090-160 mission - SCO OPENSERVER(TM) RELEASE 5 RECERTIFICATION V30A1 Updated: 2023

The annual Shanghai Cooperation Organization summit convened in Dushanbe, Tajikistan on September 11 and 12. As befitting its origin as a regional security organization, the SCO mainly focused on security issues, from counterterrorism to Afghan stability, but also touched on economic cooperation. And in a major step forward in expanding its regional clout, the SCO finalized procedures for taking in new members, with India, Pakistan, and Iran first on the list.

Security issues are at the top of the SCO agenda, and terrorism continues to be the major security concern. Anti-terrorism is, not coincidentally, also a huge point of emphasis for China, the SCO’s de facto leader. In his speech at the summit, Chinese President Xi Jinping called for the SCO to “focus on combating religion-involved extremism and internet terrorism.” Xi also said SCO members should set up consultations regarding an eventual “anti-extremism” treaty. Ultimately, Xi wants to see regional players, led by the SCO, handling regional security, thus eliminating the need for extra-regional actors (especially the U.S.) As Xi put it, the SCO members “should take it as our own responsibility to safeguard regional security and stability, enhance our ability to maintain stability, continue to boost cooperation on law enforcement and security, and Excellerate the existing cooperation mechanisms.”

Against the larger backdrop of counterterrorism, Afghanistan’s stability remains a major concern for SCO members. Of all the countries bordering Afghanistan, only one (Turkmenistan) is not an SCO member or observer state (and Afghanistan is an SCO observer itself). Thus, should Afghanistan’s security fall apart in the post-NATO era, the SCO would be on the front lines of the disaster.

Before the summit, China’s ambassador to Tajikistan told Xinhua that “SCO members are determined to turn Afghanistan into a country with genuine peace, stability and development, and [will] make concerted efforts with international community in this endeavor.” But, as with other regional security concerns, the SCO ideally wants to ensure Afghan security without having to rely on outside forces (namely, the U.S. and NATO). During this week’s summit, the SCO members voiced their support for “an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned reconciliation and reconstruction process” that allows Afghanistan to become “self-reliant.” Given the current disaster unfolding in Iraq, SCO members have good reason to be concerned about Kabul becoming overly dependent on U.S. support.

The SCO also made clear its position on the expansion of missile defense systems . “The unilateral and unlimited strengthening of missile defense systems by any individual state or any group of states will undermine international security and strategic stability,” the SCO declaration read. Expanded missile defense systems are a concern for both China and Russia, who protest the idea of new missile defense systems being set up by neighboring U.S. allies.

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While the main emphasis was on security concerns, the SCO summit also encouraged further economic cooperation among its members. Economic integration has become an increasingly large part of the SCO agenda, especially as China promotes its idea for a Silk Road Economic Belt that would include the SCO members and observer states.

Amidst all these ambitious goals — ensuring regional stability, especially preventing terrorist activities; promoting Afghan security; furthering economic integration — the imperative for expanding the SCO becomes clear.  Teng Jianqun of the China Institute of International Studies told CCTV in an interview that “enlargement has become absolutely necessary” for the SCO. The current membership is limited to six: China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan. Given that, it’s easy to dismiss the SCO as a playground for China and Russia’s foreign policy initiatives, but one that doesn’t carry any real clout. However, should the SCO expand, as it is now primed to do, the organization would see a corresponding jump in prestige and influence. As Xinhua put it, SCO expansion would “infuse fresh vigor into the group’s future development and boost its influence and appeal on the international arena.”

The SCO has not expanded since it was officially founded in 2001. Before it can add new members, it must first create a legal framework for doing so — exactly the task before the SCO at this week’s summit. The current requirements for joining require potential members to have observer status in the SCO, which would limit the list of candidates to Afghanistan, India, Iran, Mongolia, and Pakistan (Belarus, Turkey, and Sri Lanka are currently “dialogue partners”). Of these, India, Iran, and Pakistan have been tapped for membership; the full process is expected to be complete before the 2015 SCO summit, to be held in Russia.  Despite the new membership, Global Times notes that the SCO’s primary focus will remain on Central Asia.

An expanded SCO will be in a better position to achieve Xi’s vision of becoming the regional security heavyweight. Despite a tendency to see the SCO as a competitor to NATO, Chinese leaders stress that the SCO is something entirely new. In Dushanbe, Xi announced that “SCO members have created a new model of international relations — partnership instead of alliance.” An op-ed in RT by a former Russian deputy foreign minister struck a similar tone, contrasting the SCO with “the rigid discipline that exists within old-fashioned, cumbersome alliances of the previous era, which imposed serious constraints on the sovereignty and freedom of their member states.” By comparison, the SCO was described as “fully in tune with the realities and requirements of the 21st century” — the model for future international relationships. With three new partners added to its ranks, the SCO is now better positioned to truly challenge those “cumbersome alliances” for primacy in shaping regional security.

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A SpaceX capsule carrying a decorated former NASA astronaut and three paying customers returned home from the International Space Station Tuesday, concluding a historic weeklong mission for the crew.

The Crew Dragon spacecraft departed the space station Tuesday morning and the crew spent nearly 12 hours in orbit as the capsule maneuvered back toward Earth. After a fiery reentry, the Crew Dragon and passengers made a safe splashdown off the coast of Panama City, Florida, in the Gulf of Mexico at 11:04 p.m. ET.

This mission, dubbed Axiom Mission 2, or AX-2, launched from Florida on May 21. AX-2 was put together by the Houston-based company Axiom Space and marked the second all-private mission to the orbiting outpost, meaning solely commercial companies, rather than a government agency, have been leading the mission.

This mission was also a milestone in the history of spaceflight as stem cell researcher Rayyanah Barnawi became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to travel to space.

The AX-2 mission is one in a lineup of commercial missions designed to spur private sector participation in spaceflight — particularly in low-Earth orbit, where the International Space Station orbits.

Former NASA astronaut Peggy Whitson, 63, led the AX-2 crew. Whitson, now an Axiom Space employee, also became the first woman to command a private spaceflight.

“I’m really excited about returning to space, but even more excited about welcoming three new astronauts,” Whitson said in a May 21 statement from the Crew Dragon spacecraft after launch.

One of the three paying customers joining Whitson was John Shoffner, an American who made his fortune in the international telecom business and founded the hardware company Dura-Line Corp.

Saudi Arabia also paid to fly two of its citizens: Barnawi and Ali AlQarni, a fighter pilot in the Royal Saudi Air Force.

“I am very honored and happy to be representing all the dreams and all the hopes of all the people in Saudi Arabia and all the women back home,” Barnawi told reporters at a May 16 news conference.

During the mission, Barnawi led stem cell research suited for the microgravity environment aboard the space station. The orbiting laboratory has long been a key venue for various scientific experiments, as the lack of gravity can provide researchers a better fundamental understanding of the subject at hand. Barnawi and AlQarni also engaged in outreach projects, including testing out a kite in microgravity and capturing video for viewers back home.

The AX-2 crew spent about eight days working alongside astronauts representing NASA, Russia’s Roscomos space agency and the United Arab Emirates Space Agency aboard the space station, though they operated on different schedules. The AX-2 crew worked through a lineup of more than 20 investigations and science projects — including stem cell and other biomedical research.

This mission marked Whitson’s first return to space since 2017. Her extensive prior experience on the station made her a US record holder in 2017 for the most cumulative days logged in space, and she ranks eighth on the all-time list, according to NASA.

Whitson has flown on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft as well as NASA’s space shuttle, but she said preparing for this mission was “obviously different” because it involved training to operate SpaceX’s Crew Dragon, which has only been flying astronauts since 2020.

“That’s been one of the biggest challenges for me is learning this particular spacecraft,” she said. “But I’ve really enjoyed it.”

Barnawi and AlQarni are only the second and third Saudi nationals to travel to space. The first was Prince Sultan bin Salman, who spent about a week on a NASA space shuttle mission in 1985.

Saudi Arabia has faced a barrage of criticism from the Biden administration and Congress over its human rights record, though the ties between the United States and Saudi Arabia remain strong.

AlQarni said in a news conference earlier in May that he believes Arabs’ participation in spaceflight is a “great opportunity” that can inspire the region.

The mission will “hold a big message. … We are holding hands, we are working together for the betterment of humanity and just trying to innovate,” he said during a mid-May news briefing.

This mission isn’t the first time individuals have paid their way to space. A company called Space Adventures brokered several such missions to the space station in the early 2000s, booking rides for wealthy thrill seekers on Russia’s Soyuz spacecraft.

Axiom brought that business model to the United States, partnering with SpaceX to establish a framework for getting an array of customers to the space station. The company’s first foray, Axiom Mission 1, or AX-1, launched in April 2022 and marked the first time private citizens traveled to the space station from US soil.

Axiom’s goal is to make these missions routine, offering more opportunities for people who are not professional astronauts to experience spaceflight. During a prelaunch news conference, Derek Hassmann, chief of mission integration and operations at Axiom Space, said his company expects to see more customers sponsored by governments, similar to the AX-2 passengers from Saudi Arabia.

“Government astronauts are indeed a key piece of our business plan,” he said. “Early in the program … it wasn’t clear to us what the balance would be between private individuals and government astronauts since nothing like this had ever been done before. But it’s become clear to us that the government … market is key, and we’re pursuing that actively.”

Axiom leadership envisions private spaceflight will continue even after the space station is retired, which NASA anticipates will happen in late 2030. Axiom is one of several US companies gunning to create a new, privately owned space station. It’s an effort supported by NASA, which aims to bolster private sector participation closer to home so the agency can focus on investing in deep-space exploration.

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A new mission designed to Excellerate hurricane forecasting has launched, just ahead of the June 1 arrival of the 2023 Atlantic hurricane season.

The NASA mission includes a constellation of CubeSats called TROPICS, or Time-Resolved Observations of Precipitation structure and storm Intensity with a Constellation of Smallsats.

The first two CubeSats lifted off from Māhia, New Zealand, aboard a Rocket Lab Electron rocket at 9 p.m. ET on Sunday.

The first mission was nicknamed “Rocket Like a Hurricane,” while two additional CubeSats, nicknamed “Coming to a Storm Near You,” will launch from the same location in about two weeks.

Together, the four satellites, each weighing 12 pounds and about the size of a loaf of bread, will observe tropical cyclones from low-Earth orbit.

Once all of them are in orbit, the tiny satellites will form a constellation that makes more frequent observations than current weather-monitoring satellites.

“The need for improved climate and weather data from space is acute and growing. Hurricanes and tropical storms have a devastating effect on lives and livelihoods, so we’re immensely proud to be entrusted by NASA to launch the TROPICS missions which will enable scientists and researchers to accurately predict storm strength and provide people time to evacuate and make plans,” said Rocket Lab founder and CEO Peter Beck in a statement. “With the 2023 hurricane season fast approaching, time is of the essence for these missions.”

Each CubeSat will orbit at about 340 miles (550 kilometers) above Earth’s surface and capture hourly observations of the precipitation, temperature and humidity of tropical storms. Current satellites take similar data, but only about every six hours, which makes it more difficult to measure the intensity of storms.

More frequent data can help scientists understand the rapid changes that can occur within a storm, impacting its structure and stability, and help meteorologists Excellerate their prediction and forecasting models.

During the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season, there were so many tropical storms and hurricanes that meteorologists ran out of names on the predefined list and had to switch to the Greek alphabet — and then the same thing happened again in 2021, said Ben Kim, program executive at NASA’s Earth Science Division.

In 2022, three hurricanes hit the US, but Hurricane Ian alone caused more than $100 billion in damages and caused more than 100 fatalities, Kim said.

“TROPICS aims to Excellerate our scientific understanding by obtaining microwave observations that allow us to see the inner structure of the storm approximately hourly,” Kim said. “These observations will complement existing weather satellites and ultimately then can be tied to the broader understanding of the entire Earth system.”

Data collected by TROPICS will be shared with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Joint Typhoon Warning Center, the National Hurricane Center and other partners. The satellites will measure water vapor primarily located in the troposphere, or the lowest layer of Earth’s atmosphere, where most weather phenomena occurs.

“The exciting thing about this is its the ability to see inside the storms, but it’s also the ability to see how the storms are changing over short periods of time,” said Dr. Will McCarty, program scientist at NASA’s Earth Science Division.

The Saint Louis University Division of Mission and Identity is charged with furthering the understanding of the University's mission as a Jesuit and Catholic University for its faculty and staff. 

A Jesuit education aims to form the whole person. As a Jesuit, Catholic university, Saint Louis University offers students a distinctive educational experience. Built on a spiritual, intellectual and social tradition almost five centuries old, SLU provides opportunities and an environment that encourages the full flourishing of our students in every aspect of their humanity.

The Division of Mission and Identity works to ensure the mission and core values of Saint Louis University are integrated into operations, structures, programs and practices. Through its programs and in collaboration with the colleges, schools, and departments of the university, the Division of Mission and Identity seeks to promote and encourage a deeper understanding of SLU’s foundation as a work of the Society of Jesus, and a ministry of the Catholic Church. 

The academic life of the University reflects this mission as an integral part of its intellectual commitment to research and teaching excellence. The mission formation of students, faculty, staff, administration and board members is also a work of the Division of Mission and Identity.

Review Our Mission Formation Booklet (PDF)

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said language and cultural inclusivity are "very important" to his company's mission as it builds and trains powerful artificial intelligence systems.

"We think this is really important," Altman told California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of language inclusivity in AI. 

"One example is that we worked with the government of Iceland, which is a language of fewer speakers than many of the languages that are well represented on the internet, to ensure that their language was included in our model," Altman said.

The Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology and the Law held a hearing Tuesday during which Altman, IBM Chief Privacy & Trust Officer Christina Montgomery and New York University professor emeritus Gary Marcus delivered testimony on how best to regulate powerful artificial intelligence systems. 

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Padilla asked Altman and Montgomery how OpenAI and IBM are "ensuring language and cultural inclusivity" in their technologies, arguing that social media companies in accurate years have not "adequately invested in content moderation, tools and resources for their non-English" users. 

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Altman argued that OpenAI's tech "will have lots of positive impact" on its users, "but, in particular, underrepresented … people who have not had as much access to technology around the world."

OpenAI's ChatGPT, which was released late last year and launched a race in the tech community to build comparable and more powerful systems, is trained on copious amounts of text, such as news articles and books, that it uses to answer humans who input prompts on the platform. GPT-4, the company's most advanced system, is "pretty good at a large number of languages" after previous systems weren't as well trained, Altman explained. 

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He added that OpenAI is "equally focused" on incorporating cultural inclusivity on the platform. 

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OpenAI is "excited to work with people who have particular datasets and to work to collect a representative set of values from around the world to draw these wide bounds of what the system can do," he said. 

First Mission, one of the early favorites of the Preakness Stakes, has been scratched from the second leg of the Triple Crown following concern over a potential ankle issue, officials said Friday. 

The announcement came just 36 hours ahead of the Preakness after vets at the Pimlico Race Course became concerned about an "unspecified left hind ankle issue," the Maryland Jockey Club said in a press release early Friday morning. 

"There was just a little concern by the 1/ST racing veterinarian team," Godolphin USA bloodstock director Michael Banahan said in a statement provided by the Maryland Jockey Club. 

HORSE EUTHANIZED AT CHURCHILL DOWNS AFTER BROKEN LEG; BECOMES 8TH THOROUGHBRED TO DIE AT TRACK IN LAST 2 WEEKS

"They thought maybe it was a minor issue with the left hind ankle. You just really couldn’t do proper diagnostics onsite, on the track," Banahan said, adding that the horse had been taken to a hospital in Lexington for further evaluation. 

​​"It’s unfortunate, but we know he’s a very talented horse, and I’m sure we’ll have big days down the road with him."

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First Mission was the second favorite heading into the race this weekend, with Kentucky Derby winner, Mage, still the overall favorite to win with 8–5 odds. 

Friday’s news comes just days after another horse was euthanized at Churchill Downs following a leg injury. It was the eighth horse to die in the last two weeks at the famous racetrack – seven died in the lead-up to the Kentucky Derby. 

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The number of deaths has prompted groups like PETA to call for stronger protocols to ensure the safety of the animals. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The official trailer for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One is out, and Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt is off and running again.

Directed by Christopher McQuarrie, the latest installment in the MI franchise finds Hunt and his IMF team embarking on what the synopsis tells us is their most dangerous mission yet: “To track down a terrifying new weapon that threatens all of humanity before it falls into the wrong hands.

“With control of the future,” the synopsis continues, “and the fate of the world at stake, and dark forces from Ethan’s past closing in, a deadly race around the globe begins. Confronted by a mysterious, all-powerful enemy, Ethan is forced to consider that nothing can matter more than his mission – not even the lives of those he cares about most.”

The new film, in theaters July 12, stars Cruise, Hayley Atwell, Ving Rhames, Simon Pegg, Rebecca Ferguson, Vanessa Kirby, Esai Morales, Pom Klementieff, Mariela Garriga, Henry Czerny, Shea Whigham, Greg Tarzan Davis, Charles Parnell, Frederick Schmidt, Cary Elwes, Mark Gatiss, Indira Varma and Rob Delaney. It’s written by Christopher McQuarrie & Erik Jendresen (based, of course, on the TV series created by Bruce Geller).

A presentation of Paramount Pictures and Skydance Present, Dead Reckoning is produced by Cruise and McQuarrie, exec produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, Don Granger, Tommy Gormley, Chris Brock, and Susan E. Novick.

Check out the trailer above, and see the new poster below.