Declaring that space is the new warfighting domain, President Donald Trump on Jan. 17 vowed the United States will develop an unrivaled missile defense system to protect against advanced hypersonic and cruise missile threats from competitors and adversaries.
Trump said in the Pentagon: “We will recognize that space is a new war fighting domain with the Space Force leading the way. My upcoming budget will invest in a space-based missile defense layer. Its new technology. It’s ultimately going to be a very, very big part of our defense and obviously of our offense.”
The new review is the first since 2010.
Specifically, the United States is looking at putting a layer of sensors in space to more quickly detect enemy missiles when they are launched, according to a senior administration official, who briefed reporters on Jan. 16.
The United States sees space as a critical area for advanced, next-generation capabilities to stay ahead of the threats, said one official.
Facebook Shuts Hundreds of Russia-Linked Page and Accounts
Facebook said on Jan. 17 it had removed hundreds of Russia-linked pages, groups, and accounts that were part of two big disinformation operations targeting users outside the United States.The social media company said its latest effort to fight misinformation came after it found two networks “that engaged in coordinated inauthentic behavior” on Facebook and its Instagram service.
North Korea Envoy Headed to US To Meet Pompeo, Possibly Trump
A North Korean envoy was headed for Washington on Jan. 17, for expected talks with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and a possible encounter with President Donald Trump to lay the groundwork for a second U.S.-North Korea summit, according to a person familiar with the matter.Kim Yong Chol, Pyongyang’s lead negotiator in denuclearization talks with the United States, was due to meet Pompeo on Jan. 18.
Kim Yong Chol, a hardline former spy chief, boarded a flight in Beijing for Washington on Jan. 17, South Korea’s Yonhap news agency said earlier.
A State Department spokeswoman said: “We have no meetings to announce at this time,” when asked about the expected North Korean visit.
3D Printing is Streamlining the Process of Building Homes
A group of engineers are looking to change the way homes are built.Print a house for under $200,000—that’s what Kirk Andersen and his team at S-Squared 3-d printers are trying to do. They designed a 20-foot self-made rig that they say is capable of printing a custom home out of cement.
Kirk Andersen is an engineer at S-Squared 3D Printers. He says: “you can see a floor plan from above. Each, all those lines, layer by layer we stack it on top of each other.”
They’re working with the town of Riverhead to build a demo home this spring. They hope to lower the total cost of homes while trying to increase job productivity autonomously.
Bob Smith, the co-founder of S-Squared 3D Printer, said: “This is the start of this type of construction. Not necessarily just in cement. It’s pretty exciting.”
