Tech billionaire and CEO Tesla Elon Musk’s company rejected a report by the Federal Aviation Administration highlighting dangers posed by the Starlink satellite constellation to humans on Earth, calling it “inaccurate” while urging the regulators to “improvise”.
Elon Musk’s company said in a letter Tuesday that the report relied “on a deeply flawed analysis that falsely characterises reentry disposal risks associated with Starlink.”
The letter read: “To be clear, SpaceX’s satellites are designed and built to fully demise during atmospheric reentry during disposal at end of life, and they do so.”
The Aerospace Corporation — the non-profit group that contributed to the report — was also accused of not accounting for the analysis of SpaceX pertaining to the satellite disposal.
The report was submitted to the members of Congress on October 5 by the FAA, painting a bleak picture of the dangers posed by the constellation of Musk’s Starlink satellite.
It suggested: “By 2035 if the expected large constellation growth is realised and debris from Starlink satellites survive reentry … one person on the planet would be expected to be injured or killed every two years.”
According to the report’s estimation, the probability of an aircraft suffering an accident with falling space debris could be 0.0007 per year by 2035.
SpaceX explained in its report that 325 satellites were deorbited since February 2020, and no debris has been found.
In a statement issued Tuesday afternoon, the Aerospace Corporation said, “Our technical team is in communication with SpaceX and others to review and update the data.”
“It was approached by the FAA more than two years ago to do an independent assessment of collective risks associated with satellite re-entry, based upon the projection of all planned operators under US regulation in 2021,” it stated in a statement.
“The data included existing and planned constellations through 2035. The greatest percentage of satellites were those in Low Earth Orbit.”
Starlink risks
It was acknowledged by the FAA that Starlink satellites fully burn up in the atmosphere when they fall back to Earth at the end of service, posing no risk.
However, the Aerospace Corporation noted that “with the thousands of satellites expected to reenter, even a small amount of debris can impose a significant risk over time.”
SpaceX while rejecting the report regarded the assessment based on “egregious errors, omissions and incorrect assumptions.”
SpaceX also criticised the report for focusing “only on Starlink, disregarding other satellite systems like Amazon’s Project Kuiper, OneWeb, or any of the LEO systems being developed and deployed by China.”
The report noted that by 2035, Elon Musk’s satellites will account for “85% of the expected risk to people on the ground and aviation.”
For 18 graduates of the Reko Diq Mining Project, the National University of Technology, Islamabad, has started a training program. These graduates will complete an 18-month on-the-job training program at Barrick’s International Mining Sites after completing a two-month course at NUTECH.
The graduates will acquire proficiency in mining and associated technical domains during the training program. The chosen graduates will also get specific instruction on environmental protection, safety, exploration, and geology.
Along with the development of communication skills, the curriculum will also emphasise the most recent advancements in the mining industry. Barrick’s International Graduate Development Program for 2024 includes the Balochistani graduates.
Additionally, nine Baloch graduates were selected in 2023 and transported to Barrick’s facility in Argentina for on-the-job training.
WhatsApp is implementing a new upgrade to refine the Updates tab interface, hence boosting accessibility for status and channel updates.
WABetaInfo reports that the upgrade introduces expedited shortcuts that streamline the updating of statuses and channels. Users can now select and upload photos and videos directly from the interface, reducing the steps involved in choosing media from the gallery.
The Meta-owned messaging application has also revamped the button for generating text-based status updates and introduced a feature for recording and sharing voice status updates. This offers customers a more expedient method to disseminate text and speech updates without depending on the floating action button.
The revisions correspond with recent modifications to other tabs, ensuring a modernised interface that improves navigation and update creation. WhatsApp is modifying the floating action button to facilitate content sharing within channels.
When selecting the floating action button, users will see several options, including creating status updates, starting new channels, or sharing photos, videos, voice, and text in existing channels. This revamp integrates all content-generating options into a singular section.
The new shortcuts are anticipated to be accessible to a broader user base in the forthcoming weeks. Beta testers can currently access them in the latest WhatsApp beta for Android, version 2.24.26.13, available on the Google Play Store.
Through Chinese expertise, the arrangement, which was made possible by the Special Investment Facilitation Council (SIFC), intends to increase Pakistan’s agricultural output.
The Punjab government and China’s “AI Force Tech” company have inked a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to introduce advanced agricultural machinery during Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz’s visit to China.
Through the use of advanced robotic technology, the MoU seeks to transform Pakistan’s agricultural industry, guarantee economic growth, and boost farmers’ wealth with China’s assistance.
Through the partnership, Pakistan would also have the chance to absorb knowledge about China’s sophisticated farming methods.
In the meantime, plans have been revealed by the Federal Minister of Planning to send 1,000 agricultural experts to China to study contemporary farming methods.
A Chinese business and the Punjab government previously inked an agreement to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment technologies to Punjab.
Maryam Nawaz signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Hygea Medical Technologies while she was in China in order to introduce cutting-edge cancer treatment equipment and techniques to Punjab.
This equipment will make it feasible to treat cancer without the need for chemotherapy or surgery.
Following a meeting with Hygea Medical Technologies President Dr. Luo Fuliang, Maryam Nawaz said the organization has promised expert assistance for the establishment of the Nawaz Sharif Cancer Hospital.
She went on to say that the hospital will work with China to treat cancer patients utilizing the newest equipment and techniques following the agreement.
Maryam Nawaz and a high-level delegation are present. From December 8 to December 15, the chief minister will go to Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou.
CM Maryam Nawaz is expected to attend a number of conferences, events, and meetings with the goal of enhancing bilateral relations and looking into potential joint ventures in the areas of infrastructure development, technology, agriculture, and governance.