🐁 Mouse sperm in orbit, demon-possessed tractors, China releases 'hit list'

China’s People Liberation Army (PLA) has released a “hit list” of targets to render U.S. Navy carrier strike groups vulnerable in the event of an attack by Chinese forces. This plan includes using drones to either confuse or overwhelm the group’s electronic warfare systems, making a potential kinetic attack on the ships more likely.

Identified targets or objectives would include radars, sensors, and other communication equipment. The report was published in the latest issue of Defence Industry Conversion in China, according to the South China Morning Post (SCMP).

“This information can provide references for the development of electronic countermeasures technology and related equipment in China’s future naval battlefields,” wrote Mo Jiaqian, the report’s author. Delve deeper into our Must-Read.

🔥Today’s job of the day as featured on jobs.interestingengineering.com:

> Systems Security Engineer
> Data Engineer/ Data Analyst

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MUST-READ

🇨🇳 China releases ‘hit list’ targeting US Navy’s defensive systems: Report

Jiaqian’s report specifically delved into the workings of the US Navy’s Cooperative Engagement Capability (CEC) system. This is a vital defensive system of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier (and her group) for early warning and air defense coordination.

The CEC works, in part, through its ability to enable ships in a group to share information and air defense resources in the event of an attack. It can, for example, enable the strike group to fire missiles from any ship in the group, even if its sensors haven’t detected a threat.

But, as the new report highlights, this apparent strength is also a potential weakness. “It is formed through the networking of phased array radars, which relies on wireless communication links. When the opposing force employs electronic interference, the wireless links are prone to disconnection or disruption,” Jiaqian noted.

🚜 ‘Demon-possessed tractors’: Solar storm wreaks havoc on GPS-reliant US farmers

Our host star goes through solar storms that can cause dazzling auroras in the night sky, but they also have a surprising impact down here on Earth — wreaking havoc on modern farms. Modern agriculture utilizes GPS technology, enabling tractors to navigate fields with pinpoint accuracy via satellite signals.

Unfortunately, solar storms interfere with GPS signals by releasing charged particles. These disruptions can cause tractors to come to an unexpected halt while planting, veer off course, create uneven rows, or even lose their sense of location entirely.

A recent incident has come into the spotlight where these things happened. The severe solar storm that occurred this May impacted agricultural operations during the peak of the planting season in the US. “Our tractors acted like they were demon-possessed,” Elaine Ramstad, aurora chaser told SpaceWeather.com.

🌕 Radiation-proof sperm: How space mouse semen could help humans thrive on Moon, Mars

Space is rife with radiation, a formidable challenge for both humans and their genetic materials. On the International Space Station (ISS), radiation levels are more than 100 times higher than on Earth. Beyond the ISS, in deep space, the exposure is even greater, raising concerns about DNA damage that could compromise reproduction.

In a recent study, Japanese researchers demonstrated the resilience of freeze-dried mouse sperm stored on the ISS for nearly six years. Despite prolonged exposure to space radiation, the sperm produced healthy offspring upon rehydration and fertilization. The pups, dubbed “space pups,” showed no genetic differences compared to mice conceived using sperm stored on Earth.

Previous experiments led by Wakayama have shown that freeze-dried mouse sperm could remain viable in space for up to 200 years, though he acknowledges this is not sufficient for humanity’s long-term needs.

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