these MAGA people cry that that violates their "freedom" to make poor healthcare choces in their lives. But just as unions cause increasing wages, and thus increasing costs, at companies -- failure to join the fitness programs at companies clearly cost employers money, too. But no billionaires (save perhaps Bill Gates, Tim Cook and Phil Knight) are taking that to court.

In any event, the right leaning law firm is right: this Trumpain NLRB clearly now intends to strip workers' rights, and benefit billionaires, like Bezos. Damn.

नमस्ते

CDC Says Mpox Is Likely Now Endemic In The US -- "Here To Stay" Since 2022: CIDRAP

A viral vector that could have been arrested even before last year, is now likely going to be a constant companion, in some circles -- even in the United States, from here onward.

This is a story of US public policy / health care outreach. . . failure. This is what happens, when we stop helping with world-wide preventative health initiatives. Here's the latest, from CIDRAP, at the U. of Minn. -- while I was mostly off-grid, in the mountains last week:

. . .Although mpox cases related to the 2022 global outbreak were diagnosed in people who had traveled aboard, the virus now is spreading continuously in the United States.

Persistent, low levels of mpox “suggest a likely transition toward endemic circulation,” according to a report in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) flagship publication, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The paper also quantifies the risk of hospitalization in unvaccinated mpox patients.

Mpox spreads through close contact, such as cuddling, kissing, or sex. Mpox can spread among household contacts, either from skin-to-skin contact or by sharing towels or bedding. In the current outbreak in Guinea-Bissau, half of cases are in children.

In the United States, mpox is most common among men who have sex with men. The CDC recommends that people at risk for mpox, including those traveling to countries with outbreaks of the virus, receive two doses of the Jynneos vaccine. . . .

The global outbreak of clade 2b mpox that began in 2022 has infected 100,000 people in 122 total countries, including 115 countries in which mpox was not previously reported. . . .

Truly, this is tragic.

Even so, here, elementary public schoolkids go back tomorrow now -- how summers fly, nowadays! Smile. . . and, we travel onward, resolutely -- as ever.

नमस्ते

Trump’s Stupid (Tariff) Bullying Of Canada… Has Failed.

This is precisely what "Saint" (tongue firmly in cheek!) Ronnie Reagan warned us about in 1985: tariffs lead to retaliatory return tariffs.

And American families, workers and employers pay the brunt of the price. So too, again tonight as I ride the trains home from Midway Airport. Here is the latest, per the NYT:

. . .Mark Carney suspended talks and will take out retaliatory tariffs against the United States after days of negotiations to stave off new levies by the Trump administration ended in an impasse. . . .

Crucial trade talks between the United States and Canada to stave off punishing new tariffs by the Trump administration on Canadian goods collapsed late Friday, with Canada saying it would retaliate “dollar for dollar. . . .”

Geez -- what a feckless, and senile putz this Trump guy is.

नमस्ते

Chief Justice Roberts Issues A Temp. Admin Order, Ballroom Destruction To Continue For Now…

The order will allow the rest of the Supremes to consider whether they should even hear the Trump appeal.

It is -- by its nature -- unreasoned and summary. Even so, it does not indicate a specific time by which it would expire if the Supreme Court doesn't otherwise take the case.

As I've said before, I expect that the Supremes will rebuff Tangerine 2.0 here. Here is the esteemed Amy Howe, on it all:

. . .Chief Justice John Roberts issued a temporary order, known as an administrative stay, that kept Leon’s order on hold to give the justices more time to consider the Trump administration’s request to pause it.

The brief, one-sentence stay did not indicate when the justices might act on the government’s request. . . .

I honestly don't think justice Roberts was playing politics here. . . I think he simply wants the rest of the court to back him when they do dismiss it -- and gathering their reasoned views (during recess, to boot) will take more than a few minutes.

[Onward, posting from a delayed @ 35,000 feet Southwest 737 Max8 jet -- somewhere east of the Colorado line.] Smile.

नमस्ते

70,000 Jabs, Of Merck's Ervebo Vaccine Headed To DRC -- Ituri And Bas-Uele: Good News!

So, yes, this is good news -- and it is widely suspected that the vaccine will be protective against Bundibugyo -- but this will help prove this by empirical evidence.

Here's the latest news, from Reuters:

. . .The Democratic Republic of Congo has been allocated 70,000 doses of Merck's Ervebo vaccine for Ebola, the World Health Organization said on Thursday, as the ‌country attempts to contain its biggest-ever outbreak of the deadly disease. . . .

The health agency said the group ⁠allocated 70,000 Ervebo doses for Congo, of which 20,000 shots will be used in a late-stage trial to understand the impact of the vaccine on the Bundibugyo virus.

Geneva-based global vaccine alliance Gavi said they would provide $7 million to fund the shipment to Congo along with another $6 million to help with vaccination efforts in high-risk areas.

The ongoing outbreak is caused by the Bundibugyo species of Ebola, which has no approved vaccines or treatments.

"It is not known whether ‌Ervebo ⁠may be protective against the Bundibugyo virus in humans," WHO said, stressing the importance of clinical trials to provide new evidence.

[Merck's] Ervebo is approved to prevent disease caused by the more common Zaire ebolavirus strain. . . .

Now you know. Back to the City of Big Shoulders tomorrow evening. Smile. . . .

नमस्ते

Katalyst Space Will NOT Attempt A Boost Of The Swift ‘Scope: NASA

This is admittedly tough news.

The lifting will not be attempted.

As ever, safety comes first, and if anything were to go wrong with grappling — and/or then firing the rocket engines while holding the Swift Space telescope, this whole shooting match could end up crashing into other satellites and causing a chain reaction of global proportions. Understandably, that risk has been judged as not worth the return, here — by wiser heads, at NASA.

So Swift will be allowed to burn up in the atmosphere later this year in 2026. Here’s the latest from NASA, tonight:

. . .Due to an ongoing commercial spacecraft attitude control issue, NASA and Katalyst Space announced Wednesday the LINK spacecraft will not capture or boost an agency satellite to a higher altitude to extend its science mission as planned. . . .

“We knew this was a high-risk, high-reward mission – a first-of-its kind attempt, developed on an unprecedented timeline driven by the Sun’s activity,” said Shawn Domagal-Goldman, director, Astrophysics Division, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “We were all hoping for more science from Swift. But we knew the takeaways from this mission would be worthwhile either way, and we have gained so much through the series of accomplishments up to this point. . . .”

Without intervention, NASA anticipates Swift is likely to re-enter Earth’s atmosphere later this year. As part of the agency’s previous planning for Swift’s end of life, NASA will continue to prioritize finding new options to react rapidly to cosmic events, using current missions to help fill the gap in the meantime. . . .

In happier news, my nearly 92 year-old mother got to witness a rainbow below her feet as we stared over a cliff at over 14,000 feet of elevation this afternoon. It’s really something to be above the clouds and see a rainbow arc below your feet — grin.

नमस्ते

In Less Sanguine News, Ebola/Bundibugyo Has Now Hit Over 5,000 Cases In DRC -- Ituri, And Bas-Uele Provinces... Ugh.

We know this will likely be the most rapidly lethal Ebola outbreak in recorded world-wide history -- even as EU and WHO and local partners race to try and arrest the now wildly-free contagion. Just a sad moment for epidemic science, here.

Here is that deeply discouraging news, from NPR:

. . .The Ebola outbreak in Congo has reached 5,000 cases, government data showed Wednesday, as responders warn it is spreading at an unprecedented speed outpacing efforts to slow it in one of the country's remotest regions.

Health investigators in the Democratic Republic of Congo interview individuals as part of their contact tracing — seeking to find those who came into contact with people infected with Ebola.

Data from Congo's Ministry of Health showed the outbreak had so far recorded 5,021 cases, including 2,378 deaths as of Sunday, as it rages in some of the most challenging conditions imaginable fueled by insecurity, displacement and intense population movements.

The outbreak has infected and killed more people at a greater speed than any other outbreak in history. The World Health Organization estimates it will likely surpass the outbreak of 2014 to 2016 across West Africa, which was the deadliest Ebola outbreak on record with more than 11,000 deaths. . . .

Onward, just the same -- into the clear, thin 14,000 foot air. Be excellent to one another.

नमस्ते

I Hope At Least Some Of You Picked Up Some Moderna Shares, In Nov. 2024 (During The Silly Anti-COVID VAX Doldrums) -- Or Earlier, This Year -- As We Suggested...

Moderna has done considerably better than I forecast. This morning it is trading above $135. It was around $25 a share in December of 2025 -- less than a year ago. I felt that $85 a share was a very sensible -- conservative, even -- fair value for the stock, then. And I said so.

The potential for a "cancer vaccine" is aligning in early trials almost perfectly -- and is boosting Merck's stock, as well -- now at around $150 (MRK was around $110 in early May of this year). So here is all that good news, from STAT+:

. . .A personalized mRNA cancer vaccine, added to an existing treatment, slowed the return of melanoma and its spread to other parts of the body in a late-stage clinical trial, the drugmakers Merck and Moderna announced Wednesday, results that could herald a new, powerful approach in oncology.

So-called “neoantigen” vaccines have long been seen as having potential as cancer treatments, but this is the first randomized Phase 3 clinical trial aimed at definitively proving their benefit. In this case the personalized vaccine, intismeran, was combined with Merck’s Keytruda in adjuvant melanoma, meaning patients’ disease had been surgically removed.

If the results hold up — the drugmakers did not immediately release detailed data — they could deliver new hope and potentially longer lives for patients. They could also be a further testament to the power of mRNA as a platform to develop both traditional vaccines and therapeutics. . . .

Onward -- for a road trip to the tops of some 14,000 foot peaks today -- under azure Summer skies. Smile. Be excellent to one another -- always.

नमस्ते

UPDATE: In Nigeria, Lassa Fever Continues To Be A Major Concern -- With Worse Case Rates, And Fatality Rates, Than Last Year...

As we say at least once a week, all of this is worse -- ever since Tangerine 2.0 essentially gutted USAID, last year. We are now reaping the whirlwind, here.

Lassa should be a controllable fever. It should be. But without preventative health efforts on the ground locally -- well-funded with international aid. . . it is not. Here is the very diligent and latest OutbreakNewsToday, on this topic:

. . .The Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (NCDC) reported 1,000 confirmed Lassa fever cases from the beginning of the year through July 26, a 21 percent increase compared to the same period in 2025 (825).

In total for 2026, 23 States have recorded at least one confirmed case across 116 Local Government Areas.

Eighty-six percent (86%) of all confirmed Lassa fever cases were reported from 5 states (Ondo, Bauchi, Taraba, Edo and Benue) while fourteen percent (14%) were reported from 18 states with confirmed Lassa fever cases. Of the 86% confirmed cases, Ondo reported 32%, Bauchi 25%, Taraba 13%, Edo 10% and Benue 6%.

Concerning fatalities, 237 deaths among confirmed cases were reported. This is a 53 percent increase compared to the 155 deaths reported at this time in 2025.

The case fatality rate so far in 2026 is 23.7 percent. . . .

So one in four who contract Lassa are likely to die from it. That is deplorable -- because it certainly does not have to be this way. The Obama and Biden Administrations proved it. In fact, even Tangerine 1.0 funded efforts that greatly reduced Lassa fatalities in Africa. Damn.

Onward now, to let my 91 year old mother sit a safe distance away -- but to pretend to roam, with the Rocky Mountain Bison. Smile. . . .

नमस्ते

Lashing Out, At Oman?! Oh… Man!

Goodness -- what a putz -- again blaming everyone else for his terrible sense of what's possible -- and/or moral.

Yep -- here's that from the air over the High Sierras -- in the morning's New York Times:

. . .As a crumbling truce with Iran officially collapsed on Monday, President Trump signaled his frustration at his inability to resolve a war that he started but cannot seem to end.

In an interview with Fox News, the president lashed out at an American ally, Oman, that has been trying to mediate negotiations with Iran. . . .

Onward, trying to forget about the world's problems for a week -- and absorb some high mountains / isolation when I get off the plane. Whoosh. . . .

नमस्ते

Trump Whines, Anew: But He Cannot Destroy White House Property -- And Build Over The Top Of It. Not Without Congress's Explicit Say-So.

Tangerine 2.0 went off, crying to the Supremes this morning, all because his monstrosity of a "mostly not built" ballroom has been enjoined.

In sum, he's now been forced to. . . obey the law.

Yep. This argument is. . . absurd. I will not quote it.

Both the trial courts, and the appellate courts got it right. He's DOA.

That is all. Onward.

नमस्ते

Concerns Grow, In Scientific Circles -- Over "Ebo-Pep" Trial Protocol -- Thus, Running A Risk That Front Line Health Workers Get Randomized To A "Placebo Only" Arm...

People who've risked their lives, usually free of charge, to aid Doctors Without Borders, in attempts to arrest Ebola in DRC likely should be given the best treatment if it seems probable that they are/were exposed to Bundibugyo.

But it is possible that these workers might be randomized into a placebo only arm of a current trial, looking for effective measures against Bundibugyo. Here is the latest, from across the pond:

. . .Two leading doctors have “stepped back” from long-held positions with the World Health Organization amid a row over the ethics of an Ebola drug trial underway in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The randomised control trial, called Ebo-Pep, is testing whether an experimental antiviral is an effective post-exposure treatment.

But experts believe the study’s design puts healthcare workers on the frontline of the epidemic at risk, because it means medics exposed to Ebola might receive a placebo treatment. . . .

The Ebo-Pep trial began in mid-July. It is testing a drug called obeldesivir – an oral version of the antiviral remdesivir – to determine whether it offers protection for people who have been exposed to Ebola, but are yet to develop symptoms. . . .

Over the last decade, a status quo has also emerged where healthcare workers exposed to Ebola are immediately offered an antiviral treatment or monoclonal antibody, if it is available, in the hope of giving them the best possible chance of survival.

But if they are included in Ebo-Pep, their chance of receiving obeldesivir drops to 50 per cent.

Meanwhile any foreign doctor deployed to support the DRC will still be evacuated and offered an antiviral after a needlestick exposure -- three already have been in this outbreak -- creating an “unacceptable double standard. . . .”

I suppose front line health care workers ought to be allowed (in any event) to "opt in" to the trial -- and assume the risk (even if that creates unblinding problems), but this is -- as ever -- a vexing quandary, with trials in highly lethal viral outbreaks. We will keep an eye on it. Onward, resolutely.

नमस्ते

USDC Judge Alia Moses Is Working Out Settlement Mechanics, In Those West Texas Razor Wire Barrier / Torture Cases -- Finally.

To be sure, the MAGA Gov. Abbott / Texas authorities, and the Tangerine 2.0 feds (now, hand in glove) have been slow walking this one, since early 2025.

But it is clear that a settlement may be enforced by the federal judges down there. Here is all that -- and a bit of it, from a very short (actually. . . a "brief") filing, of yesterday:

. . .In the event of a settlement of this case, and in accordance with a request of the settling parties, this Court can (if it chooses to do so) effectively retain jurisdiction to enforce the parties’ settlement agreement by any of the methods discussed in Kokkonen and the cases that have interpreted it, including Whittier. As an example, the parties could move to dismiss the action and request that the court retain jurisdiction to enforce the settlement agreement.

The order dismissing the case should expressly retain jurisdiction for the court to enforce the settlement agreement. The settlement agreement itself should be attached as an exhibit to the order of dismissal. . . .

Now you know. Onward, at a glacial pace, in this one. . . .

नमस्ते

UPDATE: A Successful Software / Guidance Link Package Reconfig -- By Katalyst Space... Means A Shot At Boosting Swift Will Still Be Attempted, In A Few Weeks...

There are still lots of things that might yet go wrong, anew -- for this reconfigured mission, but the teams did clear a major hurdle this week.

The newly redesigned software was uploaded, to allow Link to operate and navigate. . . with only one gyro wheel functional.

Now the trick will be to fly the craft safely into an orbital attitude that will allow an approach to the aging Swift 'scope. Here's the latest, from NASA though, as of Tuesday:

. . .Katalyst Space successfully uploaded a flight software update for its LINK spacecraft, which is set to boost NASA’s Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory to a higher orbit. The software update’s new attitude control algorithms are designed to maintain LINK’s stability using the spacecraft’s remaining actuators.

The team’s work has prepared LINK to continue its approach toward Swift, before attempting to capture and raise Swift to a higher orbital altitude. Katalyst will continue to work closely with NASA, evaluating LINK’s performance at each phase, as the team performs a series of burns and maneuvers in the coming days to align LINK’s orbit with Swift.

In the meantime, the Swift team continues with its innovative new approach to operating the observatory, which has successfully reduced drag and slowed Swift’s orbital decay. Swift is currently at an altitude of about 216 miles (347 kilometers). An orbit-raising maneuver would become more difficult below an average altitude of about 185 miles (300 kilometers). . . .

Now you know -- with lots of miles ahead, by air here too. Smile.

नमस्ते