Rocket-Powered Sleds Poised to Launch
Space Planes Into Reality (Source: TechSpot)
Instead of a traditional vertical rocket launch, Radian's innovative
solution involves having the Radian One take off from a two-mile-long
electromagnetic rail. A rocket sled would accelerate the plane to over
500 mph before releasing it, allowing its onboard engines to complete
the final push into orbit. Radian explains that this unconventional
two-part system, along with lightweight landing gear and aerodynamic
wings, is crucial to making their single-stage space plane a reality.
(9/5)
The Case of the Universe’s “Extra”
Light (Source: Sky & Telescope)
Astronomers may have finally solved the mystery of how dark space
really is. Using NASA’s New Horizons probe, they’ve shown that the
faint background glow of empty space is due to the light from galaxies
alone, ruling out the need for anything more exotic. Using new data
from the European Space Agency’s Planck satellite, the team estimated
the effect of light scattering off dust within our Milky Way Galaxy.
When this effect is taken into account and combined with new LORRI
images designed to minimize interference from galactic dust, the
previous excess background disappears. (9/5)
NASA's Newly Unfurled Solar Sail Has
Started 'Tumbling' End-Over-End in Orbit (Source: LiveScience)
A NASA spacecraft that recently unfurled a state-of-the-art solar sail
in Earth orbit is "tumbling or wobbling" through space as it circles
our planet, new observations show. NASA representatives said the
unusual motion was expected but did not explain exactly what is
happening. (9/4)
Astronomers Scan Over 2,800 Distant
Galaxies for Signs of “Super Civilizations (Source: The Debrief)
Researchers from the SETI Institute, the Berkeley SETI Research Center,
and the International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research have
announced a potentially groundbreaking study of over 2,800 distant
galaxies for signs of highly advanced “super civilizations.” Unlike
previous efforts by SETI researchers that scanned our local Milky Way
galaxy for signs of advanced technology, dubbed “technosignatures,”
this latest effort utilized the large viewing area and overall scanning
power of the Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) in Western Australia to
look at thousands of galaxies all at once. (9/4)
Dark Matter Search in
Gravitational-Wave Data (Source: APS)
LIGO and other gravitational-wave observatories detect gravitational
waves through miniscule changes—as small as one millionth the width of
an atomic nucleus—in the length of the kilometer-long interferometer
arms. These detectors might also be sensitive to a specific type of
dark matter, called scalar-field dark matter, that is expected to cause
size changes to the interferometer equipment. A new analysis of LIGO
data finds no size-change signal, implying new constraints on this dark
matter model. (9/4)
UK May Allow Amazon’s Starlink Rival
to Offer Broadband Services (Source: Bloomberg)
The British telecommunications regulator proposed allowing Amazon.com
Inc. unit Project Kuiper to operate a rival satellite network to Elon
Musk’s Starlink to provide high-speed broadband services. Ofcom
requested comments on Amazon Kuiper Services Europe SARL’s application
and the regulator’s proposal to grant the licence, by Oct. 4, it said
in a statement on Thursday. (9/5)
Vega Makes Final Flight with
Sentinel-2C Satellite (Source: Space News)
A Vega rocket launched a European Earth observation satellite Wednesday
night in the final flight of the original version of that vehicle. The
Vega rocket lifted off from Kourou, French Guiana, at 9:50 p.m. Eastern
and deployed the Sentinel-2C satellite into a sun-synchronous orbit
nearly an hour later. Sentinel-2C will ultimately replace Sentinel-2A,
providing medium-resolution visible and infrared imagery in 13 bands as
part of the Copernicus Earth science program. The launch was the final
one for the original version of Vega. The larger Vega C, which failed
in its second launch in late 2022, is still on track to return to
flight in late November, launching another Sentinel satellite. (9/5)
SDA Uses SpaceX Satellites to Test
Laser Comm Terminals (Source: Space News)
Two SpaceX satellites exchanged data using Tesat laser communications
terminals in a first for a Space Development Agency (SDA) program. The
satellites, part of SDA's Tranche 0 experimental spacecraft in low
Earth orbit, used laser terminals manufactured by Tesat-Spacecom to
communicate. This marks the first time the agency has demonstrated
laser communications in space using optical terminals compliant with
military standards required for SDA satellites. The laser
communications test is a crucial step in SDA's Proliferated Warfighter
Space Architecture program that aims to create a network of hundreds of
small satellites to enhance military communication and surveillance
capabilities. (9/5)
SPAC of COVID-19: Where Are They Now? (Source: Space News)
Space companies that went public through SPAC mergers a few years ago
have experienced wildly varying outcomes since then. A few companies
have managed to do relatively well, while others have suffered setbacks
and one, Virgin Orbit, went bankrupt. Nearly half the class of
companies has also announced significant workforce reductions since
going public as funds from investors increasingly wary of post-SPAC
companies failed to materialize and companies failed to hit overly
optimistic revenue projections they made as part of going public. Click here. (9/5)
Branson Dumped $1 Billion in Stock on
Space Hype, Suit Says (Source: Bloomberg)
Richard Branson exploited bogus hype about the capabilities of Virgin
Galactic Holdings Inc.'s spacecraft to make $1 billion worth of illegal
insider stock sales, an unsealed lawsuit says.
A shareholder sued the British industrialist, saying he spent years
misleading the public about the readiness of Virgin Galactic’s flagship
space tourism vessel, the Unity, then dumped “massive portions of his
stock” across 2020 and 2021. The sales included $300 million in August
2021, before the public learned his own trip to space almost ended in
disaster, according to the lawsuit, which also targets other board
members. (9/4)
Senegal Joins China's Lunar Station
Program (Source: Space News)
Senegal is the latest country to join the China-led International Lunar
Research Station (ILRS) program. The Senegalese Space Study Agency
signed an agreement on cooperation on ILRS at a Chinese space
exploration conference Thursday. Senegal joins 11 other nations that
have agreed to work with China on ILRS. China also signed up several
companies and organizations to participate in ILRS. The new partners
reflect an established trend of China attracting participants from the
Global South, and engaging in subnational diplomacy, somewhat mirroring
the country's wider diplomatic moves. (9/5)
China Plans 2028 Mars Sample Launches
(Source: Xinhua)
China is planning launches in 2028 of its Mars sample return mission.
The chief designer of the mission, speaking at a space exploration
conference Thursday, said two launches are projected in 2028 for the
Tianwen-3 mission, which will land on Mars to collect samples for
return to Earth. The report did not disclose when the samples will be
returned. However, if that schedule holds, the samples would likely be
returned before NASA's own Mars Sample Return program, which the agency
is currently revising to reduce its cost. (9/5)
Relativity Space Increasingly Using
Non-Printed Parts (Source: Ars Technica)
Relativity Space is relying more on traditional assembly technologies
and suppliers for its Terran R rocket. When the company unveiled plans
for Terran R three years ago, the company planned to make heavy use of
3D-printing technologies for a fully reusable rocket. The company has
since moved away from 3D printing of some components of the rocket and
acknowledged that some elements, like the rocket's payload fairing,
will come from suppliers like European company Beyond Gravity. Those
changes, and a shift to reusing only the first stage, are in response
to customer demand, the company argues. (9/5)
Asteroid Discovered Hours Before Entry
(Source: New Scientist)
Astronomers discovered a very small asteroid hours before it burned up
over the Philippines. The Catalina Sky Survey detected the asteroid,
named 2024 RW1, several hours before it burned up in the atmosphere
Wednesday, creating a brilliant meteor seen in the northern
Philippines. The asteroid, estimated to be about one meter across, was
too small to survive entry and posed no risk to people on the ground.
It is one of just a handful of asteroids spotted before hitting the
Earth. (9/5)
AiRANACULUS Expands NASA Contract for
Innovative Space Communications Technology (Source: Space Daily)
AiRANACULUS, a Massachusetts-based technology firm specializing in
advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML)
solutions, has announced an extension of its NASA Small Business
Innovation Research contract. The contract, now in its Phase II-E
stage, focuses on developing a cutting-edge space communications system
aimed at supporting upcoming lunar and Martian missions.
The extended contract enables AiRANACULUS to advance the Intelligent
Network Slicing and Policy-based Routing Engine solution (INSPIRE).
This innovative system is designed to manage diverse traffic across
shared satellite networks by utilizing Network Slicing features within
5G technology. These features allow for the logical partitioning and
secure management of various application services while introducing
enhanced policy control capabilities. (9/3)
Starion to Develop ESA's New Space
Weather Payload Data Center (Source: Space Daily)
Starion Group has secured a contract to spearhead the development of
the ESA Space Weather Payload Data Centre, aiming to strengthen
Europe's defense against the potentially severe impacts of solar
activity. Quick access to up-to-date solar activity data is essential,
as phenomena such as solar flares, radiation storms, coronal mass
ejections, and geomagnetic storms can disrupt power supplies,
communications, and the provision of positioning, navigation, and
timing (PNT) information, leading to significant consequences. (9/3)
Bright Ascension and ERETS Forge
Partnership to Boost Global Space Debris Solutions (Source:
Space Daily)
Bright Ascension Ltd., a leading space software technology provider,
has formalized a partnership agreement with ERETS Space, a company
specializing in in-space debris removal services. This Memorandum of
Understanding marks an important step in Bright Ascension's global
expansion and highlights its dedication to fostering international
collaboration and innovation.
ERETS, a pioneering UK startup with a research and development division
in Australia, plans to utilize Bright Ascension's advanced space
software technology to create a tailored Value-Added Reseller (VAR)
partnership in the region. This partnership will not only bolster
Bright Ascension's presence in the Australian market but also aligns
with its goal of promoting international cooperation to tackle key
challenges in the space industry. (9/3)
After Starliner, NASA Has Another Big
Human Spaceflight Decision to Make (Source: Ars Technica)
Now that NASA has resolved the question of the Starliner spacecraft and
its two crew members on the International Space Station, the agency
faces another high-stakes human spaceflight decision.
The choice concerns the Orion spacecraft's heat shield and whether NASA
will make any changes before the Artemis II mission that will make a
lunar flyby. Although Starliner has garnered a lot of media attention,
this will be an even higher-profile decision for NASA, with higher
consequences—four astronauts will be on board, and hundreds of
millions, if not billions of people, will be watching humanity's first
deep space mission in more than five decades.
The issue is the safety of the heat shield, located at the base of the
capsule, which protects Orion's crew during its return to Earth. During
the Artemis I mission that sent Orion beyond the Moon in late 2022,
without astronauts on board, chunks of charred material cracked and
chipped away from Orion's heat shield during reentry into Earth's
atmosphere. Once the spacecraft landed, engineers found more than 100
locations where the stresses of reentry damaged the heat shield. (9/4)
Space Force Defends Plan to Buy
Smaller, Cheaper Satellites to Reinforce GPS (Source: Space News)
The U.S. Space Force is exploring strategies to bolster the resilience
of the Global Positioning System (GPS) amid growing concerns about the
constellation’s vulnerabilities. One option favored by Air Force
Secretary Frank Kendall is to use smaller, lower-cost satellites to
augment the existing GPS infrastructure.
Known as Resilient GPS (R-GPS), these smaller satellites would provide
the U.S. military additional sources of positioning, navigation and
timing data. Kendall has identified R-GPS as a high priority that
should move forward as soon as possible. However, the future of the
program is uncertain as lawmakers are questioning its effectiveness and
cost. (9/4)
India’s Nuclear Rocket Program Takes
Flight (Source: IDRW)
The Indian Space Research Organization is at the forefront of a
groundbreaking initiative to develop nuclear-powered rockets for
satellite launches. This ambitious project aims to revolutionize space
exploration by providing a more efficient and sustainable propulsion
system. Last year, a significant milestone was achieved when the first
stage of an atomic-powered engine--a radioisotope heating unit
(RTG)--was successfully tested on India's lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3.
The RTG is currently powering the propulsion module, which remains in
orbit around the Moon.
ISRO sources have revealed that the agency is collaborating with Bhabha
Atomic Research Center to build a 100-watt RTG, crucial for powering
future nuclear rockets. The ability to harness the power of nuclear
energy for propulsion could open up new frontiers and enable missions
to distant planets and beyond. (9/3)
Artemis 3 Astronauts Will Walk on the
Moon with 4G-Equipped Spacesuits (Source: Space.com)
When NASA's Artemis 3 crewed mission lands on the lunar surface a few
years from now, the first astronauts to walk on the moon since the
Apollo age will be able to take advantage of something their
antecedents could not: cellular network technology.
Artemis 3's astronauts will wear spacesuits equipped with 4G
connectivity — the same 4G that makes up the majority of Earth's mobile
phone networks today. The spacesuits, Axiom Space's AxEMU models, will
be able to connect to a 4G network designed by Nokia. Astronauts can
use the network to perform feats like broadcasting high-definition
video. (9/3)
Zachary Morse Hikes Hilltops, Caves
Lava Tubes to Ready Moon Missions (Source: NASA)
“I work with teams that integrate field instrumentation into future
lunar and Mars exploration missions,” said Zachary. “We go to analog
field sites, places on Earth that are geologically similar to the Moon
or Mars, to test field instruments.” Click here.
(9/3)
Carbon Nanotubes and the Search for
Life on Other Planets (Source: NASA)
A NASA-developed material made of carbon nanotubes will enable our
search for exoplanets—some of which might be capable of supporting
life. Originally developed in 2007 by a team of researchers led by
Innovators of the Year John Hagopian and Stephanie Getty at NASA’s
Goddard Space Flight Center, this carbon nanotube technology is being
refined for potential use on NASA’s upcoming Habitable Worlds
Observatory (HWO)—the first telescope designed specifically to search
for signs of life on planets orbiting other stars. (9/3)
This Latin American Country Could be a
Launch Center (Source: EFE)
This Latin American country has the conditions to become a possible
space center for the region thanks to its geographic location,
according to experts, who value its position on the equator as an
advantage for launching rockets and capturing capsules returning from
space , which could also encourage the manufacturing of space products.
Indeed, it is Ecuador.
Among the reasons that favor it becoming a space center, is the
equatorial line , which gives the country its name. “With the wealth
and human talent that Ecuador has, there is no reason why we cannot be
part of this space process,” Robert Aillon said. This possibility was
analyzed in the discussion 'The role of Ecuador in the space economy',
in which the Universidad Hemisferios and the Milo Institute of Space
Sciences brought together experts on this topic to assess the country's
possibilities as a launch platform for space missions. (9/3)
Sidus Space Appoints Former Airbus
Executive Director to Board of Directors (Source: Sidus Space)
Sidus Space announced that its Board of Directors has appointed
Lavanson Coffey as an Independent Director, effective August 27. He
brings nearly four decades of aerospace experience and leadership to
Sidus Space. Following his time at Ball Aerospace, LC joined Airbus
U.S. Space & Defense as Vice President & Business Enabler and
later served as Executive Director for their Space line of business.
(9/3)
Polaris’s Dawn (Source: Space
Review)
As soon as late this week SpaceX will launch the Polaris Dawn private
astronaut mission. Jeff Foust reports on the key objectives and
challenges facing this mission, including the first spacewalk on a
non-governmental spaceflight. Click here.
(9/4)
Measuring the Depth of India’s Space
Program (Source: Space Review)
The Indian government has bold plans for its space agency, including
development of a space station and human lunar landings. Namrata
Goswami examines where the country’s space program is excelling and
where it is falling short. Click here.
(9/4)
To Guard Against Cyberattacks in
Space, Researchers Ask “What If?” (Source: Space Review)
Cybersecurity of space systems is a growing concern as society becomes
increasingly reliant on space services. Patrick Lin discusses how a
recent study sought to explore a wide range of space-related
cyberattacks to help defend against them. Click here.
(9/4)
Blue Origin Droneship Arrives in Port
Canaveral ahead of New Glenn Launch (Source: Florida Today)
Pulled by Blue Origin's support ship, Harvey Stone, a droneship like no
other arrived in Port Canaveral Wednesday morning. What arrived can
only be described as a floating first-stage rocket center − a "landing
platform vessel" complete with buildings on the front and back which
sported the words "Blue Origin" and "New Glenn".
Jacklyn is the name of this droneship. That also happens to be the name
of the mother of Blue Origin founder, Jeff Bezos. What Jacklyn's
arrival at Port Canaveral means is that soon SpaceX will not be the
only space company landing rockets on droneships in the Atlantic Ocean.
Blue Origin has ambitious plans to do the same with the first stage of
their New Glenn rocket. (9/4)
Slow Burn: How Starliner’s Crewed Test
Flight Went Awry (Source: Space News)
When Starliner arrived at the ISS on June 6, it was suffering two
problems. A single helium leak, detected on the spacecraft after a
launch scrub a month earlier, had now become three leaks, with two more
detected around the time of docking. Separately, on the spacecraft’s
approach to the station, five of its reaction control system (RCS)
thrusters were shut down by the spacecraft’s computer because of
degraded performance. However, controllers were able to get four of
them working again to allow the docking to proceed.
At the time, neither problem appeared serious. “Those are pretty small
issues to deal with. We’ll figure them out for the next mission. I
don’t see these as significant at all,” Mark Nappi said. The helium
leak, at least, did not pose a safety issue. Starliner had enough
helium to operate for 70 hours after undocking, 10 times the amount
needed for the trip home. Engineers were also investigating why the
thrusters malfunctioned on approach to the station.
Brief test firings of the thrusters while Starliner was docked to the
station were encouraging, However, by late June it was clear nagging
concerns about the thrusters were keeping the spacecraft at the
station. Even then, NASA and Boeing said the thrusters didn’t pose a
safety issue. “We understand these issues for a safe return,” Nappi
said. “But we don’t understand these issues enough yet for us to fix
them permanently.” The thrusters, he and others noted, are on
Starliner’s service module, which is jettisoned and burns up on
reentry. Click here.
(9/4)
SpaceX Pulls Employees From Brazil.
Discourages Travel There, as Musk Battles in Court (Source: Wall
Street Journal)
SpaceX has moved to evacuate employees from Brazil and warned others
against traveling to the country, a sign of how Elon Musk’s ongoing
battle against Brazil’s highest court over his social-media company X
is spilling out to affect some of his other businesses. In an email
late last week, SpaceX President Gwynne Shotwell advised employees not
to travel to Brazil for work or pleasure, according to people familiar
with the email. The space company also last week took steps to relocate
from the country its small group of non-Brazilian employees there, one
of the people said. (9/4)
The Bad Side of Alaska's Satellite
Internet (Source: Anchorage Daily News)
Reliable and consistent internet access is so important to rural
Alaska. It’s key to opportunity and probably key to a sustainable
future for many communities. But environmental and safety risks of
satellite internet are on the rise not just in Alaska, but globally.
The number of satellites in low Earth orbit increased by 127 times in
five years, and in 2023, 70% of all satellite launches were for
Starlink, a subsidiary of SpaceX.
The new space race is ramping up quickly: companies have proposed
adding another half a million satellites to the mega-constellations
that power the internet, and the Federal Communications Commission
(FCC) has granted Starlink more than 30,000 satellite licenses already.
The problem? The FCC does not currently require environmental impact
studies prior to satellite licensure, and while we don’t know the
precise extent of the environmental harm of launching and burning up so
many satellites, we know it can’t be good.
Starlink satellites are designed to last only five years. At peak
deployment of these disposable satellites, 29 tons of metal will
re-enter our atmosphere per day. Earlier this year, a 5,000-pound
satellite landed in the Pacific Ocean between Alaska and Hawaii and in
May, space debris landed in a farmer’s field in Saskatchewan province,
Canada. Satellite companies and the FCC must take this risk seriously,
especially given the possibility of space debris hitting a more
populated area. The FCC should conduct an environmental impact review
of all proposed mega-constellations and satellite companies should have
to justify their plans with regard to the public interest. (9/3)
US Navy Is Going All In on Starlink
(Source: WIRED)
Life aboard a US Navy warship at sea can be stressful, boring, and
lonely, with separation from friends and family and long stretches
between port calls both isolating and monotonous. Now, Elon Musk is
here to take the edge off. The Navy recently announced that it is
experimenting with bringing reliable and persistent high-speed internet
to its surface warships. The connectivity comes via a new system
developed under its Sailor Edge Afloat and Ashore (SEA2) initiative,
which uses satellites from the Starlink network maintained by Musk’s
SpaceX and other spaceborne broadband internet providers to maintain a
constant and consistent internet connection for sailors—a system that
NAVWAR says has “applications across the entire Navy.” (9/3)
Scottish Spaceport’s ‘Floating Road’
Over Peat Bog Nearly Finished Ahead of Test Launch (Source:
Independent)
A “floating road” being built over a peat bog near the north coast of
Scotland is nearly complete, as work to transform the site into a
spaceport for satellite launches continues. The Forres-based company
Orbex aims to carry out its first launch from the “carbon neutral”
spaceport next year, using a 19-meter-long rocket powered by liquefied
petroleum gas (LPG). (9/3)
Council Spends £5.5 Million on
Faltering Prestwick Spaceport and Commercial Plans (Source:
Insider UK)
Cash-strapped South Ayrshire Council has forked out millions on
faltering Ayrshire Growth Deals, including the Prestwick Spaceport. But
no money has been forthcoming from the UK or Scottish Governments for
four of the five of the projects being led by the local authority. The
extent of the troubles facing the council was laid bare at cabinet last
week.
The report highlighted the inviability of the spaceport, commercial
development and subsea cable project, along with the difficulties
around an Aerospace Technology Application Centre (ASTAC) and
improvements to the surrounding road network. Earlier this year, South
Ayrshire Council agreed that the spaceport was no longer viable under
the terms of the Growth Deal and that no more money would be spent on
it.
However, neither the UK or Scottish Government has signed off on the
decision. In April, the main partner for the commercial build,
satellite manufacturer Mangata, announced it would no longer be
developing a factory at Prestwick. (9/4)
Chinese Scientists Achieve Major Step
Toward Mars Base Construction (Source: Xinhua)
A study by Chinese researchers has confirmed the feasibility of
continuously producing fiber materials from Martian soil, indicating
that "in-situ resource utilization" could be achieved in the
construction of future Mars bases. A research team successfully
simulated Martian soil using Earth-based basalt and produced continuous
Martian soil fibers through melt-drawing experiments, the ScienceNet.cn
reported on Monday.
The researchers also analyzed the impact of factors such as Martian low
gravity and the planet's unique atmosphere -- characterized by low
pressure and inert atmosphere -- on the fiber production process and
performance.
The research findings confirm the feasibility of producing continuous,
controllable-diameter fiber materials from Martian soil. These fibers
could be used in the preparation of fiber-reinforced composite
materials, which have important application value for using Martian
soil to build future Martian bases, said Ma Pengcheng, who led the
research team. (9/3)
KBR Finalizes Buy of LinQuest,
Expanding its Space Support Ops (Source: Breaking Defense)
Houston-based KBR has finalized its purchase of LinQuest — expanding
its reach into the space sector, KBR announced today. “The acquisition
strengthens KBR’s capabilities across space, air dominance and
connected battlespace missions. LinQuest also has a heritage of serving
important U.S. government customers including the U.S. Space Force,
U.S. Air Force and other U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence
agencies,” the announcement explained. (9/3)
SpaceX to Relocate Starhopper From
Boca Chica Site (Source: Valley Central)
A tourist staple at the Boca Chica SpaceX launch site is being
relocated. Many space enthusiasts who have been following SpaceX’s
progression in the Rio Grande Valley know that the Starhopper started
it all for the space flight company in South Texas. In 2019, the
Starhopper prototype performed its first successful 150 meter flight at
the SpaceX Starbase (Boca Chica) site. Since then, the company has
continued to test its flight engineering with different SN rockets.
Today, the Starship stands at the site, with the power to carry up to
100 people on interplanetary flights, according to SpaceX. The company
stated it would move its Starhopper from the launch site to a nearby
lot sometime this week. (9/3)
FCC Rejects Citizen Effort to Revive
$886M in Funding for SpaceX's Starlink (Source: PC Magazine)
For a third time, the Federal Communications Commission is denying $886
million in federal funding to SpaceX’s Starlink, this time by
dismissing a citizen-led petition. On Friday, the commission rejected a
petition from Virginia resident Greg Weisiger, who urged the FCC to
reverse its controversial August 2022 decision to deny SpaceX the funds.
In December 2023, the FCC shot down SpaceX's official appeal to secure
the funding, its second rejection. The next month, Weisiger sent a
petition, requesting the FCC once again reconsider the matter, which
would source the $886 million from the FCC's Rural Digital Opportunity
Fund (RDOF). In Friday’s four-page dismissal, the FCC said Weisiger had
failed to provide any new information. Weisiger also filed the protest
nearly four years too late, according to the FCC, which said Weisiger's
main gripe appeared to be with its rules for the RDOF program itself.
(9/3)
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