Guest1

I imagine the same was said of the exploration by Magellan, Columbus , manned flight etc.

Operation NEON: Behind-the-scenes look at CAF training to monitor North Korea sanctions | Watch News Videos Online (globalnews.ca) osted April 3 2023 07:03pm A Canadian Armed Forces team is preparing for deployment to Japan, as part of a multinational effort to help enforce sanctions against North Korea. Neetu Garcha goes behind-the-scenes to get an inside look at the training mission, as the crew prepares for potential intercepts in the sky.

Ash from Russian volcano drifts into B.C., some flights delayed or grounded By Kathy Michaels Global News Posted April 14, 2023 1:09 pm View image in full screen Flights in and out of Kelowna and other B.C. airports have been stymied Friday as ash from Russia’s Shiveluch volcano limits visibility. Phillip Elchitz, senior manager of airport operations, said they’ve had some delays with WestJet, Air Canada and Central Mountain Air, while Pacific Coastal, Flair and Alaska Airlines have had to cancel flights altogether. Volcanic ash is sitting at an elevation of 24,000 to 35,000 feet and it is being pushed south by the jetstream from Alaska, towards the centre of B.C. and eventually into northwest Washington, he said.lowna International Airport “That is impacting flights along the West Coast because it’s too high to fly over and too low to fly under,” Elchitz said. “It’s not recommended aircraft fly through the ash. We are seeing this in Victoria, Seattle, Vancouver and Prince George and other west coast destinations into Kelowna.” olcanic interferences aren’t entirely new to the aviation industry, but Elchitz said they haven’t seen anything like this locally in the past. While it’s unusual, it’s not expected to be a long-lasting interruption to flights. “Environment Canada is expecting this to dissipate through the afternoon and into tomorrow morning so we are hopeful this is short-lived and flights will get back onto their schedule by the end of the day,” he said. Passengers are encouraged to check with the airlines for the most up-to-date information. The volcano in Russia’s far eastern region erupted early Tuesday, spewing a massive cloud of ash into the sky that blotted out the sun and smothered villages in grey volcanic dust.

Airlines seek restructuring to reduce air travel costs Industry says numerous airport, government fees driving up prices Calgary Herald 14 Apr 2023 JOSH ALDRICH jaldrich@postmedia.com twitter.com/joshaldrich03 AZIN GHAFFARI Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of Westjet, says government charges make it difficult to offer cheaper airfare in Canada. If Canadians want cheaper tickets to fly, the airline industry says there needs to be a restructuring of the fee system. On Wednesday, Alexis von Hoensbroech, president and CEO of Westjet, said $140 of a roundtrip ticket between Calgary and Toronto goes to airport fees, security and regulatory bodies such as Navcanada. This is before covering actual costs of the flight such as crew, gas or plane maintenance. “Our ambition is to make aviation more accessible for Canadians, and we think that Canadians deserve to have lower ticket prices than they're experiencing today,” the head of the Calgary-based airline told media following a luncheon with the Calgary Chamber of Commerce. And those add-on costs are about to go higher. The federal budget denotes a 30 per cent increase to the charge for security, which will be added to ticket prices. Jeff Morrison, the president and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, said the costs are piling up for consumers. “If we want to be competitive, as a Canadian sector, this kind of constant drip, drip, drip of new fees or increased fees — it's got to stop. Otherwise all airlines will continue to be at a competitive disadvantage,” he said, while also pointing to a proposed new charge that will be tacked on to airlines through the Canadian Transportation Agency for every passenger claim that goes to the CTA. The federal government owns the major airports in Canada that are operated by non-profit authorities, which then lease the airports from the government. Annually, the federal government collects about $300 million in lease payments from the authorities, which the industry says does not go back into the sector or toward improvements. Morrison pointed to air travel issues at Pearson International Airport in Toronto over the holidays where an antiquated baggage system failed and contributed to many problems. “We're not getting our bang for the buck,” he said. Morrison noted the increase in security fees is to going to cover a $1.8-billion increase in the budget for the Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, the bulk of which will be sunk into operational costs, not improvements. Rick Erickson, a Calgary-based aviation analyst, said he makes a habit whenever he is at an American airport near the Canadian border to check the parking lot for Canadian plates. For many, it is cheaper to drive to the U.S. to catch a flight. This is a major reason ultra-lowcost carriers have largely been non-existent in Canada while saturating the market in the U.K. and excelling south of the border. Calgary-based Lynx Air is trying to change that narrative, while Flair airlines has experienced its own issues recently. “There's probably a dozen fairsized U.S. carriers ... a number of ultra-low-cost carriers, not one of them ... comes to Canada,” he said. “Because they can't charge $99.” Also threatening the airline industry with higher costs are Air Passenger Protection regulations, originally passed in 2019. This legislation is intended to provide a recourse for passengers who have flights cancelled or delayed for at least two hours, or their luggage is lost or damaged. And airlines are held responsible regardless of the cause of the delay, be it weather, insufficient security at the airport to move people through customs or even a breakdown in airport infrastructure. On Wednesday, von Hoensbroech said the cost was “a significant double-digit million figure” for Westjet this past year. He said those costs would likely be recovered through increases to ticket prices. The industry is calling for a shared accountability approach to the APPR, tying fines or reimbursement to where the issue originated from. “If we really want to improve air travel, airlines can't do it alone,” said Morrison. “For the past year or so, it's pretty much been airlines had the finger pointed at them for being the ones responsible for all this disruption, which is simply not true. There's a lot of different players.” There is no easy fix to these issues. Transport Canada has recently launched a consultation looking into the future of the Canadian airport system, and Morrison said looking at all the fees and service charges need to be a priority. Erickson said radical change is required, and that the system needs to be privatized as it is in Europe where it is far more successful and affordable. “Those people are smart enough to realize that we can't gouge,” he said. “We have a responsibility to our travelling public to have this facility, but we can do a much better job of managing it, and the tools available to private-sector ownership are quite a bit better than public-sector ownership in terms of accessing capital.”

Ash from Russian volcano causes flight cancellations in northwestern B.C. Volume 90% The Canadian Press Staff Contact Updated April 14, 2023 4:46 a.m. MDT Published April 13, 2023 5:02 p.m. MDT Share More share options TERRACE, B.C. - Some flights out of northern British Columbia are cancelled due to ash from a Russian volcano that erupted thousands of kilometres away. Air Canada says it is monitoring the ash cloud from the Shiveluch Volcano, which caused the cancellation of some of its regional flights to and from Prince Rupert and Terrace on Thursday. It says in an email that more schedule adjustments could occur depending on the direction of the ash cloud. RELATED STORIES Volcano eruption in Russia's Kamchatka spews vast ash clouds Scientists to take 'CAT scan' of B.C. volcano to locate best geothermal energy spots B.C. man faces deportation for alleged naked dance on sacred Bali volcano Do you know what to do if a tsunami hits B.C.? The province's annual reminder to be prepared B.C. tsunami advisory lifted after underwater volcano erupts in Tonga The volcano on Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, about 4,300 kilometres west of Terrace, erupted Tuesday and sent up an ash cloud 10 kilometres high. Alaska Airlines also cancelled more than two dozen flights in the state, citing safety concerns as volcanic ash can cause a jet engine to shut down. Carman Hendry, the manager of Northwest Regional Airport in Terrace-Kitimat, said WestJet has also cancelled flights into the airport because the planes would have to fly through the ash. “Better down here wishing you were up there than up there wishing they were down here,” he said in an interview Thursday. Hendry said he is unsure how many flights will be affected, but the airport is not expecting any more incoming flights for the rest of the day. With files from The Associated Press

Europe's Jupiter probe launched Europe's Jupiter probe launched By Juliette COLLEN Kourou (AFP) April 14, 2023 The European Space Agency's JUICE space probe successfully launched Friday on a mission to discover whether Jupiter's icy moons are capable of hosting extraterrestrial life in their vast, hidden oceans. The launch on an Ariane 5 rocket from Europe's spaceport in Kourou, French Guiana came after a previous attempt on Thursday was called off due to the risk of lightning. Despite cloudy skies, the rocket took off as planned at 09:14 am local time (1214 GMT) on Friday, as guests including Belgium's King Philippe watched from the Guiana Space Centre. A little under half an hour later, the uncrewed six-tonne spacecraft separated from the rocket at an altitude of 1,500 kilometres (930 miles), which prompted an outbreak of applause at the centre. Stephane Israel, the CEO of French firm Arianespace in charge of the rocket, said the launch was "a success". After a few tense minutes, ground control were relieved to receive the first signal from spacecraft. The spacecraft then began unfurling its array of solar panels, which are a record 85 square metres, the size of a basketball court. It will need all the energy it can get near Jupiter, where sunlight is 25 times weaker than on Earth. Carole Larigauderie, JUICE project head at France's space agency CNES, said the launch the beginning of a long journey which will "not be at all calm". - Liquid water - The Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (JUICE) will take a long and winding path to the gas giant, which is 628 million kilometres (390 million miles) from Earth. It will use several gravitational boosts along the way, first by doing a fly-by of Earth and the Moon, then by slingshotting around Venus in 2025 before swinging past Earth again in 2029. When the probe finally enters Jupiter's orbit in July 2031, its 10 scientific instruments will analyse the Solar System's largest planet as well as its three icy moons Europa, Ganymede and Callisto. The moons were first discovered by astronomer Galileo Galilei more than 400 years ago, but were long ignored as potential candidates for hosting life. However, the discovery of huge oceans of liquid water -- the main ingredient for life as we know it -- kilometres beneath their icy shells has made Ganymede and Europa prime candidates to potentially host life in our celestial backyard. JUICE will focus on Ganymede, the Solar System's largest moon and the only one that has its own magnetic field, which protects it from radiation. In 2034, JUICE will slide into Ganymede's orbit, the first time a spacecraft will have done so around a moon other than our own. NASA's Europa Clipper mission, which is scheduled to launch in October 2024, will focus on Ganymede's sibling Europa. - 'Extraordinary mission' - Neither mission will be able to directly detect the existence of alien life, but instead hope to establish whether the moons have the right conditions to harbour life. Larigauderie pointed out that a kind of mucus had been found in a lake underneath a glacier in Antarctica, showing that life can survive in such extreme environments. "If JUICE manages to prove that Ganymede is habitable so that we can go and find out in the future that there is life, that would be fabulous," she added. French astronaut Thomas Pesquet, who attended the launch, told AFP that "space exploration is pushing back the frontiers of knowledge in small steps". "If we are in a position to return to the Moon in a few years, it will be because of robotic precursors," he said. "Robotic and crewed exploration are two parts of the same effort." The 1.6-billion-euro ($1.7 billion) mission will mark the first time Europe has sent a spacecraft into the outer Solar System, beyond Mars. "This is an extraordinary mission that shows what Europe is capable of," said CNES chief Philippe Baptiste. Friday marked the second-last launch for the Ariane 5 rocket, before it is replaced by the next-generation Ariane 6. Repeated delays for the Ariane 6, as well as Russia pulling its Soyuz rockets in response to sanctions over the war in Ukraine, have left Europe struggling to find launch its mission into space. Related Links The million outer planets of a star called Sol Spotlight on Ganymede, Juice's primary target Paris (ESA) Apr 13, 2023 A key focus of ESA's Jupiter Icy Moons Explorer (Juice) will be Ganymede: Jupiter's largest moon, and an ideal natural laboratory for studying the icy worlds of the Solar System. b>Why focus ... more Search for alien life extends to Jupiter's icy moons Kourou (AFP) April 12, 2023 Could vast, long-hidden oceans be teeming with alien life in our very own Solar System? ... more

I imagine some folks living in the region will not be thrilled. Why launch a rocket industry in rural Nova Scotia? | CBC.ca

FAA Refers More Unruly Passenger Cases to FBI in 2023 Thursday, April 13, 2023 WASHINGTON — The Federal Aviation Administration has referred more unruly passenger cases to the Federal Bureau of Investigation for criminal prosecution review in the first quarter of 2023. “If you act out on a plane, you should just stay at home because we will come after you with serious consequences,” said Acting FAA Administrator Billy Nolen, a former commercial airline pilot. “We have zero tolerance for unruly behavior.” “The FBI will continue to work with our FAA partners to ensure the safety of all passengers and to combat violence aboard commercial flights,” said FBI Assistant Director Luis Quesada of the Criminal Investigative Division. “We remain committed to investigating all incidents that fall within FBI jurisdiction aboard commercial flights.” The 2023 referrals include the following incidents: March 2023: Tried to open aircraft door and use a makeshift weapon to assault a flight attendant. Jan. 2023: Inappropriately touched a 17-year-old passenger. Jan. 2023: Refused to remain seated, acted erratically, said he needed to fly the aircraft. Jan. 2023: Assaulted a female passenger. Jan. 2023: Assaulted a flight attendant. Jan. 2023: Sexually assaulted a passenger. Dec. 2022: Passenger assaulted his wife. Dec. 2022: Assaulted flight attendants and passengers. Dec. 2022: Tried to strike a flight attendant and enter the flight deck. Dec. 2022: Assaulted, threatened and intimidated flight attendants. Dec. 2022: Assaulted another passenger. Dec. 2022: Inappropriately touched another passenger. July 2022: Threatened and intimidated flight attendants and passengers. July 2022: Assaulted another passenger. July 2022: Threatened flight attendants and passenger. April 2022: Sexually assaulted a flight attendant. April 2022: Assaulted a flight attendant and passenger, deployed evacuation slide. The FBI recently stood up a Crimes Aboard Aircraft webpage with information about the types of crimes it investigates and how people can report them. The FAA has referred more than 250 of the most serious cases to the FBI since late 2021 under a partnership aimed at ensuring unruly airline passengers face criminal prosecution when warranted. The rate of unruly passenger incidents has dropped by over 80 percent since record-highs in early 2021 but unacceptable behavior continues to occur. The FAA pursues legal enforcement action against any passenger who assaults, threatens, intimidates, or interferes with airline crewmembers, and can propose civil penalties up to $37,000 per violation. Detailed current data on these incidents is available on our unruly passenger website.

Rose coloured glasses or have the various unions etc. indicated they are in favour? Westjet sees no roadblocks to finalizing acquisition of Sunwing CEO says synergies between companies will boost sun destination offerings Calgary Herald 13 Apr 2023 JOSH ALDRICH jaldrich@postmedia.com twitter.com/joshaldrich03 AZIN GHAFFARI Alexis von Hoensbroech, CEO of Westjet chats with Calgary Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Deborah Yedlin at a chamber event held on Wednesday. Von Hoensbroech says his company's acquisition of Sunwing is just weeks away. This will allow us collectively to grow our offering for our guests more than each individual company would have. The landing gear is down for Westjet as it prepares to finalize its acquisition of vacation airline Sunwing. On Wednesday, Westjet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech said the deal is weeks from completion after receiving federal government approval in March. “There's some normal legal work that needs to be chopped until we get to the eventual closing, and we expect that it's going to happen in the next couple of weeks,” he said, following his address to the Calgary Chamber of Commerce over lunch. “But I don't see any significant roadblocks.” As part of the approval by the commissioner of competition, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra laid out a series of terms and conditions that need to be met, including extending Sunwing package offerings to five new Canadian cities, maintaining capacity on the most affected routes and maintaining a head office in Toronto and a regional office in the Montreal area for at least five years. When the acquisition was originally announced, it was with the intention of maintaining a Sunwing head office in Toronto. Several other requirements concern employment levels, improved baggage handling and passenger experience. The deal will be a boost to Westjet's sun destination operations. Sunwing owns 45 hotels in tourism destinations throughout Mexico and the Caribbean but relies mainly on leasing planes. Westjet, meanwhile, did not previously operate its own hotels but provided flights to destinations. Westjet has since realigned its strategic operations to focus on Western Canada and its vacation flights. To accommodate this, the company has paused future purchases of 787 Dreamliners, while ordering 42 more 737 Max jets with an option to purchase another 22 to service its growing network, and allow it to attempt to lower prices with one of the most fuel-efficient planes on the market. Its current purchase order with Boeing is for 65 737s. WESTJET CONTINUING PANDEMIC RECOVERY Westjet had a number of hiccups in 2022 while recovering from the pandemic and almost three years of regulations and health orders that reduced operations by 90 per cent. To survive, staffing was reduced from 14,000 to 4,000 and adjustments were made to flight plans. It is now back up to about 12,000 employees with plans to hire another 2,000 this year. The airline is also on pace to surpass pre-pandemic revenue levels and passenger capacity is at about 90 per cent of 2019 levels. There are not expected to be any job losses or restructuring as a result of the acquisition. Von Hoensbroech said the synergies between the two companies will help them better serve customers flying to warmer climes. “This will allow us collectively to grow our offering for our guests more than each individual company would have been able to do,” he said. “This is how we see major benefit from this transaction actually coming to Canadians.”

Waves form on severely flooded airport runway in Florida - BBC News Airport ClosureFLL remains closed to flight activity until 12PM, April 13, 2023. The upper-level roadway has reopened for passenger pick-up activity. The lower-level roadway remains closed until further notice. Please view our social media for updates and check your airline for revised flight status. (2:10AM, 4/13/23) Severe flooding in Florida caused flight cancellations after the tarmac was taken over by waves of water. All air traffic at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport was suspended, leaving passengers stranded. Roads across the south of the Sunshine State were also impacted after nearly 30 centimetres of rain fell within a few hours, causing traffic chaos. Authorities have urged residents to stay off the roads until the water has gone down.

WestJet says third parties should share compensation costs after flight delays By Staff The Canadian Press Posted April 12, 2023 3:20 pm Updated April 12, 2023 3:21 pm The CEO of WestJet Airlines says his company is asking the federal government to allow airlines to recover passenger compensation costs from other industry partners, if they played a role in causing flight delays or disruptions. Under the current air passenger bill of rights framework, airlines are the only party required to compensate travellers for unnecessary flight cancellations or disruptions. But WestJet CEO Alexis von Hoensbroech says airlines aren’t at fault if a passenger’s flight is held up by a backlog at customs or a breakdown of baggage handling equipment at an airport. He says compensating passengers every time something goes wrong is costly for airlines and in the long-term will cause airfares to rise.He says WestJet is asking the government to provide a mechanism for airlines to recover some of these costs from third parties who may be partly liable for disruptions. The federal government has committed to making changes to this country’s airline passenger bill of rights in the wake of major travel disruptions last summer and again over the Christmas holidays.

A unique 1 year get away. NASA unveils 'Mars' habitat for year-long experiments on Earth NASA's simulated Mars habitat includes a 1,200-square-foot sandbox with red sand to simulate the Martian landscape. The area will be used to conduct simulated spacewalks or "Marswalks" during the analog missions. NASA unveils 'Mars' habitat for year-long experiments on Earth by AFP Staff Writers Houston (AFP) April 12, 2023 Four small rooms, a gym and a lot of red sand -- NASA unveiled on Tuesday its new Mars-simulation habitat, in which volunteers will live for a year at a time to test what life will be like on future missions to Earth's neighbor. The facility, created for three planned experiments called the Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog (CHAPEA), is located at the US space agency's massive research base in Houston, Texas. Four volunteers will begin the first trial this summer, during which NASA plans to monitor their physical and mental health to better understand humans' fortitude for such a long isolation. With that data, NASA will better understand astronauts' "resource use" on Mars, said Grace Douglas, lead researcher on the CHAPEA experiments. "We can really start to understand how we're supporting them with what we're providing them, and that's going to be really important information to making those critical resource decisions," she said on a press tour of the habitat. Such a distant mission comes with "very strict mass limitations," she added. The volunteers will live inside a 1,700 square-foot (160 square-meter) home, dubbed "Mars Dune Alpha," which includes two bathrooms, a vertical farm to grow salad, a room dedicated to medical care, an area for relaxing and several workstations. An airlock leads to an "outdoor" reconstruction of the Martian environment -- though still located inside the hangar. Several pieces of equipment astronauts would likely use are scattered around the red sand-covered floor, including a weather station, a brick-making machine and a small greenhouse. There is also a treadmill on which the make-believe astronauts will walk suspended from straps to simulate the red planet's lesser gravity. "We really can't have them just walking around in circles for six hours," joked Suzanne Bell, head of NASA's Behavioral Health and Performance Laboratory. Four volunteers will use the treadmill to simulate long trips outside to collect samples, gathering data or building infrastructure, she said. The members of the first experiment team have yet to be named, but the agency stated that selection "will follow standard NASA criteria for astronaut candidate applicants," with a heavy emphasis on backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and math. Researchers will regularly test the crew's response to stressful situations, such as restricting water availability or equipment failures. The habitat has another special feature: it was 3D-printed. "That is one of the technologies that NASA is looking at as a potential to build habitat on other planetary or lunar surfaces," Douglas said. NASA is in the early stages of preparation for a mission to Mars, though most of the agency's focus is on upcoming Artemis missions, which aim to return humans to the Moon for the first time in half a century. Related Links Mars News and Information at MarsDaily.com Inside NASA's simulated Martian habitat | Reuters.com

And just imagine if we could take the Money that Justin has spread out, attempting to look good to the UN, and use it to solve some problems here in Canada.

On board a Canadian military surveillance plane | CBC.ca

Guiding JUICE to Jupiter File image showing JUICE's radar antenna RIME being tested in early development of the Jupiter bound spacecraft. Guiding JUICE to Jupiter by Staff Writers Paris, France (SPX) Apr 11, 2023 This phenomenal endeavour, led by the European Space Agency, is powered by Airbus technology. Our engineers have rarely faced a greater challenge than enabling such a journey. The JUICE probe will encounter extreme temperatures, intense radiation and decreasing solar energy during its 5 billion kilometre journey. Being self-sufficient in energy generation and storage is key to the mission's success. Operating in the outer reaches of the solar system, far from the Sun, JUICE uses large solar arrays around the size of a badminton court - 85 m2 - to generate energy. Divided into ten panels each measuring 2.5x3.5m, JUICE's solar wings will produce energy during its long journey to Jupiter. The solar energy will enable JUICE to carry out 35 fly-bys of Europa, Ganymede and Callisto and generate the 800 watts of power needed to operate the ten scientific instruments on board. Airbus manufactured the panel structures and the deployment mechanism. Both have been subjected to robust testing to ensure they are ready to face the extremes of temperature the mission will encounter, from -230C at Jupiter up to +110C during Venus flyby, the hottest surface of the spacecraft reaching +250C. Blowing hot and cold JUICE's thermal control system is designed to minimise the impact of the external environment on the spacecraft, through the use of high efficiency Multi-Layer Insulation (MLI). MLI will moderate the external temperature during the spacecraft's closest approach to the Sun. It must also limit heat leakage in the cold Jupiter environment, in order to minimise demand for power from the spacecraft's heaters while its instruments are operating. Managing power will be a crucial factor throughout JUICE's mission, given the limited power generated by the spacecraft's solar panels. Jupiter is so far from the Sun that the solar energy it receives is 25 times lower than on Earth. Aiming for utmost accuracy With five billion kilometres to cover throughout the mission, four fly-bys to perform and 30 observation overflights, the complexity of the JUICE mission requires accurate navigation. The conventional technique is to improve standard radiofrequency navigation with a camera to take pictures of various objects (planets, stars). These images are returned to Earth for a cross-check. A ground team then tracks and plots the probe's precise trajectory, aiming the spacecraft's instruments toward areas of interest for science. However this approach is not ideal for the JUICE mission. This is for two reasons: the true position of the moons during their orbit around Jupiter is not known with sufficient accuracy for ground teams to plot a course and it takes JUICE too long to communicate with Earth. A round-trip radio signal takes about one hour and 40 minutes, which prevents the ground team from adapting the probe's trajectory before flying by the moons. This is why the "EAGLE" autonomous navigation technology which uses images taken by the 'Navcam' camera in real-time was developed. Instead of sending pictures of Jupiter's moons back to the team on Earth to aim the instruments, the JUICE NavCam is able to process them on board, thanks to algorithms based on detection of the edge of the moons. With this information, JUICE can independently refine the viewing angle of its instruments. Endless innovation One of Jupiter's mysteries is the planet's enormous magnetic field. The magnetosphere rotates with the planet, capturing swarms of charged particles. This fast rotation creates a natural particle accelerator, causing the particles to release radio waves which can reach Jupiter's icy moons. It's hoped that by investigating the moons' electrical and magnetic environment, the JUICE mission can increase our knowledge of how this harsh environment 740 million kilometres from the Sun shaped, and continues to shape, the conditions on their surface. The sensitive instruments on board the probe, including a magnetometer, are designed to record data about Jupiter's magnetic field. However, to make the measurements as accurate as possible, JUICE must ensure that it is 'squeaky clean', in that its own presence and emissions do not disturb the instruments. To produce such a 'clean' spacecraft was a huge challenge. In order to reduce electric and magnetic emissions and electrostatic interference with the instruments, most of the electronics are installed in two special housings on each side of the probe that help seal in emissions. Additionally, these housings protect the equipment itself from space radiation. A ten-metre long arm, named Magboom, will keep the most sensitive sensors away from the probe and any electromagnetic interference it may generate while taking measurements. Airbus engineers have also designed a unique layout for the 23,560 solar cells in JUICE's solar panels to minimise the magnetic field generated by the cells themselves. A conductive layer of indium tin oxide also sits on top of the solar cells to avoid electrostatic disturbances. The 'reaction wheels', which allow the probe to orient itself in space, are also custom-designed for the mission. They emit 100 times less magnetic energy than wheels that have flown before. Finally, all of the probe's cables - totalling an amazing 15 kilometres - are wrapped in several layers of aluminium to avoid electrical interference. As shown in this article, science missions are always the most challenging of space missions, but often the most rewarding for the teams who turn them into reality. Related Links

If you are sitting inside right because of the current weather, you may enjoy this read: https://calgary.bibliocommons.com/item/show/1036805095 ). These books can each be purchased for $12 (plus $6 shipping in Canada) from the Canadian Aviation Historical Society Air-Crazy: Fascinating Stories Of Canadian Women In The Air Air-Crazy, Too: More Fascinating Stories Of Canadian Women In The Air They have a number of other interesting reads available. eg. The Battle For A CPAL Transcontinental Air Route SKU: CAHS-A-TAR CA$3.50 Another of Bill Cameron’s behind the scenes accounts on the maturing of Canadian commercial aviation from a CPAL employee’s perspective.Originally found in Journal 48, No 3. Fall, 2010. PS. Sunny and bright in this part of Alberta.

Penticton Peach Festival is an annual South Okanagan Valley tradition, which began in 1947, to celebrate the peach harvest in Penticton, British Columbia, Canada. This year's event is scheduled for August 9 - 13, 2023 at Okanagan Lake Park. The Canadian Armed Forces Parachute Team, the SkyHawks, will be performing on August 9, 2023 at 18:00 showcasing their signature tricks and formations. See PeachFest.com for festival details See www.Canada.ca/en/army/corporate/SkyHawks for more info about the SkyHawks

Meet Your Artemis II Crew “The Artemis II crew represents thousands of people working tirelessly to bring us to the stars. This is their crew, this is our crew, this is humanity's crew. NASA astronauts Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, and Christina Hammock Koch, and Canadian Space Agency astronaut Jeremy Hansen, each has their own story, but, together, they represent our creed: E pluribus unum – out of many, one. Together, we are ushering in a new era of exploration for a new generation of star sailors and dreamers – the Artemis Generation.” – Bill Nelson, NASA Administrator Earlier this week the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon on Artemis II–the first crewed mission on NASA’s path to establishing a long-term presence at the Moon for science and exploration through Artemis–were announced: Commander Reid Wiseman, Pilot Victor Glover, Mission Specialist Christina Hammock Koch, and Mission Specialist Jeremy Hansen. Together, they will work as a team to execute an ambitious set of demonstrations during the flight test. The approximately 10-day Artemis II flight test will launch on the powerful Space Launch System rocket, prove the Orion spacecraft’s life-support systems, and validate the capabilities and techniques needed for humans to live and work in deep space. The flight, set to build upon the successful uncrewed Artemis I mission completed in December, will set the stage for the first woman and first person of color on the Moon through the Artemis program, paving the way for future long-term human exploration missions to the Moon, and eventually Mars.

Looks to be an ULD and those travel and are shared between many airlines. So the original owner is not necessarily the one who used that one.

'This is a major discovery': Explorers find massive ice-age cavern beneath Montreal 'This is a major discovery': Explorers find massive ice-age cavern beneath Montreal | CBC News Cathedral-like chamber, formed more than 15,000 years ago, features underground lake Jaela Bernstien · CBC News · Posted: Dec 02, 2017 4:00 AM MST | Last Updated: December 5, 2017 The cave is so far down that it reaches the aquifer. The explorers had to use an inflatable canoe to navigate part of the cavern, containing water five metres deep. Explorers have just discovered a new underground passage, complete with stalactites and a lake, all buried beneath the city of Montreal — and they don't know where it ends yet. Until a couple of months ago, no one had ever set foot inside. CBC crews were among the first people who had the chance to explore the cathedral-like chamber, which was formed more than 15,000 years ago during the ice age. Cavers Luc Le Blanc and his friend Daniel Caron couldn’t believe their eyes when they knocked through limestone and discovered this massive chamber beneath Montreal. (Submitted by Société québécoise de spéléologie) The spectacular find is connected to Montreal's Saint-Léonard Cavern, which lies underneath Parc Pie XII, not far from Highway 40. The main portion of the cavern has been open to members of the public for decades, but tour guides had no idea there had been a massive section hidden behind a limestone wall. PHOTOS: Explore the huge secret cave that lay hidden under Montreal The passageway, formed more than 15,000 years ago during the last ice age, runs at least 200 metres long, six metres high, and about three metres wide. "This is a major discovery we made. This doesn't happen many times in a lifetime," said Luc Le Blanc, who found the passageway along with his friend Daniel Caron. Luc Le Blanc and Daniel Caron, pictured outside the cave, have been exploring underground as a hobby for years. (CBC) The chamber is so deep that it reaches the aquifer. The explorers waded through as much of it as possible, before using an inflatable canoe to navigate the five-metre-deep water. "It keeps going. We haven't reached the end yet," Le Blanc said. Montreal's secret cavern 5 years ago Duration1:06 A new chamber, part of the Saint-Léonard cavern, was discovered in October. It lay under Montreal secretly for thousands of years. Le Blanc and Caron said they were able to pinpoint the location of the passageway using a dowsing rod, similar to the wooden divination tools sometimes used to find groundwater. The two men, who first got into caving as a hobby, said they've been searching for an unknown branch of the Saint-Léonard cavern for years. They succeeded in October, when they started to dig through an unremarkable wall, one that tour groups shuffle past every summer. "We started digging in a decomposed layer of limestone that was much softer ... We managed to open a window through which we could see the void beyond," Le Blanc said. Now that small window has been expanded to a narrow tunnel, only large enough for an adult to crawl through. Crawling through this narrow hole leads you to the ceiling of a massive chamber, which you then access by climbing down a ladder. (CBC) Le Blanc said the discovery is significant not just because of the chamber's size, but because of the way the cave was formed. "The walls opened through the pressure of the glacier above … it's a mechanical process through a glacier. It's been called glacial tectonism." Le Blanc can't wait to keep exploring the rest of the cave. "It's just beautiful." Borough officials do hope to eventually open it up to the public, once the proper surveys and reports have been completed. Exploring the depths of Montreal's hidden cave 5 years ago Duration1:14 Two cavers still haven't reached the end of a new passage they discovered off a popular cave under a park in Montreal's north-east end.

Months after launching, discount airline Canada Jetlines temporarily pulls out of Calgary market Social Sharing Facebook Twitter Email Reddit LinkedIn It's leasing its aircraft, crew to another carrier; expected to return in spring or fall Karina Zapata · CBC News · Posted: Apr 04, 2023 5:00 AM MDT | Last Updated: 3 hours ago The last Canada Jetlines flight between Toronto and Calgary was on Jan. 19, 2023. (Canada Jetlines/Instagram) 56 comments After announcing an optimistic launch last September, with its inaugural flight landing in Calgary, Canada's newest discount airline has temporarily pulled out of the Calgary market and will focus on leasing its aircraft to another carrier. Canada Jetlines began operations on Sept. 22 and was scheduled to service twice weekly flights from Toronto's Pearson International Airport to Calgary International Airport. But earlier this year, it quietly removed Calgary as a destination from its website. It currently flies travellers from Toronto to Vancouver, Las Vegas and Cancun and back. The company's chief commercial officer, Duncan Bureau, says the decision is temporary. "We still believe Calgary is an important part of our market," he said. The original plan was to service Calgary year-round, Bureau says, but plans changed when the airline received an opportunity to lease one of its two aircraft and crew to another carrier. Now, one of its planes is operating into high-demand destinations in Mexico and the United States and its other plane is dedicated to an ACMI (airplane, crew, maintenance and insurance) operation. Canada Jetlines, the latest airline to enter a crowded field, set to take off "We will be back into Calgary probably in the spring or fall of 2023," said Bureau, though he says that depends on the airline's ability to add new aircraft to its fleet. Canada Jetlines currently has two Airbus A320s — an all-economy jet with 174 seats. Bureau says the plan is still to fly 15 aircraft by 2025. Prioritizing ACMI operations Bureau says Jetlines recently came off an ACMI contract, and has just signed another five-month daily contract. ACMI operations are when airlines offer their airplane, crew (both cockpit people and cabin crew), maintenance and insurance to another individual or company. It operates completely on that individual or company's schedule and under their marketing. "What that does for Jetlines is it gives us guaranteed flying hours at a negotiated rate. So the risk for us is significantly less because someone else is taking the risk of the operating cost of the aircraft," said Bureau. Canada Jetlines has pulled out of the Calgary market for the winter but expects to be back this spring or fall if it can expand its fleet. (CBC) Bureau wouldn't say who the aircraft is being leased to, but he said it's an attractive offer for airlines and they usually take the opportunity. Order for 5 Boeing aircraft Rick Erikson, an independent aviation analyst based in Calgary, says the entire situation would usually make him question the airline's business plan and financials. But that changed when he saw that Canada Jetlines recently ordered five brand new 737 MAX 7 planes from Boeing. "Those aircraft are $50 million plus each, and I suspect there's going to be some pretty good money put down to hold those delivery positions," said Erikson. "That gives me a little more confidence in Jetlines and certainly how deep their pockets are." Another discount airline takes off — but they may not all survive Startup airlines hope to capitalize on pent-up travel demand Under the order, Canada Jetlines is added to a waitlist among other airlines. Erikson says Jetlines could be waiting until well into 2024, or even into 2025. "I wouldn't be surprised if they lease some 737 Max probably starting in the fall…and into the winter schedule to prepare themselves for when they take delivery of their own aircraft."

Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy, seeks buyer Virgin Orbit files for bankruptcy, seeks buyer by AFP Staff Writers Washington (AFP) April 4, 2023 Virgin Orbit, the satellite launch company founded by Richard Branson, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and will sell the business, the firm said in a statement Tuesday. The California-based company said last week it was laying off 85 percent of its employees -- around 675 people -- to reduce expenses due to its inability to secure sufficient funding. Virgin Orbit suffered a major setback earlier this year when an attempt to launch the first rocket into space from British soil ended in failure. The company had organized the mission with the UK Space Agency and Cornwall Spaceport to launch nine satellites into space. On Tuesday, the firm said "it commenced a voluntary proceeding under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code... in order to effectuate a sale of the business" and intended to use the process "to maximize value for its business and assets." Last month, Virgin Orbit suspended operations for several days while it held funding negotiations and explored strategic opportunities. But at an all-hands meeting on Thursday, CEO Dan Hart told employees that operations would cease "for the foreseeable future," US media reported at the time. "While we have taken great efforts to address our financial position and secure additional financing, we ultimately must do what is best for the business," Hart said in the company statement on Tuesday. "We believe that the cutting-edge launch technology that this team has created will have wide appeal to buyers as we continue in the process to sell the Company." Founded by Branson in 2017, the firm developed "a new and innovative method of launching satellites into orbit," while "successfully launching 33 satellites into their precise orbit," Hart added. Virgin Orbit's shares on the New York Stock Exchange were down 3 percent at 19 cents on Monday evening. sco/qan Virgin Orbit Related Links

NASA, CSA name Jeremy Hansen to be first Canadian to encircle the moon Moment NASA makes Hansen announcement 02:14 WATCH: Jeremy Hansen speaks after being selected 05:21 'He's done the work': Dan Riskin on Hansen 05:20 WATCH: Artemis II crew announced 04:10 Garneau: 'an incredibly import day for Canada'00:50 NASA unveils prototype of new spacesuitMore share options HOUSTON - Jeremy Hansen, a colonel and CF-18 pilot in the Royal Canadian Air Force, has been selected to become the first Canadian to venture further into space and orbit the moon. NASA and the Canadian Space Agency made the long-awaited announcement Monday introducing the four astronauts who will steer the next stage of an ambitious plan to establish a long-term presence on the moon. "I am left in awe of being reminded what strong leadership, setting big goals, with a passion to collaborate and a can-do attitude can achieve, and we are going to the moon together," Hansen said after the announcement. "Let's go!" NASA, CSA name Jeremy Hansen to be first Canadian to encircle the moon Going back to the moon: 'This is Canada on the world stage, doing big things' Meet the Canadian astronauts up for a seat on the Artemis II mission to the moon Not yet over the moon: Here's what's on the horizon for Canadian space exploration Artemis I landed, what this means for Canada and space exploration 'Opportunities to invest': Experts say space business needs boost in Canada The takeaways from NASA's historic Artemis I mission NASA's mightiest rocket lifts off 50 years after Apollo A new space race? China adds urgency to U.S. return to moon Why NASA is returning to the moon 50 years later with Artemis I RELATED STORIES New source of water found in moon samples from China mission Canadian rover helping in global search for frozen water on farside of the moon RELATED LINKS Canadian Space Agency - Jeremy Hansen: first Canadian astronaut to fly to the Moon NASA - Artemis website The other three astronauts on the Artemis II mission are all American: Christina Hammock Koch, Victor Glover and G. Reid Wiseman. "It's difficult to pick just four from a group that by its very definition attracts the best and the brightest that humanity has to offer," said Norm Knight, chief of NASA's flight director office. Knight said the astronauts will be the "forerunners as humanity looks to find its place among the stars." Artemis II, as it's known, is currently slated to launch as early as November 2024 and will be the first crewed mission to the moon since the final Apollo mission took flight in 1972. The crew will orbit Earth before rocketing hundreds of thousands of kilometres for a figure-8 manoeuvre around the moon before their momentum brings them home. Vanessa E. Wyche, director of NASA's Johnson Space Center, home base for America's astronaut corps, said this mission represents the culmination of years of hard work and dedication by NASA and its partners. "Under Artemis, we will explore the frontiers of space and push the boundaries of what is possible," she said. The plan is to put a man and woman on the moon in 2025 in service of the ultimate goal: eventually dispatching astronauts to Mars. President Joe Biden articulated the vision last month in his speech to Parliament, seizing on the Artemis mission as a towering symbol of limitless potential for Canada, elbow-to-elbow with the U.S. "We choose to return to the moon, together," Biden enthused, invoking the famous words of John F. Kennedy in 1962. "Here on Earth, our children who watch that flight are going to learn the names of those new pioneers. They'll be the ones who carry us into the future we hope to build: the Artemis generation." Canada's Industry Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne echoed a spirit of co-operation Monday, telling the Houston audience the two countries can accomplish "big things" together. "I know Canadians could not be more proud -- proud to have for the first time a Canadian astronaut who will travel to space as part of the Artemis II mission," he said. Canada is designing, building and operating a lunar utility vehicle to support operations on the mission. "This is more than just about going back to the moon, this is about investing in the future," Champagne said. "This is about possibilities, this is about seizing the opportunities of the space economy from health and food security, to climate change, and much more." Hansen, 47, from London, Ont. is one of four in Canada's current astronaut corps. He said American leadership and Canada's "can-do attitude" are the reasons why he is going to the moon. "It is not lost on any of us that the United States could choose to go back to the moon by themselves, but America has made a very deliberate choice over decades to curate a global team," he said. He told the crowd gathered at the announcement thousands of Canadians have risen to the challenge of bringing value to space exploration. "All of those have added up to this moment where a Canadian is going to the moon with our international partnership, and it is glorious," he said. Another member of Canada's astronaut corps is David Saint-Jacques, an astrophysicist and medical doctor from Montreal and the only member of the group who's already been to space. Saint-Jacques, 53, flew to the International Space Station in 2018. He was selected for the corps in 2009 alongside Hansen. Joining Hansen and Saint-Jacques in 2017 were test pilot and Air Force Lt.-Col. Joshua Kutryk, 41, from Fort Saskatchewan, Alta., and Jennifer Sidey-Gibbons, 34, a mechanical engineer and Cambridge University lecturer from Calgary. "This is a big moment for humanity," Champagne said Sunday after touring the Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he had a chance to chat with astronauts and visit Mission Control. "This time Canada is writing history with our American friends it's not even a new chapter. For me, it's almost like a new book in space exploration." On the ground, Canada is engaged in a variety of cutting-edge research endeavours that will be of mutual benefit to Artemis, Champagne said. In the "Deep Space Food Challenge," launched in 2021, participants must develop ways to produce food in the harsh environments of deep space with few resources -- think Matt Damon in "The Martian" -- that will one day be necessary to sustain life. Those challenges will only become more difficult as Artemis moves into its later stages, which include a long-term presence on the moon and ultimately voyaging to Mars. "As one scientist only recently said, 'The science of today is the economy of tomorrow,"' Champagne said. "By increasing the complexity, that's why we push the boundaries of science and innovation." Former astronaut and now-retired Quebec MP Marc Garneau, who back in 1984 became the first Canadian to ever go to space, said Biden's speech left him with a "flashback" to another seminal moment in Canada-U.S. space relations. Garneau's maiden Space Shuttle flight was still three weeks away when he got an invitation to go to the White House along with two of his fellow crew members to meet the U.S. president. As it turned out, he wasn't the only Canadian meeting Ronald Reagan that day in the Oval Office. So too was Canada's newly elected prime minister, Brian Mulroney, whose friendship with Reagan has since become the stuff of bilateral lore. "We were invited to the White House -- to the Oval Office, in fact -- and met with the president and the new prime minister as they met for the first time," Garneau recalled. "That was an example of space being one of those things that exemplifies how Canada and the United States have been really, really good partners and how close our two countries really are with respect to space, and in other ways as well." Canada and NASA have been working together since the early 1960s and the headiest days of the U.S. space program, when Canada's first satellite was launched on a U.S. rocket, Garneau said. The Canadarm, that iconic, Maple Leaf-emblazoned fixture of the shuttle program, would later cement Canada's status as a country the U.S. could count on. "It's built on the fact that Canada has always been a reliable, dependable partner that has delivered what it said it would do," Garneau said. "We have an incredibly good reputation from that point of view." This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 3, 2023.

Artemis II Crew Announcement Monday, April 3, 11:00 a.m. EDT Find the time in your location here. WATCH HERE AT 11:00 a.m. EDT Monday, April 3 As an Artemis I Virtual Guest, we wanted to share how to be among the FIRST to meet the four astronauts who will travel around the Moon! NASA and CSA (Canadian Space Agency) will announce during an event from NASA Johnson Space Center’s Ellington Field in Houston, the four astronauts who will venture around the Moon. Traveling aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft during Artemis II, the mission is the first crewed flight test on the agency’s path to establishing a long-term scientific and human presence on the lunar surface. Artemis II Mission Map Artemis II will be the first flight with crew aboard. During their mission, the four astronauts will confirm all of the spacecraft’s systems operate as designed with people aboard in the actual environment of deep space. Why the moon? The Artemis missions will build a community on the Moon, driving a new lunar economy and inspiring a new generation. ‌ ‌ Feeling creative? Draw your very own Orion Crew Survival System Suit to prepare for the announcement! P.S. Missed Artemis I launch, see the replay! Also, keep a look out for updates on the Artemis blog.