Ten ways Fermilab advanced science and technology in 2024

Science and Health

This section is Partnership Content suppliedThe content in this section is supplied by GlobeNewswire for the purposes of distributing press releases on behalf of its clients. Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire Breadcrumb Trail LinksGlobeNewswireAuthor of the article:GlobeNewswirePublished Dec 17, 2024  •  12 minute readTwo colossal caverns, each more than 500 feet long and seven-stories tall, were completed to contain the gigantic particle detector modules for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, an international collaboration led by Fermilab. A third cavern will house utilities for the operation of the DUNE far detector. Credit: Ryan Postel, Fermilab GNWArticle contentBatavia, Illinois, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Every day, scientists, engineers and technicians at Fermilab push the boundaries of knowledge in fields like particle physics, accelerator technology, quantum information science and astrophysics. Read about 10 ways the laboratory has advanced science and technology in 2024. Additionally, a video highlighting the laboratory’s accomplishments may be viewed here.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentArticle content1. Achieved important progress with DUNEFermilab is the host laboratory for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. This international collaboration will explore the mysteries of elusive particles called neutrinos. More than 1,400 scientists from over 35 countries and CERN are part of the collaboration that is seeking to answer some of the biggest questions around our understanding of the universe. DUNE will be installed in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, currently under construction in Lead, South Dakota at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, and at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. Crews completed excavation of DUNE’s caverns in February, removing close to 800,000 tons of rock from a former mine in South Dakota for the future subterranean home of the experiment’s far detector. A ribbon-cutting event was held in August with officials from around the globe commemorating this historic milestone. In September, a test for lowering steel beams was successfully completed in preparation for the next phase of the project.Meanwhile, in Illinois, the Fermilab accelerator complex achieved a critical milestone towards high intensity running for DUNE, reaching 1 MW beam intensity from its Main Injector. Additionally, workers prepared the eight acres at Fermilab where the future DUNE near site will be built. And a prototype for the near detector — the 2×2 demonstrator — saw its first accelerator-made neutrinos. Across the pond at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, prototypes for the far detector — ProtoDUNE — were filled with liquid argon to ready them for operation.This year, Jim Kerby was appointed the new LBNF/DUNE-US project director. Kerby brings over 30 years of engineering and technical management experience to the table. He will be responsible for managing all Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content2. Made major advancements with the Proton Improvement Plan-II projectProton Improvement Plan-II is providing a major upgrade to the Fermilab particle accelerator complex, including a state-of-the-art superconducting radio frequency linear accelerator. The PIP-II project started off the year by welcoming a new director, Pantaleo Raimondi, a world-renowned physicist with extensive experience in accelerator physics and project management at labs around the world.The PIP-II team also made progress with one of the five types of cryomodules that will make up the linear accelerator. Fermilab successfully shipped a prototype high-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule — the largest needed for the PIP-II linac — to the United Kingdom and back again. This was an important step in testing the cryomodule transportation system and a final test before shipping the first actual cryomodule built in the U.K. to the United States.PIP-II is the first particle accelerator in the U.S. to be built with significant contributions from international partners. Institutions in France, India, Italy, Poland and the U.K. are contributing technologies, instrumentation and expertise to build the accelerator. Early in 2024, India’s Department of Atomic Energy informed the U.S. Department of Energy that India is officially moving from the research and development phase to the construction phase for its contributions to the PIP-II project. Pieces of India’s largest in-kind contribution to PIP-II, the cryogenic plant, are scheduled to arrive at Fermilab in the next month after a two-month journey over sea and land. In addition, PIP-II partners at UK Research and Innovation received the first production HB650 cavity, which was tested and met specifications. And PIP-II partners at INFN, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy, placed the contract to produce all low-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule cavities.In November, the project completed the Early Conventional Facilities subproject, marking the subproject’s readiness for the final stage of approval, known as CD-4, planned for January 2025.Top StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content3. Continued our involvement in the CMS experiment at CERNFor decades, Fermilab has been the host institution for U.S. CMS. The CMS experiment at CERN records data from high-energy particle collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest particle accelerator. Earlier this year, Fermilab scientists working on CMS helped create a tool that expands the search for new particles at the LHC. The search could either uncover physics beyond the Standard Model or set the most stringent limits in the search for a class of theoretical particles called long-lived particles. In September, the CMS collaboration announced a new mass measurement of the W boson, one of nature’s force-carrying particles, that is consistent with predictions. This new measurement, which followed the 2022 measurement by the Collider Detector at Fermilab experiment that differed from the Standard Model prediction, is the most elaborate investigation of the W boson’s mass to date and took nearly a decade of analysis.The Department of Energy also approved the start of full production for the $200 million DOE-funded contributions to the upgrade of the CMS experiment. With the high-luminosity upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider planned for 2029, CMS collaborators need to upgrade the detector to keep up with the forthcoming more-intense particle beams.Fermilab connections continue to be strong at the highest levels of the CMS collaboration. Patty McBride, a Fermilab distinguished scientist, completed her two-year term as the CMS spokesperson in September. She passed the torch to a new management team that includes Fermilab senior scientist Anadi Canepa, now a deputy spokesperson for CMS until 2026.Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content4. Detected first neutrinos at the Short-Baseline Neutrino DetectorThe international Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab is devoted to examining the properties of neutrinos and the nature of neutrino oscillations in more detail than ever before. The Short-Baseline Near Detector is the near detector for the SBN Program while ICARUS, which started collecting data in 2021, is the far detector. A third detector called MicroBooNE finished recording particle interactions with the same neutrino beamline that same year.After nearly a decade of planning, prototyping and constructing the near detector, SBND made major progress in 2024. In February, SBND was filled with liquid argon, which it uses to see tracks left by charged particles. A few months later, the detector saw its first neutrino interactions. But it’s only the beginning for SBND: the collaboration will operate the detector, analyzing many millions of neutrino interactions, for the next several years. SBND will see more neutrinos than any other detector of its kind, and the large data sample will allow researchers to study neutrino interactions with unprecedented precision, helping to inform future experiments that will also use liquid argon to detect neutrinos, including DUNE.Advertisement 6Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content5. Moved massive magnetsIn February, crews very carefully moved a superconducting solenoid magnet 1.5 miles across the Fermilab campus. The 65,700-pound magnet was built for the Mu2e experiment, which is looking for evidence that a muon can transform into an electron. If observed, this muon-to-electron conversion would point to new physics. The team moved the first Mu2e magnet in December 2023. Once assembled into the Mu2e detector, the magnets will create a low-energy muon beam that will be directed at an aluminum target. The magnets will also provide a constant magnetic field in the detector region that allows scientists to accurately determine the momentum of the resulting electrons.Over the summer, a different kind of magnet weighing over 100,000 pounds was moved from the University of Illinois Chicago to Fermilab. The repurposed superconducting magnet will be used in a future experiment.In late fall, Fermilab shipped its second quadrupole magnet cryoassembly to CERN. This magnet is part of Fermilab’s contribution to the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider. It uses advanced niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) magnets to strongly focus the proton beams and increase the number of collisions. Fermilab innovations were crucial to making these high-field magnets possible.Advertisement 7Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content6. Strengthened our leadership in quantum information scienceFermilab is the proud host of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, one of the five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The SQMS Center brings together more than 30 partner institutions representing national labs, industry and academia, all dedicated to advancing critical quantum technologies with a focus on superconducting quantum systems.During 2024, SQMS scientists and engineers achieved reproducible improvements in superconducting transmon qubit lifetimes with record values in excess of 1 millisecond. The results were achieved through innovative materials and design techniques that eliminated major loss sources in the devices. SQMS has also advanced quantum computing platforms based on high-coherence superconducting cavities.Over the summer the Department of Energy approved IBM as a new partner in SQMS. This collaboration intends to leverage the strengths of these two organizations to address key hurdles in quantum computing, communication and large-scale deployment of superconducting quantum platforms.This year, SQMS led the NQISRC’s executive council, coordinating joint activities across the five centers, which have strengthened the national quantum information science ecosystem, achieving scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as training the next-generation quantum workforce.Quantum technology can also be used to probe the fundamental theory of quantum mechanics. Fermilab theorists and experimentalists used qubits to constrain alternatives to the standard laws of quantum mechanics in which systems evolve linearly in time.Advertisement 8Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content7. Got very QUIETIn June, a new quantum sensor and computing research center named the Quantum Underground Instrumentation Experimental Testbed became operational. QUIET sits one hundred meters underground at Fermilab in an area that previously housed a neutrino experiment. Its companion surface lab, LOUD, had been operating for over a year prior to QUIET’s opening. Together, QUIET and LOUD enable controlled experiments that use quantum sensors to directly compare an environment that is significantly shielded from cosmic rays and other energy effects with the environment on the earth’s surface.In October, superconducting qubits were successfully deployed at QUIET for the first time, marking the transition from infrastructure development to unique scientific studies at the lab. Scientists are using QUIET to understand how these superconducting qubits are impacted by cosmic rays and other high-energy particles. This knowledge could help researchers construct new types of qubits that could be shielded from interference or design ones that are insensitive to it. In addition, QUIET can contribute to a range of applications that require ultra-sensitivity to their environment, including dark matter detection. QUIET and LOUD are funded by the Quantum Science Center, of which Fermilab is a primary founding member.Advertisement 9Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content8. Learned more about dark energy and our universeWe’re not just about particle physics! Astrophysics is an important piece of Fermilab’s portfolio. In 2024, Fermilab researchers continued to shed light on some of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos — such as dark energy, the enigmatic entity that makes up about 70% of our universe. Fermilab scientists lead the Dark Energy Survey, an international collaboration of over 400 astrophysicists, astronomers and cosmologists, which shared two results in 2024. In January, they announced the strongest constraints on the expansion of the universe ever obtained with the DES supernova survey. A month later, the collaboration released a new measurement of cosmic distances that supports the standard model of the accelerated expansion of the universe.This year, researchers released the first results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, which is gathering light from some 30 million galaxies at a telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The DESI collaboration used the first year of data to make the most extensive 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy. They also charted how nearly 6 million galaxies cluster across 11 billion years of cosmic history, lining up with predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Fermilab contributed key elements to DESI, including the online databases for data acquisition, software to control the robotic positioners, the corrector barrel, hexapod and cage.Advertisement 10Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content9. Advanced emerging technologies to benefit physics and beyondFermilab’s contributions to research and technology development reach well beyond physics. In collaboration with 3M, Fermilab scientists successfully demonstrated that an electron beam can destroy PFAS, a suite of useful chemicals that don’t easily break down and accumulate in the environment and human body. Fermilab researchers are also building a prototype electron beam accelerator to make X-rays for sterilizing medical equipment — a potentially game-changing development for the growing medical equipment sterilization industry, which is looking for alternatives to current technologies that use substances that can present safety issues.This year, Fermilab researchers also received funding from the Department of Energy as part of its Accelerate Innovations program to develop three different emerging technologies: superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, 3D integrated sensing solutions, and compact superconducting radio frequency electron-beam accelerator technology. An additional federal grant enabled a collaborative project between Fermilab and California-based RadiaBeam Technologies. Fermilab engineers used their expertise in cryomodule design and conduction cooling to help RadiaBeam design and assemble a conduction-cooled cryomodule and break into the superconducting industrial accelerator market.In another quantum experiment, Fermilab scientists demonstrated the ability to use specialized quantum techniques to stimulate the creation of photons, increase sensitivity and minimize noise. This research can significantly enhance the ability to detect faint signals such as those emitted from dark matter.Lastly, this month, Fermilab engineers announced they are ready to bring to market a new companion to the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit, an open-source control and readout system supported by the Quantum Science Center. The new product, QICK box, builds on QICK’s ability to enable researchers to improve quantum system performance by manipulating signals in ways that optimize their ability to read information stored in quantum bits. In September, the team also rolled out QICK version 2.0, which features updated software and firmware.Advertisement 11Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content10. Improved the campus and access to itThe year 2024 was a standout for the Fermilab campus as the new Integrated Engineering Research Center, with its environmentally sustainable design, received multiple awards, including the Department of Energy’s 2024 Outstanding Net-Zero Building Program/Project Award and the High Performance Sustainable Building Award. The 80,000-square-foot multi-story laboratory and office building, located next to Wilson Hall, provides workspace for around 100 engineers and technicians and has been bustling with activity since its completion in 2023.Last year, the Fermilab campus reopened to the public after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2024, Director Lia Merminga announced updates to Fermilab’s site access, including the exciting news that our iconic Wilson Hall had reopened to the public. Since then, thousands of visitors have attended public tours, Saturday Morning Physics lectures, teacher workshops, field trips and other events. Additionally, Lederman Science Center welcomed nearly 6,000 guests. Learn more about visiting the lab here.In 2024, crews continued improvements on many areas of the Fermilab site, including starting construction on Fermilab’s new welcome center, which is expected to open in fall 2025. Located near Fermilab’s main entrance on Pine Street, the Fermilab Welcome and Access Center will host both informational and administrative functions for smoother processing and access to the site. The construction project also includes a new guardhouse and the reconfiguration of traffic routes for cars, bicyclists and pedestrians to provide easy and secure access to the campus.Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.AttachmentsLBNF/DUNE cavernPIP-II at FermilabArticle contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings

Ten ways Fermilab advanced science and technology in 2024

Science and Health

This section is Partnership Content suppliedThe content in this section is supplied by GlobeNewswire for the purposes of distributing press releases on behalf of its clients. Postmedia has not reviewed the content. by GlobeNewswire Breadcrumb Trail LinksGlobeNewswireAuthor of the article:GlobeNewswirePublished Dec 17, 2024  •  12 minute readTwo colossal caverns, each more than 500 feet long and seven-stories tall, were completed to contain the gigantic particle detector modules for the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility/Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment, an international collaboration led by Fermilab. A third cavern will house utilities for the operation of the DUNE far detector. Credit: Ryan Postel, Fermilab GNWArticle contentBatavia, Illinois, Dec. 17, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Every day, scientists, engineers and technicians at Fermilab push the boundaries of knowledge in fields like particle physics, accelerator technology, quantum information science and astrophysics. Read about 10 ways the laboratory has advanced science and technology in 2024. Additionally, a video highlighting the laboratory’s accomplishments may be viewed here.Advertisement 2Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLYSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman, and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESSubscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.Exclusive articles from Barbara Shecter, Joe O’Connor, Gabriel Friedman and others.Daily content from Financial Times, the world’s leading global business publication.Unlimited online access to read articles from Financial Post, National Post and 15 news sites across Canada with one account.National Post ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on.Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword.REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLESCreate an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one account.Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments.Enjoy additional articles per month.Get email updates from your favourite authors.THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK.Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.Access articles from across Canada with one accountShare your thoughts and join the conversation in the commentsEnjoy additional articles per monthGet email updates from your favourite authorsSign In or Create an AccountorArticle contentArticle contentArticle content1. Achieved important progress with DUNEFermilab is the host laboratory for the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment. This international collaboration will explore the mysteries of elusive particles called neutrinos. More than 1,400 scientists from over 35 countries and CERN are part of the collaboration that is seeking to answer some of the biggest questions around our understanding of the universe. DUNE will be installed in the Long-Baseline Neutrino Facility, currently under construction in Lead, South Dakota at the Sanford Underground Research Facility, and at Fermilab in Batavia, Illinois. Crews completed excavation of DUNE’s caverns in February, removing close to 800,000 tons of rock from a former mine in South Dakota for the future subterranean home of the experiment’s far detector. A ribbon-cutting event was held in August with officials from around the globe commemorating this historic milestone. In September, a test for lowering steel beams was successfully completed in preparation for the next phase of the project.Meanwhile, in Illinois, the Fermilab accelerator complex achieved a critical milestone towards high intensity running for DUNE, reaching 1 MW beam intensity from its Main Injector. Additionally, workers prepared the eight acres at Fermilab where the future DUNE near site will be built. And a prototype for the near detector — the 2×2 demonstrator — saw its first accelerator-made neutrinos. Across the pond at CERN in Geneva, Switzerland, prototypes for the far detector — ProtoDUNE — were filled with liquid argon to ready them for operation.This year, Jim Kerby was appointed the new LBNF/DUNE-US project director. Kerby brings over 30 years of engineering and technical management experience to the table. He will be responsible for managing all Advertisement 3Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content2. Made major advancements with the Proton Improvement Plan-II projectProton Improvement Plan-II is providing a major upgrade to the Fermilab particle accelerator complex, including a state-of-the-art superconducting radio frequency linear accelerator. The PIP-II project started off the year by welcoming a new director, Pantaleo Raimondi, a world-renowned physicist with extensive experience in accelerator physics and project management at labs around the world.The PIP-II team also made progress with one of the five types of cryomodules that will make up the linear accelerator. Fermilab successfully shipped a prototype high-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule — the largest needed for the PIP-II linac — to the United Kingdom and back again. This was an important step in testing the cryomodule transportation system and a final test before shipping the first actual cryomodule built in the U.K. to the United States.PIP-II is the first particle accelerator in the U.S. to be built with significant contributions from international partners. Institutions in France, India, Italy, Poland and the U.K. are contributing technologies, instrumentation and expertise to build the accelerator. Early in 2024, India’s Department of Atomic Energy informed the U.S. Department of Energy that India is officially moving from the research and development phase to the construction phase for its contributions to the PIP-II project. Pieces of India’s largest in-kind contribution to PIP-II, the cryogenic plant, are scheduled to arrive at Fermilab in the next month after a two-month journey over sea and land. In addition, PIP-II partners at UK Research and Innovation received the first production HB650 cavity, which was tested and met specifications. And PIP-II partners at INFN, the National Institute for Nuclear Physics in Italy, placed the contract to produce all low-beta 650-megahertz cryomodule cavities.In November, the project completed the Early Conventional Facilities subproject, marking the subproject’s readiness for the final stage of approval, known as CD-4, planned for January 2025.Top StoriesGet the latest headlines, breaking news and columns.By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc.Thanks for signing up!A welcome email is on its way. If you don’t see it, please check your junk folder.The next issue of Top Stories will soon be in your inbox.We encountered an issue signing you up. Please try againArticle contentAdvertisement 4Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content3. Continued our involvement in the CMS experiment at CERNFor decades, Fermilab has been the host institution for U.S. CMS. The CMS experiment at CERN records data from high-energy particle collisions produced by the Large Hadron Collider, the world’s biggest particle accelerator. Earlier this year, Fermilab scientists working on CMS helped create a tool that expands the search for new particles at the LHC. The search could either uncover physics beyond the Standard Model or set the most stringent limits in the search for a class of theoretical particles called long-lived particles. In September, the CMS collaboration announced a new mass measurement of the W boson, one of nature’s force-carrying particles, that is consistent with predictions. This new measurement, which followed the 2022 measurement by the Collider Detector at Fermilab experiment that differed from the Standard Model prediction, is the most elaborate investigation of the W boson’s mass to date and took nearly a decade of analysis.The Department of Energy also approved the start of full production for the $200 million DOE-funded contributions to the upgrade of the CMS experiment. With the high-luminosity upgrade to the Large Hadron Collider planned for 2029, CMS collaborators need to upgrade the detector to keep up with the forthcoming more-intense particle beams.Fermilab connections continue to be strong at the highest levels of the CMS collaboration. Patty McBride, a Fermilab distinguished scientist, completed her two-year term as the CMS spokesperson in September. She passed the torch to a new management team that includes Fermilab senior scientist Anadi Canepa, now a deputy spokesperson for CMS until 2026.Advertisement 5Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content4. Detected first neutrinos at the Short-Baseline Neutrino DetectorThe international Short-Baseline Neutrino Program at Fermilab is devoted to examining the properties of neutrinos and the nature of neutrino oscillations in more detail than ever before. The Short-Baseline Near Detector is the near detector for the SBN Program while ICARUS, which started collecting data in 2021, is the far detector. A third detector called MicroBooNE finished recording particle interactions with the same neutrino beamline that same year.After nearly a decade of planning, prototyping and constructing the near detector, SBND made major progress in 2024. In February, SBND was filled with liquid argon, which it uses to see tracks left by charged particles. A few months later, the detector saw its first neutrino interactions. But it’s only the beginning for SBND: the collaboration will operate the detector, analyzing many millions of neutrino interactions, for the next several years. SBND will see more neutrinos than any other detector of its kind, and the large data sample will allow researchers to study neutrino interactions with unprecedented precision, helping to inform future experiments that will also use liquid argon to detect neutrinos, including DUNE.Advertisement 6Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content5. Moved massive magnetsIn February, crews very carefully moved a superconducting solenoid magnet 1.5 miles across the Fermilab campus. The 65,700-pound magnet was built for the Mu2e experiment, which is looking for evidence that a muon can transform into an electron. If observed, this muon-to-electron conversion would point to new physics. The team moved the first Mu2e magnet in December 2023. Once assembled into the Mu2e detector, the magnets will create a low-energy muon beam that will be directed at an aluminum target. The magnets will also provide a constant magnetic field in the detector region that allows scientists to accurately determine the momentum of the resulting electrons.Over the summer, a different kind of magnet weighing over 100,000 pounds was moved from the University of Illinois Chicago to Fermilab. The repurposed superconducting magnet will be used in a future experiment.In late fall, Fermilab shipped its second quadrupole magnet cryoassembly to CERN. This magnet is part of Fermilab’s contribution to the high luminosity upgrade of the Large Hadron Collider. It uses advanced niobium-tin (Nb3Sn) magnets to strongly focus the proton beams and increase the number of collisions. Fermilab innovations were crucial to making these high-field magnets possible.Advertisement 7Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content6. Strengthened our leadership in quantum information scienceFermilab is the proud host of the Superconducting Quantum Materials and Systems Center, one of the five DOE National Quantum Information Science Research Centers. The SQMS Center brings together more than 30 partner institutions representing national labs, industry and academia, all dedicated to advancing critical quantum technologies with a focus on superconducting quantum systems.During 2024, SQMS scientists and engineers achieved reproducible improvements in superconducting transmon qubit lifetimes with record values in excess of 1 millisecond. The results were achieved through innovative materials and design techniques that eliminated major loss sources in the devices. SQMS has also advanced quantum computing platforms based on high-coherence superconducting cavities.Over the summer the Department of Energy approved IBM as a new partner in SQMS. This collaboration intends to leverage the strengths of these two organizations to address key hurdles in quantum computing, communication and large-scale deployment of superconducting quantum platforms.This year, SQMS led the NQISRC’s executive council, coordinating joint activities across the five centers, which have strengthened the national quantum information science ecosystem, achieving scientific and technological breakthroughs as well as training the next-generation quantum workforce.Quantum technology can also be used to probe the fundamental theory of quantum mechanics. Fermilab theorists and experimentalists used qubits to constrain alternatives to the standard laws of quantum mechanics in which systems evolve linearly in time.Advertisement 8Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content7. Got very QUIETIn June, a new quantum sensor and computing research center named the Quantum Underground Instrumentation Experimental Testbed became operational. QUIET sits one hundred meters underground at Fermilab in an area that previously housed a neutrino experiment. Its companion surface lab, LOUD, had been operating for over a year prior to QUIET’s opening. Together, QUIET and LOUD enable controlled experiments that use quantum sensors to directly compare an environment that is significantly shielded from cosmic rays and other energy effects with the environment on the earth’s surface.In October, superconducting qubits were successfully deployed at QUIET for the first time, marking the transition from infrastructure development to unique scientific studies at the lab. Scientists are using QUIET to understand how these superconducting qubits are impacted by cosmic rays and other high-energy particles. This knowledge could help researchers construct new types of qubits that could be shielded from interference or design ones that are insensitive to it. In addition, QUIET can contribute to a range of applications that require ultra-sensitivity to their environment, including dark matter detection. QUIET and LOUD are funded by the Quantum Science Center, of which Fermilab is a primary founding member.Advertisement 9Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content8. Learned more about dark energy and our universeWe’re not just about particle physics! Astrophysics is an important piece of Fermilab’s portfolio. In 2024, Fermilab researchers continued to shed light on some of the greatest mysteries in the cosmos — such as dark energy, the enigmatic entity that makes up about 70% of our universe. Fermilab scientists lead the Dark Energy Survey, an international collaboration of over 400 astrophysicists, astronomers and cosmologists, which shared two results in 2024. In January, they announced the strongest constraints on the expansion of the universe ever obtained with the DES supernova survey. A month later, the collaboration released a new measurement of cosmic distances that supports the standard model of the accelerated expansion of the universe.This year, researchers released the first results from the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument, which is gathering light from some 30 million galaxies at a telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory. The DESI collaboration used the first year of data to make the most extensive 3D map of our universe and world-leading measurements of dark energy. They also charted how nearly 6 million galaxies cluster across 11 billion years of cosmic history, lining up with predictions of Einstein’s theory of general relativity. Fermilab contributed key elements to DESI, including the online databases for data acquisition, software to control the robotic positioners, the corrector barrel, hexapod and cage.Advertisement 10Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content9. Advanced emerging technologies to benefit physics and beyondFermilab’s contributions to research and technology development reach well beyond physics. In collaboration with 3M, Fermilab scientists successfully demonstrated that an electron beam can destroy PFAS, a suite of useful chemicals that don’t easily break down and accumulate in the environment and human body. Fermilab researchers are also building a prototype electron beam accelerator to make X-rays for sterilizing medical equipment — a potentially game-changing development for the growing medical equipment sterilization industry, which is looking for alternatives to current technologies that use substances that can present safety issues.This year, Fermilab researchers also received funding from the Department of Energy as part of its Accelerate Innovations program to develop three different emerging technologies: superconducting nanowire single-photon detectors, 3D integrated sensing solutions, and compact superconducting radio frequency electron-beam accelerator technology. An additional federal grant enabled a collaborative project between Fermilab and California-based RadiaBeam Technologies. Fermilab engineers used their expertise in cryomodule design and conduction cooling to help RadiaBeam design and assemble a conduction-cooled cryomodule and break into the superconducting industrial accelerator market.In another quantum experiment, Fermilab scientists demonstrated the ability to use specialized quantum techniques to stimulate the creation of photons, increase sensitivity and minimize noise. This research can significantly enhance the ability to detect faint signals such as those emitted from dark matter.Lastly, this month, Fermilab engineers announced they are ready to bring to market a new companion to the Quantum Instrumentation Control Kit, an open-source control and readout system supported by the Quantum Science Center. The new product, QICK box, builds on QICK’s ability to enable researchers to improve quantum system performance by manipulating signals in ways that optimize their ability to read information stored in quantum bits. In September, the team also rolled out QICK version 2.0, which features updated software and firmware.Advertisement 11Story continues belowThis advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.Article content10. Improved the campus and access to itThe year 2024 was a standout for the Fermilab campus as the new Integrated Engineering Research Center, with its environmentally sustainable design, received multiple awards, including the Department of Energy’s 2024 Outstanding Net-Zero Building Program/Project Award and the High Performance Sustainable Building Award. The 80,000-square-foot multi-story laboratory and office building, located next to Wilson Hall, provides workspace for around 100 engineers and technicians and has been bustling with activity since its completion in 2023.Last year, the Fermilab campus reopened to the public after a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In January 2024, Director Lia Merminga announced updates to Fermilab’s site access, including the exciting news that our iconic Wilson Hall had reopened to the public. Since then, thousands of visitors have attended public tours, Saturday Morning Physics lectures, teacher workshops, field trips and other events. Additionally, Lederman Science Center welcomed nearly 6,000 guests. Learn more about visiting the lab here.In 2024, crews continued improvements on many areas of the Fermilab site, including starting construction on Fermilab’s new welcome center, which is expected to open in fall 2025. Located near Fermilab’s main entrance on Pine Street, the Fermilab Welcome and Access Center will host both informational and administrative functions for smoother processing and access to the site. The construction project also includes a new guardhouse and the reconfiguration of traffic routes for cars, bicyclists and pedestrians to provide easy and secure access to the campus.Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory is supported by the Office of Science of the U.S. Department of Energy. The Office of Science is the single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States and is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, please visit science.energy.gov.AttachmentsLBNF/DUNE cavernPIP-II at FermilabArticle contentShare this article in your social networkComments Join the Conversation Featured Local Savings

At just a few millimetres in length, tiny handfish babies delight scientists

Science and Health

A Tasmanian marine research project has handed “one of the world’s rarest fish” a lifeline.More than 200 of the critically endangered red handfish are now “thriving” in a captive breeding program, which is in the safe hands of scientists at the University of Tasmania’s Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies (IMAS).Andrew Trotter, research and co-lead on the project, said the program’s success was vital to safeguarding the fish’s future.”[It] feels like our team is making significant ground in saving the species,” Dr Trotter said.The handfish hatchlings are kept in tanks with hopes to one day transfer some of them to the wild.

is Almirante Guillermo Brown University Accredited in USA?

Technology

is Almirante Guillermo Brown University Accredited in USA?No, not in the USA. The Universidad Nacional Guillermo Brown (UNaB), also known as Guillermo Brown National University, is a public higher education institution located in Burzaco, Buenos Aires, Argentina. In addition, established in 2015, UNaB, officially recognized by the Argentine Ministry of Education, Culture, Science, and Technology. As a result, ensuring its programs meet national educational standards.4icuIn the United States, accreditation became managed by non-governmental agencies recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation.U.S. Department of Education UNaB does not hold U.S. accreditation, as it operates under Argentina’s educational system.However, its degrees may become recognized in the U.S. through international credential evaluation services. Thus, which assess foreign academic qualifications for equivalency. Recognition of foreign degrees varies by institution and employer, so it’s advisable to consult with specific organizations regarding their policies on international credentials.UNaB offers a diverse range of undergraduate and postgraduate programs across various fields of study. The university stands committed to providing quality education and fostering academic excellence. It boasts a well-equipped library and offers administrative services to support its students.Top Universities ListAs a relatively young institution, UNaB is continually developing its reputation within the academic community. Its official recognition by the Argentine Ministry of Education underscores its adherence to national educational standards. Prospective students and collaborators become encouraged to visit the university’s official website. Moreover, for the most current information on its programs, admissions, and services.Amherst College Moves Away From Woke CultureHome Recognition Accreditation Foreign 2021 Brown Howis Almirante Guillermo Brown University Accredited in USA?

Semiconductors: Battlefield of tech competition between major countries

Technology

YAN GUO/FOR CHINA DAILY

As a cornerstone of the information and communications technology industry and the burgeoning artificial intelligence industry, semiconductors are becoming the battlefield of industrial competition between major countries. Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the global leading manufacturer of semiconductors with cutting-edge technologies in the fabrication of advanced chips, in reality is caught in the rivalry between superpowers and faces a strategic dilemma.
On the one hand, TSMC’s production should be highly concentrated given the comparative advantages of factor endowments and the characteristics of the chipmaking industry, while on the other hand, the company has been forced to build new factories across multiple regions due to political pressure and security concerns, which has significantly pushed up its operating costs.
The plight TSMC faces is essentially that of a super company caught in geopolitical pressures. As geopolitical relations worsen and industrial competition escalates, super companies of strategic significance are forced to take sides between major countries, thus making it difficult to balance security and efficiency.
The predicament of TSMC lies in the fact that, as a highly globalized enterprise, it is both dependent on the United States and the Chinese mainland. The company relies on the US for technology and funding, while it needs the Chinese mainland in terms of market and production.
When China and the US jointly pushed forward economic globalization, TSMC developed rapidly by capitalizing on the resources of both sides. But as the growing rivalry between the two nations splits the current international economic order and geopolitical tensions spill over to the commercial world, TSMC has got caught in the crossfire and is forced to pick a side between these two powers. The enterprise is increasingly worried about the security risks brought by the weaponization of economic issues. Stuck in the middle of the China-US competition, the Taiwan-based company faces the dilemma of being forced to choose whether to “lean toward one side”, or strive to maintain “having it both ways”.
On the one hand, the US provides critical technological support for TSMC to seek its own benefits. In the 1960s, the outsourcing of the US’ semiconductor industry helped Taiwan gain a foothold in the field.
In the 1980s, when a trade conflict broke out between the US and Japan over semiconductors, the US chose to support the development of the semiconductor industry in China’s Taiwan region and the Republic of Korea in a bid to reshape the industrial landscape in East Asia. It is in this background that TSMC was born and then grew rapidly, thanks to contracts from semiconductor giants Intel and Apple. Today, TSMC still relies heavily on the US upstream suppliers for technologies and services, and is subject to the technology system dominated by the US.
On the other hand, the US provides vital financing support to TSMC, which is a capital-intensive enterprise. Listed on the Taiwan Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange, TSMC is largely dependent on the latter for financing. Depository institutions represented by Citibank are major platforms through which TSMC raises funds.
At the same time, TSMC is reliant on the Chinese mainland for its market and production capacity.
First, as the “world’s factory”, the Chinese mainland has a well-established ecosystem for semiconductors and related industries, abundant labor force, advanced infrastructure and supportive policies, thereby attracting TSMC and related industrial chains from around the world.
Since TSMC was founded in 1987, the Chinese mainland has been the company’s only destination for setting up factories outside of Taiwan — except for the past few years when it expanded overseas in the context of escalating geopolitical competition. TSMC built a foundry in Shanghai in 2002 and another one in Nanjing, East China’s Jiangsu province, in 2016. As for its US foray, TSMC began to build its first fab in Arizona in April 2021, but delayed its full production until 2025 because of a shortage of specialist workers.
Second, the Chinese mainland is the biggest export market for Taiwan’s integrated circuits, and the world’s largest consumer market for semiconductors. This makes it impossible for TSMC to completely give up the Chinese mainland market and throw itself into the arms of the US.
These factors mean TSMC is caught in a complex dilemma. It is compelled by the US to sacrifice efficiency and build factories in the US, Japan and Europe, where manufacturing costs are higher; and it also needs to “fight” the US’ high-tech ban on China, and seek an exemption for the export of semiconductor manufacturing equipment so as to expand its production lines in Nanjing. The overt and covert competition between China and the US revolving around TSMC has made it more difficult for the company to walk a tightrope between the two countries.
The story of TSMC epitomizes how super companies that have achieved immense success because of globalization become vulnerable amid the torrents of geopolitics. Unable to stay away from politics, these companies have to make cautious decisions in a worsening geopolitical environment and struggle to survive major-country competition. In this sense, the so-called flat world is nothing but a utopia created by liberalism.
The author is deputy dean of the School of International Studies, professor of international relations and director of the Center for American Studies at Renmin University of China. The author contributed this article to China Watch, a think tank powered by China Daily. The views don’t necessarily reflect those of China Daily.
Contact the editor at [email protected].

Books for winter reading

Arts & Culture, Books

Excellent books, one and all:“Against the Grain: A Coach’s Wisdom on Character, Faith, Family, and Love” by Bill Courtney. The author was the celebrated coach of a Memphis high school football team and the subject of the 2011 Oscar-winning documentary, “Undefeated.”#placement_678081_0_i{width:100%;margin:0 auto;}

‘Saccharine’ – New Supernatural Body Horror Movie from ‘Relic’ Director

Arts & Culture, Film & TV

After breaking out in 2020 with Relic and helming this year’s Rosemary’s Baby prequel Apartment 7A, filmmaker Natalie Erika James is now filming supernatural body horror movie Saccharine, per Deadline.
Midori Francis (Unseen, “Grey’s Anatomy”) will play the lead.
Saccharine follows “Hana (Francis), a lovelorn medical student who becomes terrorised by a hungry ghost after taking part in an obscure weight-loss craze: eating human ashes.”
Opposite Francis are Danielle Macdonald (Patti Cake$) playing Josie, Hana’s best friend, and Madeleine Madden (The Wheel of Time) as Alanya, a personal trainer and fitness influencer.
“There is so much toxic messaging around weight and appearance that permeates every corner of our culture. Saccharine is an intimate look into one woman’s struggle with body image, self-worth, and shame-driven compulsion, told through a supernatural body-horror with a queer lens and an edge of the absurd,” Natalie Erika James said of the project.
In other words, it sounds like James’ latest may get wild. The concept of marrying a supernatural horror film with body horror certainly feels fresh, at least.
James again partners with producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw of Carver Films (Relic, Run Rabbit Run and Snowtown). Producers Anna McLeish and Sarah Shaw of Carver Films added: “Saccharine explodes off the page with Natalie’s bold vision. To team with her again is such a sweet pleasure for us. We can’t wait to see Midori, Danielle and Madeleine bring these incredible women to life.”
Filming is now underway in and around Melbourne, Australia. Saccharine will be distributed theatrically in Australia and New Zealand by Maslow Entertainment and will launch as a Stan Original Film on Stan. XYZ will handle world sales.
Stay tuned for details on this supernatural body horror movie as they arrive.

Ottawa’s top books: Public library releases most popular requests for 2024

Arts & Culture, Books

Article contentThe Ottawa Public Library has released its lists of the most-requested books between Jan. 1 and Dec. 1, making these the most popular of 2024. Multiple genres, Canadian writers and a mix of new releases and established titles are included in the lists for adults, teens and children.Article contentKristin Hannah’s historical fiction novel The Women topped the list for most requested adult English book.Released on Oct. 27, Canadian writer Louise Penny’s The Grey Wolf, part of her popular Armand Gamache detective series, ranked second. Third was the romance novel Funny Story by Emily Henry, whose Happy Place had taken fourth spot in 2023. Kristin Hannah’s historical fiction novel The Women topped the list for most requested adult English book at the Ottawa Public Library in 2024. Photo by Kevin Lynch /HandoutThe Ottawa Public Library said in a news release on Dec. 16 that demand for diverse francophone titles rose in 2024, with the number of French titles published across Canada and Europe exceeding pre-pandemic levels. Nine out of the 10 most-requested French novels were penned by Canadians, including Jean-Philippe Pleau, Éric Chacour and Sébastien Dulude.The romance-fantasy genre featured four of the five most-requested English books for teens, including A Court of Thorns and Roses and Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas, Powerless by Lauren Roberts and The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.Article contentSuzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games topped the list for most-requested teen French novel for the second year in a row.Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney continued to be among the most popular English book series for children, having appeared on the same list in 2023 and 2022. Familiar titles Harry Potter and Le petit prince occupied the top two spots on the list of French books for children. A 2022 file photo of Canadian author Louise Penny, whose novel The Grey Wolf ranked second in requests for English books for adults at the Ottawa Public Library in 2024. Photo by John Mahoney /PostmediaHere is the full list of most-requested books across Ottawa Public Library branches in 2024.Adult (English)The Women by Kristin HannahThe Grey Wolf by Louise PennyFunny Story by Emily HenryThe Anxious Generation by Jonathan HaidtThis Summer Will Be Different by Carley FortuneThe Briar Club by Kate QuinnAtomic Habits by James ClearThe Covenant of Water by Abraham VergheseRemarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van PeltThe Housemaid by Freida McFaddenArticle contentChildren’s Graphic Novels (French)Super Chien by Dav Pilkey (serie)Les Légendaires by Patrick Sobral (serie)L’agent Jean! by Alex A. (serie)Le club des baby-sitters by Raina Telgemeier (serie)Baby-sitters petite soeur by Katy Farina (serie) A file photo of children’s author Robert Munsch, whose book Bounce! ranked fourth in requests for children’s picture books at the Ottawa Public Library in 2024. Photo by The Canadian PressChildren’s Picture Books (English)The Pigeon Has to Go to School! by Mo WillemsGoodbye Summer, Hello Autumn by Kenard PakThe Snail and the Whale by Julia DonaldsonBounce! by Robert MunschThe Dictionary Story by Oliver JeffersChildren’s Picture Books (French)Le voleur de feuilles by Alice HemmingLe pigeon doit aller à l’école by Mo WillemJ’aime l’automne by Kim DeanCinq petites citrouilles by James DeanLa nuit de l’Halloween by James DeanWant to stay in the know about what’s happening in Ottawa? Sign up for the Ottawa Citizen’s arts and life newsletter — Ottawa, Out of Office — our weekly guide to eating, listening, reading, watching, playing, hanging, learning and living well in the capital.Recommended from Editorial Meloche: How I brought great literature into my Ottawa classroom BOOK EXCERPT: The Shopify Story — it all started with snowboard sales Share this article in your social network

The EO Industry in 2025: Emerging Technologies and Shifting Policies Usher in a New Era for Space Innovation

Technology

This year was transformative for the space industry. We saw meteoric growth in the number of rocket launches, Earth imaging satellites capturing photos of our planet in unbelievable detail, awe-inspiring new datasets expanding our knowledge of Earth from space, and more. Planet data proved critical in understanding our world, including featuring in thousands of news articles and hundreds of scientific papers. 

Some of our favorite Planet moments? There are too many to name. For me, launches always stand out, and the launch of our first hyperspectral satellite, Tanager-1, was one to remember, only to be overshadowed by the incredible hyperspectral data that is already having a positive impact on the planet. 

A rendering of the Tanager-1 satellite. (Planet Labs PBC)

Another memorable moment was the release of Planet Insights Platform – Planet’s proprietary, leading platform that serves data from the largest fleet of Earth Observation satellites, now with three different constellations of satellites to supply three distinct but complementary datasets to its customers. 

Finally, we can’t forget the release of the HBO documentary ‘Wild Wild Space,’ which interviewed Planet co-founders Will Marshall and Robbie Schingler and features Planet’s founding story, which always fills me with pride and awe.

As we look to 2025, I’m energized both by everything Planet has accomplished to date and by the enormous potential of what’s yet to come. As the year comes to an end, I have had many conversations with Planeteers across every department. While there are many predictions for the growth of the industry in 2025, three key themes stand out with particular excitement for the year ahead.

AI Takes Off

AI was everyone’s favorite buzzword this year, but more than that, we’re only just beginning to realize its incredible value and staying power. 

We’re already delivering AI-driven solutions today – from finding newly-built roads and identifying collapsed or constructed buildings to monitoring deforestation throughout the Amazon and predicting yield potential and agronomy risks.

Deforestation in Manoel Urbano, Brazil on March 24, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC)

In 2025, EO datasets will emerge as an invaluable resource to train AI models, strengthening the power of AI’s usefulness to commercial and government users. 

Large-scale AI models, known as foundation models, have been trained on extensive datasets, revolutionizing the AI ecosystem. These powerful models drive innovative technologies like ChatGPT and are reshaping our approach to intricate data challenges. To increase the power, and hence usefulness, of their outputs, these large AI companies are shifting to even larger multimodal models – including imagery, video and language. Planet’s large, unique archive of over 50 petabytes of EO data offers an untapped resource to train future models and transformative potential to derive meaningful insights.

In 2025, AI and Machine Learning technologies will accelerate the processing power of Earth Observation data in near-real-time. 

Planet’s latest AI powered satellite, Pelican-2, is currently at Vandenberg Space Force Base in preparation for launch early next year. 

This Pelican satellite is designed to provide up to 40 cm class resolution imagery across 6 multispectral bands optimized for cross-sensor analysis. Additionally, Planet has collaborated with NVIDIA to equip Pelican-2 with the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI and robotics to power on-orbit computing—with the aim of vastly reducing the time between data capture and its availability for customers. Pelican-2 is designed to rapidly convert precise spatial data into rapid insights by utilizing AI-powered solutions for use cases including object detection, vegetation and crop type classification, and disaster response.

Pelican-2 in the lab awaiting transportation to Vandenberg Space Force Base. (Planet Labs PBC)

Both using EO data to train AI and integrating AI into the EO industry expands our knowledge and accelerates data transfer from orbit to customers, enabling timely insights and swift decision-making. Further training of AI models with EO data and the expansion of the Pelican fleet represent major steps forward not just for Planet, but the industry as a whole – setting a new standard for space technology into 2025 and beyond.

New Space Sustainability Solutions Emerge 

This year, the world was ravaged by more devastating climate-related disasters, including fires in Greece, floods in Brazil, hurricanes in the United States and landslides in India. Taken with rising levels of greenhouse gas emissions and strikingly low levels of carbon absorption, monitoring our planet’s health is increasingly vital as people around the world are impacted. 

A mountain fire in Ventura County, California on November 6, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC)

Access to timely data is critical to understanding and adapting to how our planet changes. But, you can’t change what you can’t see. 

This year, we found researchers and governments are increasingly hungry for low-touch, highly-impactful data to track carbon, methane, deforestation and more to protect the planet and keep communities safe. 

In 2025, new sustainability-focused datasets will radically transform our knowledge of the planet.

Our Forest Carbon product, enabled by Planet’s unique PlanetScope dataset combined with public missions such as NASA’s GEDI mission, is supplying governments and land managers with timely data to fill in the carbon picture. This dataset estimates aboveground forest carbon, tree height, and canopy cover across the world and is refreshed for users every quarter. Released earlier this year, this Forest Carbon data has already helped users move from observation to action in protecting our global forests. 

Aboveground Carbon Density in Sarawak State, Malaysia in Q2 2024. (Planet Labs PBC)

Following the launch of our first hyperspectral satellite, Tanager-1, this past fall, we released first light images in just a few weeks, and our partners at Carbon Mapper have already shared its first emissions mitigation success story. This hyperspectral data can be useful for a variety of use cases including defense and intelligence monitoring, biodiversity assessments, mineral mapping, and water quality assessments.

These new and growing datasets will exponentially increase our knowledge of Earth in 2025 and beyond, so those who have the power to take action have the critical insights to do so.  

Policy Changes Turn to the Space Sector

As many countries went to the polls in 2024, we are already seeing policy and regulatory shifts as new administrations outline their key priorities and budgets. While governments change, one thing remains constant: Space data truly shines when the public and private sectors come together. 

Planet was founded by former NASA scientists, and it has a proud legacy of successful collaboration with governments across multiple administrations and with various agencies. Both at home and abroad, we have the expertise and technical ability to continue partnering with all levels of government as we look to what’s next.

In 2025, as new policy priorities take shape, we anticipate governments turning more to space data to inform policy making, while right-sizing space regulations. 

Governments have growing experience with space data and are heavily investing in space programs – a trend we’re seeing across the world. The visibility and transparency of satellite data, objective and comparable across territories, makes it very valuable to design targeted and impactful policies and also measure their impact. 

Commercial space innovation has leapt forward in the last decade. New administrations bring new energy to tackling the challenge of updating and right-sizing space laws and regulations in a way that ensures responsible shared use of space resources while enabling growth and innovation in the space sector. Planet looks forward to continuing to work with policymakers worldwide on how to strike the right balance to protect the sustainability of the Low Earth Orbit environment and ensure responsible space operations while also streamlining licensing and other regulatory processes so that governments and regulators can keep pace with the lightning speed of commercial space innovation.

In 2025, the biggest policy changes we anticipate will be in disaster preparedness and response – with the EO industry ready to support. 

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of climate disasters, and unfortunately we see the trend accelerating in the coming year. Governments will need more than ever to improve their preparedness and response to these disasters, leveraging tech advancements. Space data has proven its value in disaster response, supporting governments and first responders in every region as they prepare and respond to their communities’ unique needs. 

Now is the time for governments to leverage commercial space data.

False color PlanetScope image of flooding around the city of Sueca, Spain on October 30, 2024. (Planet Labs PBC)

As we close the chapter on 2024 and look to a new year, there is immense promise and potential for the growth of the space and EO industry. At Planet, we are proud to be at the forefront of how researchers, organizations, and governments around the world understand our changing planet. We look forward to what 2025 can bring as we continue to advance our technology, deepen our public and private partnerships, and continue leveraging space to improve life on Earth. Ad Astra!