In Case You Missed It
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| An artist’s conception of the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology Demonstrator. (Image credit – NASA) |
More Supersonic Tests Anticipated as Interest Takes Off
The Federal Aviation Administration announced last week it is planning to streamline the application process for supersonic aircraft tests in anticipation of increased demand for such flights. Tests over land have been heavily restricted since 1973 to prevent noise pollution from sonic booms, and FAA states it has only granted three authorizations for such tests and fielded a “handful of inquiries” since then. FAA’s action is likely to be the first of several rule change proposals as the Trump administration seeks to encourage the return of commercial supersonic flight. Michael Kratsios, the deputy assistant to the president for technology policy, published an article in the Washington Post on June 25 calling for regulatory reforms and promoting the possibilities of new aircraft that produce dramatically quieter sonic booms. The next day, at a House Science Committee hearing on NASA’s aeronautics research portfolio, witnesses attested to the potential of the X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology Demonstrator the agency is developing with Lockheed Martin. The committee also surveyed the prospects for other technologies such as low-noise subsonic aircraft and aircraft with reduced carbon emissions.
MIT President Warns Against Stigmatizing Chinese Scientists
As the FBI continues to warn universities about the potential for academic espionage by the Chinese government, MIT President Rafael Reif penned an open letter last week emphasizing the contributions of foreign nationals to the U.S. and warning against stigmatizing Chinese nationals and Chinese Americans. In mitigating the risk of espionage, Reif wrote, “we must take great care not to create a toxic atmosphere of unfounded suspicion and fear,” given that the number of foreign-born researchers acting in bad faith are “the exception and very far from the rule.” He expressed dismay that MIT faculty and students have told him that “in their dealings with government agencies, they now feel unfairly scrutinized, stigmatized and on edge — because of their Chinese ethnicity alone.” Reif’s letter follows similar statements by top officials at major research universities expressing support for international students and scholars amid rising U.S.–China tensions.
Science Committee Peppers Perry on Priorities
With the House Science Committee working on legislation to guide the Department of Energy’s research programs, committee members raised various subjects of concern at a hearing last week with Energy Secretary Rick Perry, who was accompanied by Under Secretary for Science Paul Dabbar. Both Committee Chair Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX) and Rep. Kendra Horn (D-OK) pressed Perry on the value of the Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy, which the committee sought to reauthorize last year. Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-CA) asked about DOE’s response to a new requirement that its Fusion Energy Sciences program support research on inertial confinement fusion. Rep. Randy Weber (R-TX) inquired about the Trump administration’s position on the ITER international fusion energy project as well as the National Reactor Innovation Center DOE is required to establish. Asked by Rep. Anthony Gonzales (R-OH) about DOE’s efforts to protect research from misappropriation by foreign actors, Dabbar spoke about the department’s new policy to bar employees and contractor personnel from participating in certain foreign talent recruitment programs. He also clarified that a forthcoming policy governing collaborations with certain foreign countries on sensitive research areas will entail an “extra review” of such collaborations rather than an outright ban.
ARPA–E Director Confirmation Fills Out DOE Roster
By a voice vote last week, the Senate confirmed Lane Genatowski to be the director of Advanced Research Projects Agency–Energy. Genatowski brings a background in energy sector finance to the position and holds degrees in economics and law. At his confirmation hearing last summer, he said he sincerely wishes to lead ARPA–E despite the Trump administration’s continued efforts to defund the agency, which currently has a $366 million budget. DOE now has a complete set of Senate-confirmed appointees with the exception of its nuclear waste cleanup arm, whose director stepped down this month.
DOE Innovation Bills Introduced
On June 27, Sen. Chris Coons (D-DE) and Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) reintroduced bipartisan legislation to establish a nonprofit foundation for the Department of Energy. Congress has created similar entities at agencies such as the National Institutes of Health to leverage private sector funds and facilitate private-public partnerships in support of R&D projects. The same day, Coons and Luján also introduced a bipartisan bill to establish a $25 million voucher program that would facilitate partnerships between small businesses and DOE national labs on technology feasibility studies.
Senators Seek Consent for Nuclear Waste Solutions
As part of its effort to revitalize the U.S. nuclear energy industry, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing last week to gather testimony on the Nuclear Waste Administration Act, which was reintroduced in April by Committee Chair Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) along with Sens. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) and Dianne Feinstein (D-CA). First introduced in 2012, the bill would establish a new, independent agency charged with overseeing the selection of temporary and permanent sites for nuclear waste storage. Ranking Member Joe Manchin (D-WV) and Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV) both made clear they believe repository siting decisions should require the consent of the affected state and communities. Cortez Masto, who is a vocal opponent of storing waste at Yucca Mountain in her state, asserted the site would remain the default choice under the bill’s provisions. In response, Murkowski stressed she recognizes the bill will require changes to garner broader support.
Climate Analysis Proposal Included in House Intelligence Act
On June 27, the House Intelligence Committee unanimously approved its version of the Intelligence Authorization Act, which sets policy for intelligence agencies. Among various provisions adopted in a substitute amendment, the bill now directs the Director of National Intelligence to create a Climate Security Advisory Council tasked with ensuring climate change is incorporated into intelligence analyses. The council would comprise intelligence officials as well as three federal climate experts from outside the intelligence community. The move comes after committee members expressed interest in formalizing the intelligence community’s approach to climate analyses at a hearing on the national security impacts of climate change last month, though it stops short of establishing a dedicated climate analysis center as proposed by Rep. Denny Heck (D-WA).
NASA to Develop Rotorcraft Mission to Saturn’s Moon Titan
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| An artist’s conception of the Dragonfly rotorcraft on Titan. (Image credit – NASA / Johns Hopkins APL) |
NASA announced on June 27 that it has selected a rotorcraft mission called Dragonfly as the next mission in its medium-scale New Frontiers program. Dragonfly aims to explore multiple sites on Saturn’s moon Titan, which has a thick atmosphere and an abundance of organic compounds, some of which exist in liquid form on the surface. It is believed that conditions on the moon may offer clues to how life began on Earth and that it is even possible lifeforms currently exist there. Dragonfly will be developed by a team led by planetary scientist Elizabeth Turtle at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. It is targeted for launch in 2026 to arrive at Titan in 2034 with a development cost cap of $850 million. Notably, as an “Ocean Worlds” mission, Dragonfly did not arise from a recommendation in the last planetary science decadal survey, but rather was made eligible for inclusion in the New Frontiers competition through congressional action orchestrated by former Rep. John Culberson (R-TX).
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