NASA's 2024 Astronaut Graduation (Official NASA Trailer)

The next astronaut class will graduate on 5 March 2024 at NASA Johnson Space Center in Houston.They include two astronaut candidates from the UAE.Following more than two years of basic training,the candidates will earn their wings and be eligible for spaceflights to the ISS,missions to the Moon,and eventually,missions to Mars,according to NASA.

SpaceX Starship 25 stacked on Super Heavy booster 9 ahead of next flight

NASA is depending on SpaceX to place a Starship Human Landing System (HLS) in a Near Rectilinear Halo Orbit (NRHO) aound the Moon prior to the launch of the Artemis III Orion spacecraft on the Space Launch System rocket.The HLS will transport the Artemis III astronauts to the lunar surface and return them to Orion for the trip home.

Crew-6 : Houston,We Have a Podcast

Crew-6: Hear from the Crew-6 cadre ahead of their launch to the International Space Station. HWHAP Episode 277.

Hedge Fund Founder Disses Pioneer Resources

David Einhorn,founder and president of the Greenlight Capital hedge fund,has bitterly criticised shale oil extractor Pioneer Resources.The fracking company loses about 12.00 for each barrel of oil equivalent production,by Mr.Einhorn's reckoning,and its cash flow generation is falling,even as it spends too much on such amenities as cars and buildings.He conducted a discounted cash flow analysis that revealed a negative value.Among other problems,Pioneer has not adjusted its resource estimates to account for lower oil and gas prices.
Mr.Einhorn is consequently shorting several shale oil companies such as Pioneer and Whiting Petroleum.He thinks Pioneer's stock will drop precipitously.*
Such companies get better at drilling wells,counters Leo Mariani of RBC Capital Markets.Over time,we expect materially better returns.I certainly don't believe you're seeing losses of that magnitude;you're seeing operating and personnel costs drop.Certainly we've seen more than 16 billion of equity raised.Pioneer is selling some assets from the Eagle Ford,Texas shale holdings.There certainly is no issue with the balance sheet of Pioneer.It's one of the strongest companies in the sector.
All shale is not created equal.There are haves and have-nots.He makes some valid points,but there's no doubt that the strongest plays can make good returns in certain parts of the country.Even if the stock were to tank,I don't see the company selling itself.I guess it's possible,but I don't think it's a certainty Pioneer would sell itself,Mr.Mariani concluded.*
Pioneer Resources Inc (PXD)

The Problem With Falling Oil Prices

Plummeting oil prices are affecting those who deal in bundles of loans to energy companies.Collateralised Loan Obligation managers are being forced to sell.We're seeing a lot of pressure on these businesses that have automatic sell programs.I believe we're at a technical level here that's being forced to be sold by the global markets,said Chad Brownstein,CEO of Rocky Mountain Resource Holding Inc.I clearly believe that a stable number for the energy industry is about 70.00 a barrel.*
The problem they're going to have is,the large offshore oil drillers are going to feel it.The real victims are the large drillers at a cost of 50.00 a barrel to produce.Oil services are going to get hurt,the technical levels and the prices of the debt that are attached to the major oil companies.Currencies of oil dependent countries such as Canada,Mexico and Norway are getting crushed,Mr.Brownstein pointed out.*
Sustained low prices could halt some drilling projects,postpone others,squeeze certain fracking operations and even lead to the loss of certain jobs within the energy sector,wrote contributor Kevin Mahn in the December 3 issue of Forbes magazine.The net long-term effect could actually become somewhat of a drag on US GDP if oil prices drop further and/or remain at those lower prices for an extended period of time.*
If credit dries up for energy companies,restaurant chains may suffer in oil-dependent states like Texas and California.Every major restaurant chain has high exposure in these states.*
Rocky Mountain Resource Holdings is a limited liability company that acquires and develops natural resource assets such as oil and gas reserves,agribusiness,energy infrastructure,and industrial minerals and chemicals.With offices in Los Angeles and Denver,it seeks to leverage its deep relationships in the industry to facilitate off-market acquisitions of private assets,including family-owned assets,in the midst of both asset and generational transitions,the company says.*
In Monday trading,WTI crude closed at 55.91 a barrel,down 2.14,or 3.70%;while Brent crude closed at 61.06 a barrel,down 1.83,or 2.96%.

Flu Season 2013-14 Update

During week 49,December 1-7,2013,influenza activity continued to increase in the United States,the CDC reported.Of 6219 specimens tested,13.3% were influenza positive.The proportion of deaths attributed to pneumonia and influenza was below the epidemic threshold.*
A cumulative rate of 2.0 lab-confirmed influenza-associated hospitalisations per 100,000 people was reported.The proportion of outpatient visits was 2.1%,above the national baseline of 2.0.Influenza A accounted for 94.0% of cases;Influenza B for 6.0%.*
The gulf states of Alabama,Mississippi and Texas had a high level of influenza activity;Lousiana was moderate.The rest of the country had minimal to low activity.*
As flu season peaks in the winter months,it is still advisable to be vaccinated.It takes two weeks for the vaccine to take effect.It is on average 56% effective at totally preventing flu,but is also believed to lessen the severity of cases that are contracted.
Last year,164 children died of influenza in the US.About 24,000 adults are estimated to die of the disease each year,90% of them age 65 or older.
The vaccine is available everywhere from pharmacies to walk-in clinics and doctor's offices.The young,the old,and those with chronic health conditions are especially vulnerable to influenza.

Surfers Beware:Tropical Storm Katia's Atlantic Journey

The National Hurricane Center said Tropical Storm Katia is continuing to chart its course across the Atlantic Ocean,and is expected to affect the Lesser Antilles by Friday with swells that cause hazardous surf and rip current conditions.
Realistically,some surfers seek out such exciting conditions.
The storm,which was briefly a hurricane on Thursday,is heading N/NW at 16 mph/26 kmh .This course is expected to continue with slowing forward speed over the next 48 hours.Maximum sustained winds are 70 mph with higher gusts.In the next 24 hours or so,Katia is expected to become a hurricane again.Its winds are extending outward up to 140 miles/220 km from the center.
Katia is located about 830 miles/1335 km E of the Leeward Islands.
Its ultimate destination is yet to be determined.
Meanwhile,Tropical Depression 13 has caused Exxon Mobil and BP to evacuate oil rigs in the Gulf of Mexico,while Chevron and Shell have evacuated non-essential personnel from theirs.Oil prices headed up a little when this news broke.
A tropical storm warning is posted from Pascagoula,Mississippi to Sabine Pass,Texas.
Update:Katia became a hurricane again on Friday.It currently has maximum sustained winds of 75 mph/120 kmh.The storm is moving NW at 12 mph/19 kmh.It is a category 1 hurricane,but could begin strengthening on Sunday.
Katia's hurricane force winds extend up to 35 miles/55 km from the center;tropical storm force winds extend up to 175 miles/1280 km.Hazardous surf and swells may affect the Lesser Antilles over the weekend,the National Hurricane Center said.
Tropical Depression 13 is now Tropical Storm Lee,and has caused the shutdown of 139 oil rigs,or 27% of manned platforms,in the Gulf of Mexico.This results in the loss of 48% of oil production and 33% of natural gas production in the Gulf.Remnants of
T.S. Lee could eventually make their way into the Northeast next week,as indeed Hurricane Katia could as well,should it continue on its current path.For now,though,New Orleans and Mississippi are gravely concerned about Lee's slow and rainy effects on them this holiday weekend.
Update 2:The remnants of T.S. Lee could reach the Mid-Atlantic region by Wednesday evening,bringing the potential for 5-10 inches of rain to the already-waterlogged area.It has sustained winds of 50 mph and is hugging the coast of Southern Louisiana,just barely moving at a speed of only 2 mph.Tropical storm warnings are posted from Dustin,Florida to Sabine Pass,Texas,but tourists are still wandering around New Orleans on this last holiday weekend of the summer.
Near the Leeward Islands,Katia has weakened to a tropical storm again,with winds about 70 mph/112.65 kmh.Another round of strengthening is expected to occur.The storm continues to head slowly toward the Mid-Atlantic region,but such weather will often veer eastward at the last minute,taking it on a track away from the east coast.

Exxon Mobil's Biotech Connection

Exxon Mobil isn't developing alternative fuels on its own.The Irving,Texas company has partnered with Synthetic Genomics,which was founded by Dr.Craig J. Ventner,a pioneer in the field of genomic research.SGI,which is privately held, acquires knowledge of organisms for energy and environmental applications.Exxon says that their goal is to produce a commercially scalable,renewable fuel that is compatible with gasoline and diesel.
Algae fuels would fit into existing infrastructure such as transportation networks and refineries,which would save untold amounts of capital.Their production wouldn't require arable land and fresh water,and could be accomplished on far fewer acres than other biofuels.As well,algae not only do not emit the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide;they actually absorb it.
Despite its promise,algae biofuel would be a supplement to hydrocarbons for the foreseeable future.Moving algae biofuel from the lab to the pump could require decades of work by a multidisciplinary scientific team,Exxon says.Enthusiasm for turning one-celled organisms into clean energy wells is tempered by the sobriety of a petrochemical titan.

Exxon Scores Largest Profit

Exxon Mobil reported the largest profit in the history of the world.Q3's record oil prices helped the Irving,Texas firm achieve a 58% increase in net income,to 14.83 billion dollars.The increase amounted to 2.86 a share.Revenue was 137.74 billion,up from 103.34 billion year over year.Exxon(XOM) plans to maintain current production levels,although the targets will be reviewed in March of 2009.It intends to spend 30-40 billion a year on exploration.The recent slump in demand,as well as down time for maintenance,are expected to cut Exxon's Q4 earnings by about 0.5 billion dollars.

Exxon Mobil's Shiny Quarter

Exxon Mobil(XOM),the largest western oil company,has reported brilliant results for the fourth quarter of 2007.The Irving,Texas firm has again justified its reputation for superb management.It's 11.7 billion dollar profit was the biggest in U.S. corporate history.Year over year,it posted a 40.6 billion profit.Its revenue was 116 billion.The money was made on higher oil and natural gas realizations,amounting to per share earnings that were 15 cents above estimate.Exxon even made money on downstream refinery operations at a time of rising costs.It bought back 88 million shares to stabilize prices,but also had to pay 30 billion in taxes.By some calculations,Exxon may no longer be the world's largest oil company.Petro China(PTR) is theoretically greater in terms of market capitalization,being worth an estimated one trillion dollars.China has dismissed such speculation,as it has no intention of relinquishing its control of PTR.The Chinese system is not equivalent to western capitalism,within which Exxon works.At any rate,the stupendously successful Exxon isn't concerned about such chatter.Among western oil companies,BP ranks second,while Royal Dutch Shell(RDSa) is third and Chevron(CVX) is fourth.Goldman Sachs(GS) says oil will be higher in 2008,with an average price of 95.00 U.S. a barrel.To ensure future production,Exxon is exploring several blocks off the coast of Libya for oil and gas deposits.Some of them are in deep water.At the same time,it is using Enhanced Oil Recovery technology at the mature Means Field in west Texas to greatly increase the field's output.As well,advanced 3-D seismic imagery of a Gulf of Mexico resivoir revealed new hydrocarbon deposits,which more than doubled production rates.In Colorado's Piceance Basin,advanced technology is allowing Exxon to unlock natural gas buried in rock up to 16,000 ft./4876.8 m deep.Shares of XOM were down in early European trading this morning.