Tech
Dell and Nokia agree partnership on private 5G, cloud networks
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Published
1 year agoon
By
Ekwutos Blog
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Dell
The companies will expand on an existing partnership and work to integrate NDAC with Dell’s NativeEdge software platform, as they look “to advance open network architectures in the telecom ecosystem and private 5G use cases among businesses,” they said.
“Our continued collaboration with Dell will help address the future needs of our customers brought on by the increasing demands on networks and provide solutions to help communications service providers scale modern networks to the cloud,” said Nishant Batra, Nokia’s chief strategy and technology officer.
Reporting by Olivier Sorgho Editing by Mark Potter
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NASA increases the chance of ‘city-destroying’ asteroid hitting Earth
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Published
4 days agoon
February 18, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
- READ MORE: Map reveals what will happen if the ‘city-destroying’ asteroid hits
The ‘city-destroying’ asteroid hurtling toward Earth is being carefully watched by hundreds of the world’s most powerful telescopes.
Now, NASA has quietly increased the chances that this deadly space rock will smash into the planet in 2032.
The space agency predicts that the asteroid 2024 YR4 has a one-in-38, or 2.6 per cent, chance of hitting.
Those are the same odds as having your number come up on a spin of a standard American roulette wheel.
When it was discovered in December last year, NASA estimated that the chances of 2024 YR4 hitting us were one in a thousand.
However, as more data has been gathered about its orbit, the impact probability has rapidly increased.
Currently, the odds of 2024 YR4 hitting Earth on December 12, 2032, are double what they were at the end of January less than three weeks ago.
With an estimated diameter of 54 metres (177ft), or a little taller than Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, that collision has the potential to cause enormous amounts of damage.
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NASA has quietly increased the chances that the city-destroying asteroid 2024 YR4 could hit Earth in 2032 once again (stock image)
The asteroid was discovered on December 27 by the NASA-funded Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) telescope in Chile.
Early calculations of its orbit quickly showed that there was a slim chance of the near-Earth object (NEO) making a close pass of the planet in the next decade.
However, as astronomers made more observations and arrived at a better estimation of the asteroid’s orbit, the probability of a collision continued to rise.
On January 27, 2024 YR4 truly set alarm bells ringing when it became the only large asteroid with an impact probability greater than one per cent.
This prompted NASA to award the asteroid a score of three on the Torino Scale, a standard measure for the danger of NEOs.
This rating is extremely rare since it can only be given to an object over 20 metres (65ft) in diameter with an impact probability greater than one per cent.
The Torino scale describes this threat as: ‘A close encounter, meriting attention by astronomers. Current calculations give a 1% or greater chance of collision capable of localized destruction.’
Were the asteroid to hit Earth, NASA estimates that the explosion would be equivalent to eight megatons of TNT.
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NASA now estimates that the 54 metre-wide (177ft) asteroid has a one-in-38 chance of hitting Earth. Those are the same odds as a specific number coming up on a standard American roulette wheel
How much damage would the asteroid cause?
Distance from impact (miles) | Shockwave pressure | Damage caused |
---|---|---|
3.5 | 20 psi | Heavily build concrete structures demolished. |
5.5 | 10 psi | Reinforced concrete buildings damaged, most people killed. |
8.5 | 5 psi | Injuries are universal, fatalities are widespread. |
12 | 3 psi | Residential structures collapse. |
24.6 | 1 psi | Windows shattered, light injuries caused. |
That is more than 500 times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima during World War II.
The resulting blast would be similar to that caused by the Tunguska Asteroid, which flattened 830 square miles (2,150 square km) of Siberian forest in 1908 – an area more than double the size of New York.
Based on current estimates of the asteroid’s orbit, astronomers have calculated a ‘risk corridor’ of locations that could be hit if it were to collide with Earth.
This path stretches from northern South America, across sub-Saharan and North Africa, and into South Asia.
Worryingly, the risk corridor passes over eight of the world’s most populated cities, including Bogota in Colombia, Lagos in Nigeria, as well as Mumbai and Chennai in India.
Those cities alone have a combined population of over 110 million people, who could be in serious danger from an asteroid impact.
In the history of astronomy, only one other asteroid has ever been given a Torino Scale rating of three or higher – that being the 185-metre (600ft) 99942 Apophis.
Apophis, nicknamed the ‘God of Chaos’ asteroid, was briefly escalated to a four on the Torino Scale in late 2004 before rapidly dropping back towards zero.
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The estimated ‘risk corridor’ for the asteroid’s impact (red line) passes over eight of the world’s 100 most populated cities, with a combined population of 110 million people
What do we know about 2024 YR4?
First detected: December 27, 2024
Estimated size: 40-90 metres (130-300 feet)
Speed relative to Earth: 29,000 miles per hour (46,800 kmph)
Date of closest pass: December 2, 2032
Probability of impact: 2.6 per cent (one in 38)
Destructive potential: A ‘city killer’ on a scale on the Tunguska asteroid which detonated with a force equal to 15-30 megatons of TNT.
Astronomers around the world are currently holding out hope that 2024 YR4 will soon follow a similar pattern.
Most NEOs have a higher impact probability right after they are detected with the risk dropping off as scientists gather more data about their orbits.
At first, as lots of new data comes in, the probability tends to sharply increase creating the impression of a rapidly growing risk.
However, NASA and the European Space Agency (ESA) currently predict that this should be followed by a drop in probability once the astronomers can be more certain about the asteroid’s orbital path.
NASA spokesperson Molly Wasser wrote in a blog post: ‘As more observations of the asteroid’s orbit are obtained, its impact probability will become better known.
‘It is possible that asteroid 2024 YR4 will be ruled out as an impact hazard, as has happened with many other objects that have previously appeared on NASA’s.’
She adds: ‘It is also possible its impact probability will continue to rise.’
Both NASA and ESA will continue to make observations of the asteroid until April at which point it will become too faint to observe until it returns around June 2028.
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If the asteroid did hit Earth, the resulting blast could topple residential structures within a 8.5-mile radius (13.7 km) (shown as blue) and break windows everywhere within 24.6 miles (39.6km) (yellow)
In a rare emergency decision, ESA has also been granted access to the James Webb Space Telescope in March to better assess the risk posed by 2024 YR4.
The JWST will record the heat emitted by the asteroid using its infrared sensors which will give a more accurate estimate for its size.
Those measurements will be key to making a decision on whether action needs to be taken to divert the asteroid from its course.
If the decision is made to push the asteroid off its current course, the most likely option would be using a ‘kinetic impactor’ to push it aside by ramming a satellite into the asteroid as fast as possible.
In 2022, NASA’s DART mission showed that it was possible to significantly alter the trajectory of a large asteroid with a satellite collision.
However, with only eight years until the asteroid arrives, some scientists have cast doubt on the plan to deflect the killer asteroid.
In a post on X, Dr Robin George Andrews, a volcanologist and author based in London, points out that we ‘have less than eight years to potentially deal with it’.
‘You need 10 years or more to build, plan and execute an asteroid deflection mission,’ he said.
Tech
Drilling borehole without regulation is bad practice – Kano Commissioner
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Published
7 days agoon
February 16, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
The Kano State Government has vowed to regulate borehole drilling across the state, describing the indiscriminate practice as “absolute madness” that is depleting underground water reserves.
The State Commissioner for Water Resources, Alhaji Umar Haruna Doguwa, made this declaration while unveiling 10 new water pumps at the Tamburawa Water Treatment Plant on Saturday.
“You will notice in our towns now that open wells have dried up because the boreholes being drilled around have diverted the underground water. We will not allow this to continue,” Doguwa said.
He warned that the government would no longer tolerate the situation where individuals drill multiple boreholes in a single location without regulation.
“A situation where somebody will build many houses in one place and drill a borehole for each of the houses is madness, absolute madness, and we are not going to condone that,” he stated firmly.
Doguwa emphasized that underground water belongs to the state government, which has the legal mandate to regulate and monitor its use.
“It is our water. We have to know what you are using, you have to pay us, and we have to monitor it strictly,” he declared.
The commissioner also warned industries, commercial centers, and individuals against diverting treated water for farming.
He stressed that such activities deprive residents of access to drinking water.
“People are yearning for drinking water, yet some individuals illegally channel treated water to their farms. We are investigating those responsible, and if necessary, we will seize lands found engaging in such practices,” he warned.
He further explained that the 10 high-capacity water pumps unveiled at the event would be installed at the Tamburawa and Challawa Water Treatment Plants to boost water supply across the state.
Tech
NASA finally sets a return date for its stranded astronauts
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Published
1 week agoon
February 12, 2025By
Ekwutos Blog
- READ MORE: Tim Peake reveals what life is REALLY like for NASA’s astronauts
NASA has finally set a return date for its stranded astronauts – and it seems the pair don’t have long to wait to come back to Earth.
Veteran astronauts Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams were due to spend eight days on the International Space Station (ISS) but have been there for more than eight months after their Boeing Starliner spacecraft suffered propulsion problems.
Although their return craft has been docked with the station since September, Williams and Wilmore have been stuck while NASA prepares to send their replacements in the Crew 10 mission.
The mission was originally pushed back to late March, but the space agency now says it is ‘accelerating’ the launch to target Wednesday, March 12.
Crew 9, which includes Williams and Wilmore, will then spend a few days handing over to the new arrivals before making their way back to Earth.
The mission is scheduled to launch ‘pending mission readiness’, but further delays are possible if there is not an appropriate weather window.
Steve Stich, manager of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, says: ‘Human spaceflight is full of unexpected challenges.
‘Our operational flexibility is enabled by the tremendous partnership between NASA and SpaceX and the agility SpaceX continues to demonstrate to safely meet the agency’s emerging needs.’
Wilmore and Williams first arrived at the ISS on June 5 last year aboard the Boeing Starliner spacecraft but became stranded after the experimental craft developed serious issues.
By the time the capsule arrived at the station, it had sprung a number of helium leaks, and five of its 28 thrusters had failed.
After weeks of tests, NASA ultimately decided that Starliner wasn’t safe enough to carry humans back to Earth and in September, the doomed spacecraft was sent home empty.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft they are scheduled to return on arrived later that month, but the pair must wait until March to use it.
Since Williams and Wilmore have become official members of NASA’s Crew 9 mission, they must wait to hand over with Crew 10 before leaving the station.
Originally, the Crew 10 mission was due to launch in February aboard a brand-new SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.
However, the mission had to be delayed when it emerged that SpaceX was not able to complete the construction and testing of the new capsule on time.
NASA explains that this latest scheduling change comes after SpaceX agreed to use a Crew Dragon capsule called Endurance which has already been used three times.
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Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft was plagued by technical issues even before it launched. By the time it arrived at the ISS, it had sprung more helium leaks and five of its 28 thrusters had failed, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded
SpaceX and NASA are now working together to assess the spacecraft’s hardware, refurbish the interior, and get it ready for flight.
The capsule will launch with NASA astronauts Anne McClain and Nichole Ayers, JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) astronaut Takuya Onishi, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Kirill Peskov.
Crew 10 will then meet with Williams and Wilmore on the ISS for a brief handover period window in which they will be familiarised with ongoing scientific and maintenance projects.
Finally, Crew 9 will return home with NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore, Suni Williams, and Nick Hague alongside Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov.
Pending good weather conditions, the capsule should splash down off the coast of Florida.
This announcement comes after Donald Trump called for SpaceX CEO Elon Musk to ‘go get’ the stranded astronauts and blamed delays on former president Joe Biden.
In a statement posted to his Truth Social platform, Trump wrote: ”I have just asked Elon Musk and SpaceX to “go get” the two brave astronauts who have been virtually abandoned by the Biden administration.’
He added: ‘Elon will soon be on his way. Hopefully, all will be safe. Good luck Elon!!!’
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Having now become part of the NASA Crew 9 mission, Williams (pictured) and Wilmore must wait until the Crew 10 mission arrives so that they can hand over to their replacement crew
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The mission to collect the stranded astronauts has been accelerated after SpaceX agreed to use a previously used Crew Dragon capsule rather than a new spacecraft which was not going to be ready in time
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This comes after SpaceX CEO Elon Musk (left) and Donald Trump (right) created confusion by claiming that Musk had been ordered to ‘go get’ the stranded astronauts, despite the mission being planned for months in advance
In response, Musk tweeted: ‘The @POTUS has asked @SpaceX to bring home the 2 astronauts stranded on the @Space_Station as soon as possible. We will do so.
‘Terrible that the Biden administration left them there so long.’
These statements spread widespread confusion on social media given that SpaceX had been tasked with bringing the pair home months ago by Biden administration.
Likewise, despite the most recent delays being caused by SpaceX, Musk has been quick to celebrate the accelerated timeline.
In a post on X Musk wrote: ‘They’re coming home.’
In January, Wilmore and Williams said their spirits were still high, adding that they had plenty of food and were enjoying their time on the space station.
Yet there has been growing concern for the pair’s health after images appeared to show Williams looking thin and gaunt.
Williams has pushed back against the claims, blaming her appearance of unusual fluid distribution in microgravity and claiming that she has actually gained muscle in her legs.
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Pictures of mission commander Williams have since sparked health concerns due to her ‘gaunt’ appearance. Williams maintains that she has actually gained weight while in space and that her unusual appearance is due to ‘fluid shift’
But, in January, Williams admitted that she had forgotten what it was like to walk after 234 days in space.
‘I’ve been up here long enough, right now I’ve been trying to remember what it’s like to walk. I haven’t walked. I haven’t sat down. I haven’t laid down,’ she said during a video call with students at Needham High School in Massachusetts.
However, NASA maintains that their astronauts are trained for extended stays in space and that some deterioration of muscle function is entirely normal.
If Williams and Wilmore do return home in late March as expected, their mission will have lasted two months longer than a standard long-term ISS mission, which typically lasts six months.
While their protracted stay is notable, it has not yet surpassed Frank Rubio’s record-breaking 371 days aboard the ISS, which he completed in 2023 after the Russian spacecraft designated for his return developed a coolant leak.
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