The hits just keep coming for the International Space Station (ISS), particularly with the recent announcement of a resupply mission that was scheduled for June but has now been scrubbed. This setback is due to an unfortunate incident involving heavy equipment that damaged the cargo spacecraft. The shipping container for the Cygnus automated cargo ship NG-22 sustained damage during its transit from Northrop Grumman’s facility in Redondo Beach, California, to Florida.
Upon inspection, engineers discovered that the damage to the shipping container had also affected the spacecraft itself, leading to the cancellation of the June mission. While mission controllers remain optimistic that NG-22 can be repaired for a future resupply mission, the ISS is currently facing a critical situation as it is reportedly running low on consumables.
To address this urgent need, the next scheduled resupply mission, a SpaceX Cargo Dragon set for an April launch, will be modified to include additional food and essential supplies for the ISS crew. While this adjustment is beneficial, it introduces another challenge: waste management. Unlike the reusable Cargo Dragons, the Cygnus cargo modules are expendable, making them an ideal solution for disposing of trash produced by the ISS crew, as everything burns up upon reentry. The earliest a Cygnus is expected to dock at the ISS is this autumn, which raises concerns about a potentially long and unpleasant summer for the crew due to accumulating waste.
In another significant development, the genetic testing company 23andMe has recently filed for bankruptcy. Known for their spit-in-a-tube testing kits, the company has provided customers with insights into their genetic background, often resulting in surprising discoveries such as unexpected family connections and even uncovering criminal histories. However, with the bankruptcy proceedings underway, a judge has authorized the sale of the company's extensive genetic database to the highest bidder.
This has prompted a surge of concern among 23andMe customers, leading many to delete their personal data from the platform. While the process is designed to be straightforward—simply logging into their accounts and clicking a few buttons—it raises skepticism about whether the company will fully comply with these requests. Reports have surfaced of the 23andMe website experiencing crashes, likely due to the influx of deletion requests, but the true reason remains uncertain.
In a bizarre turn of events, a 24-year-old Sydney resident named Emmanuel Lidden has pleaded guilty to violating Australia’s nuclear proliferation laws after he ordered a small sample of plutonium from a supplier in the United States. Lidden's intention was to collect samples of every element in the periodic table, but his decision to import plutonium—a substance strictly regulated—has now landed him in legal trouble.
Although border officials initially seized the shipment, they mistakenly returned some of the material to Lidden, only to later realize the error, prompting a significant response that included shutting down the street where his parents live and deploying hazmat teams. The potential repercussions for Lidden are severe, as he faces up to ten years in prison for his actions, highlighting the serious implications of mishandling nuclear materials.
In a lighthearted note, a casual search for plutonium samples revealed some unusual offerings online, such as trinitite encased in acrylic for $100. However, one can only hope that this is not the basis for the intense scrutiny faced by Lidden, as such a scenario would certainly be embarrassing for all parties involved.
