nasa – Techdirt (original) (raw)

Just As The Copyright Office Tries To Ignore The Problem Of Bad Takedowns, NBC & Disney Take Down NASA's Public Domain Space Launch

from the copyright-censorship dept

The recent Copyright Office report on Section 512 of the DMCA (the notice and takedown provisions) has been frustrating on many levels, including the fact that it simply ignores that the public is a stakeholder (actually the main stakeholder) in copyright policy. But one of the most frustrating parts of the report is that it ignored a ton of testimony (including some provided by me) about how frequently the 512 notice-and-takedown process is abused (either on purpose or accidentally) to take down non-infringing content. The Copyright Office acts as if this is a fringe issue, when the data suggests it’s a massive problem impacting millions.

And just to put a pretty fine point on it, you probably heard about or (hopefully) saw the launch this weekend of the SpaceX Dragon capsule, with the first private manned mission to space, that was done in conjunction with NASA. It was pretty cool, and a ton of people tuned in to watch it live. Of course, many also tuned in the previous Wednesday to try to watch the original planned launch, before it got scrubbed due to weather. NASA had a wonderful live stream going for both (which I watched). And works produced by NASA are in the public domain — which is why many other broadcasters were easily able to use them as well.

But because the numbskulls at NBC Universal work with the default mindset that everything must be owned, and if everything must be owned, then obviously anything that NBC Universal broadcasts must be owned by NBC Universal, it made bogus copyright claims on a ton of others using NASA’s footageincluding NASA itself leading to NASA’s own public domain video being blocked on NASA’s own YouTube page.

NBC Universal (likely robotic) copyright lawyer running around videos/livestreams claiming Doug and Bob's crew walkout on NASA TV is copyrighted to them. ? @NBCUniversal

I'm going to say that's an error. Problem is you have to remove it as dispute can take forever. pic.twitter.com/2AtUOYrQRx

— Chris B – NSF (@NASASpaceflight) May 28, 2020

Nice work, copyright!

And, that’s not all. Having dealt with a bogus claim on Wednesday, one would hope that people would get their shit together for the actual launch on Saturday and the docking on Sunday. No such luck. Because for Saturday’s launch, National Geographic, a property owned by Disney, did the same thing:

For the second consecutive Demo-2 launch attempt, a major media outlet has copyright claimed our launch broadcast for use of NASA/SpaceX footage making it completely unavailable. @NatGeo @NatGeoPR please explain how you own this content produced by NASA and SpaceX. pic.twitter.com/6psc3Jr3eh

— Michael Baylor (@nextspaceflight) May 31, 2020

The end result is that people going to NASA’s own feed to try to watch some of the launch/flight/docking got to see things like this:

Now, to be clear, these appear to have been a ContentID claims, which are sort of the ugly cousin of a DMCA 512 notice-and-takedown, but it’s the same basic principle. Copyright is abused constantly, every single day, to censor the speech of people. Sometimes in absurd ways like this, but often in serious and significant ways as well.

That the US Copyright Office doesn’t see this or doesn’t think it is a problem is a travesty and calls into question the credibility of the entire 512 report.

Filed Under: copyright, public domain, space launch, takedowns
Companies: disney, nasa, national geographic, nbc, nbc universal, youtube

Nice: NASA Opens Up Its Research Online For Free

from the book-learnin' dept

Every once in a while, we get some good news out of a government agency. Based on a 2013 directive from the White House, NASA had finally announced early this year that it would be following the NIH model and making its publicly funded research available for free online. With the only caveat being a restriction on research that relates to national security, NASA has made good on plans to publish the rest of this research on Pubspace, its new publicly-facing portal for sharing this research.

Care to learn more about 400-foot tsunamis on Mars? Now you can, after Nasa announced it is making all its publicly funded research available online for free. The space agency has set up a new public web portal called Pubspace, where the public can find Nasa-funded research articles on everything from the chances oflife on one of Saturn’s moons to the effects of space station living on the hair follicles of astronauts.

“Making our research data easier to access will greatly magnify the impact of our research,” NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan said in a statement. “As scientists and engineers, we work by building upon a foundation laid by others.”

It’s a fine sentiment, as well as a wonderful analogous case to point to when discussing other knowledge that should, but currently isn’t, freely available to the public. That NASA’s research was long hidden entirely, or hidden behind a paywall, was especially egregious, however, given that this research is publicly funded. The idea of a government agency producing knowledge with taxpayer money and then hording it for secrecy or cash is, frankly, obscene. It’s our research, after all. Freeing this up and letting the public build upon that knowledge can only be a good thing.

And, as even better news, this appears to be becoming something of a practice among the scientific community.

The move is part of a trend in the worldwide scientific community towards making knowledge more readily available. In May, EU member states agreed on an initiative to try to make all European scientific papers freely available by 2020. In the meantime, you can enjoy Nasa-funded insights into keeping fit in space, the ages of the lunar seas, and much more. Should keep you occupied for the weekend.

And perhaps it’s worth boning up on that kind of thing now more than ever. After all, SETI recently made an announcement that you can read about here, but that I won’t expand upon (spoiler: there was a light from a star system that’s probably not aliens, but I want it to be aliens). You’ll want all that NASA research goodness when Kro’thak Tentaclus arrives, so ya’ll have something to talk about over coffee.

Filed Under: nasa, public domain, research
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: Racing Into Space Again…

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

After the Cold War ended, the space race enthusiasm evaporated as the funding for ambitious projects to explore space dried up. Launching dozens of satellites into space to form communications networks was (and still is) a risky business — with a lot of upfront costs and a lot of equipment that’s nearly obsolete by the time it reaches orbit. But it’s becoming a bit cheaper to get stuff into space, and maybe we’re seeing a bit more of a commercial space race. Check out a few of these space-bound projects.

• NASA recently tested its Space Launch System (SLS) engine that will send an uncrewed Orion capsule beyond the orbit of the moon in 2018 (assuming no delays). Someday, NASA’s SLS could take people to Mars, but there are still some engineering challenges to solve before that actually happens.
• Tom Markusic, the founder of the small satellite venture, Firefly Space Systems, wants to clean up the artificial space junk in geo-stationary orbit and recycle it for future moon and mars missions. Markusic proposes using solar electric propulsion-powered space tugs to push old satellites to potential staging bases for human colonies on mars.
• Vector Space Systems is a space vehicle startup just getting off the ground, aiming to put small satellites into low earth orbit — at a price of 45 kilograms for a $2-3 million. The company plans to have commercial launches ready in 2018, targeting very small satellites that normally go up as secondary payloads on larger launch systems. Smaller payloads with their own dedicated launches won’t be subject to the delays or requirements of other payloads, and Vector’s launch vehicle claims that its missions could be ready to go within a relatively short 3-month window.
• Russia’s new space port at Vostochny has had some delays, but it seems to be up and running. However, the mis-management of this cosmodrome has caught the attention of president Putin who warned that some of the senior managers involved in an embezzlement scheme could go to jail for a few years. The description of the first launch with a visit from Putin sounds a bit like a scene from Return of the Jedi.

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: cosmodrome, iridium, mars, satellites, sls, space, space exploration, space launch system, space port, tom markusic
Companies: firefly space systems, nasa, vector space systems

DailyDirt: Spaceplanes 2.0

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

The Space Shuttle was a cool idea, but it never accomplished the goal of providing a relatively low-cost route to space. The concept of reusable space ships is still attractive, but it really depends on how much it takes to refurbish them before they attempt another launch. A few different organizations are already testing some reusable space vehicles (and Boeing has its X-37B that’s orbiting somewhere above us right now). Here are just a few more spaceplanes that might join the new reusable space race.

• The EU has its Intermediate eXperimental Vehicle (IXV) robotic space plane that was tested last year. The IXV is scheduled to fly another test in 2019, and it might be operating by the time Elon Musk is on Mars.
• DARPA’s XS-1 spaceplane project has a goal of flying 10 times in 10 days and putting a few tons of satellite payload into space — for less than $5 million per flight. That’s a pretty ambitious plan, especially if it’s supposed to start testing by 2019 (and they’re still narrowing down the technology).
• The Skylon concept spaceplane is a single-stage-to-orbit dream. It might not be hard to explain how it could work, but it’ll sure be difficult to actually build a working prototype.

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: intermediate experimental vehicle, ixv, re-usable rockets, single stage to orbit, skylon, space, space exploration, spacecraft, spaceplane, x-37b, xs-1
Companies: boeing, darpa, nasa

DailyDirt: 3, 2, 1… Liftoff

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Re-usable spacecraft sound like a good idea — if they actually saved any costs and refurbishing them was economical. There are only a few examples of re-usable space vehicles so far, and NASA retired its space shuttle program in 2011, narrowing the field a bit. SpaceX seems to be getting closer to demonstrating a re-usable rocket system, but it still needs to re-launch one of its rockets (and it currently only has one rocket for such an attempt).

• India has an incredibly frugal space program which has just launched a mini reusable shuttle called the Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV-TD). This shuttle was developed for about $14 million and looks like a smaller X-37B, but it has a lot more testing to undergo before performing the same kind of tricks. [url]
• SpaceX’s latest rocket to successfully land may not be able to be re-used because it sustained “max damage” from its re-entry path. Still, this rocket stage will provide plenty of data to benchmark future re-usable rocket stages — or perhaps inspire modifications that could make the journey less damaging. [url]
• NASA is working on high altitude balloons to study the upper atmosphere. Okay, this isn’t exactly space, but NASA could also get a telescope to fly above a lot of atmosphere for a few months (or longer?) — and that would be a lot cheaper than a satellite. [url]

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: balloons, re-usable rockets, rockets, spacecraft, suborbital, x-37b
Companies: boeing, nasa, spacex

DailyDirt: Creepy (But Useful?) Robots

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Robot locomotion is a fascinating field of study, and it’s mesmerizing to watch robots walk around like zombies, even if these robots aren’t entirely practical or useful just yet. Presumably, these robots will someday cross the uncanny valley and move more reliably and smoothly. Until then, however, biomimicry for robots seems wide open to a variety of human-like or insect-like or worm-like combinations. (Watch out for centaur-like robot patents!)

• A humanoid diving robot called OceanOne that can swim pretty deep underwater with impressive dexterity. It’s not autonomous (yet), but as a remote-controlled robot, it will be able to explore fragile deep sea ecosystems or underwater shipwrecks much better than more traditional remote operated vehicles. [url]
• NASA is considering a robotic eel to explore Jupiter’s moon Europa — but also soccer ball-like robots (not like BB-8) and other crawling/hopping bots. One unmanned aerial vehicle among the proposals described two gliders tethered to each other that could fly for “years” and perform the duties of an atmospheric satellite. [url]
• An eel-like robot has been developed to be permanently attached to the seabed to inspect and maintain underwater mechanical devices. Its snake-like body can be used in confined areas, and it also shouldn’t give anyone nightmares at all. [url]

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: autonomous bots, bio-inspired locomotion, biomimicry, europa, oceanone, robot locomotion, robots, unmanned aerial vehicle
Companies: nasa

DailyDirt: A Mars Mission By 2018?!

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Space exploration is gradually becoming cheaper and more reliable. Reusable rockets haven’t proven to be economical yet, but presumably, they will be. Robot missions that roll around on the surface of other worlds have been shown to be very effective, if a bit slow, and bigger and better robots are probably going to be sent to more and more objects in space. However, people are still dreaming of colonizing the moon or Mars — and it looks like there has been some progress to be able to do so.

• SpaceX has always had a goal of reaching Mars, but it’s saying it’ll make an actual attempt in 2018. Its Red Dragon program isn’t going to have a crew (the problem of shielding astronauts from deep space radiation hasn’t been solved yet), but carrying cargo to our neighboring red planet and collecting data on the journey is a reasonable preliminary step for Elon Musk’s vision for colonizing Mars. [url]
• Apparently, two species of fungi originally from Antarctica can survive under Mars-like conditions on the International Space Station for at least 18 months. The fungi Cryomyces antarcticus and Cryomyces minteri are microorganisms that seem to be resistant to extreme UV radiation, cold temperatures and low pressure atmospheric environments — just the kind of life we might be looking for on Mars if it already exists there. [url]
• NASA is reaching out to the public for ideas on building habitat modules for living in deep space. NASA’s Orion spacecraft isn’t likely to reach Mars with a crew in the next decade, but NASA will need all the help it can get to design a manned mission that can survive for months in deep space. [url]

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: astronauts, deep space, fungi, iss, manned missions, mars, orion, red dragon, space, space exploration, spacecraft
Companies: nasa, spacex

DailyDirt: Another Golden Era Of Spaceflight Ahead..?

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

Successfully re-using a rocket seems to be on the cusp of being an economically practical technology. The traditional aerospace industry is going to see a bit more competition from cheaper rockets that can still launch satellites into high orbit. Private space companies are starting to catch up with NASA’s experience, but the business is still tricky because there’s always a chance a very expensive rocket will just explode on the launchpad.

• Being a test pilot for a private space flight company requires flying skills most pilots don’t pick up flying a Cessna. Military pilots know how to fly in a tight formation and might have experience flying upside down or in other extreme situations. More civilian pilots are going to need to train to get the “right stuff” in order to fly spaceships. [url]
• At the 32nd Space Symposium, plenty of aerospace companies were present, competing to build next generation rockets to get into orbit and beyond. SpaceX, Blue Origin and others are trying new fuels and 3D printing techniques to make rockets cheaper and more quickly, so that rockets can be re-used or replaced within weeks, instead of months. [url]
• A crowdfunded Russian satellite could become the brightest “star” in the sky soon. The Mayak (Beacon) satellite project is planning to put a 16-square-meter tetrahedron-shaped reflector in orbit, and it could be launched before the end of the year. Larger versions of such a reflector could do some crazy things like direct sunlight to parts of the earth — for longer days or other Bond-villain-esque schemes. [url]

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: crowdfunding, leo, manned missions, mayak, rockets, satellite, space, space exploration
Companies: blue origin, nasa, spacex

DailyDirt: Looking Forward To More Space Exploration

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

We’ve seen space travel getting cheaper over time, but it’s still pretty expensive to get a person into low earth orbit. Some billionaires are optimistic that space travel will be accessible to more than just astronauts and other billionaires, and we’re seeing some progress. Reusable rockets and more affordable space stations could lead to some pretty cool space-based vacations — if you remember to bring your SPF infinity sunblock.

• SpaceX has successfully landed one of its rockets on a barge at sea. This is only the second time the company has been able to land a rocket safely, but it shows that it can be done. The next step is actually reusing one of these rockets (for less than the cost of building a new one). [url]
• The Bigelow Expandable Activity Module (BEAM) is going to be added to the International Space Station, and this inflatable habitat might point the way towards cheaper space stations. There are only a few ways to build space stations: launch large spaceworthy structures into orbit (say, in the bay of a space shuttle or actually on top of a rocket), bring up the pieces and put them together in space, or some combination of pre-fab structures and in-space construction. Inflatable space stations make it slightly easier to construct large structures in space — and we’ll see how spaceworthy they are. [url]
• A metal composite foam material might be lightweight and strong enough to protect people from dangerous radiation — AND bullets, too. These materials can block X-rays, gamma rays and neutron radiation better (compared to bulk metals of the same weight), but they’re not ready for trips to Mars just yet. [url]

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: bigelow expandable activity module, falcon 9, iss, manned missions, re-usable rockets, rockets, space exploration
Companies: bigelow aerospace, nasa, spacex

DailyDirt: Actually Getting People Into Space…

from the urls-we-dig-up dept

There are only a handful of vehicles that have launched people into space (or even just provided shelter) for space-faring people. A few more ships and space stations would be nice to see, and there are a few in various stages development (unfunded proposals, ahem). If you’re interested in people (not just robots) exploring outer space, here are just a few links on some of the ships that might transport more folks to at least the edge of space.

• Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin spaceflight company just launched and landed a rocket — again — and this particular rocket was actually re-used. This accomplishment is still not quite on par with SpaceX’s feat, but it’s a solid step towards cheaper spaceflight for human passengers. [url]
• Sierra Nevada’s Dream Chaser spacecraft has a NASA contract to become yet another backup way to deliver cargo to the International Space Station. The lifting body design of the Dream Chaser can be traced back to Soviet-era experimental space planes — and maybe someday we’ll see this vehicle transporting astronauts. [url]
• Perhaps you’ve seen comparisons of the sizes of various fictional spaceships (eg. NCC-1701 vs. Firefly class transport ship), but a size comparison of actual (or proposed) space vessels compared to the International Space Station is pretty cool. All the real spacecraft (and even the ones that are still very much in development, like Skylon) are much smaller than the original Starship Enterprise, but the ISS is probably a bit more sprawling than you might think. Oh, and if you haven’t seen the size comparisons of fictional ships, check it out. [url]

After you’ve finished checking out those links, take a look at our Daily Deals for cool gadgets and other awesome stuff.

Filed Under: dream chaser, elon musk, jeff bezos, lifting body, manned missions, re-usable rockets, rockets, space, space exploration, spacecraft, suborbital
Companies: blue origin, nasa, sierra nevada, spacex