NASA unveils model of LISA, a satellite array for studying ripples in space-time
Science & Technology

NASA unveils model of LISA, a satellite array for studying ripples in space-time

NASA Space Technology The prototype LISA telescope undergoes post-delivery inspection in a darkened NASA Goddard clean room on May 20. The entire telescope is made from an amber-colored glass-ceramic that resists changes in shape over a wide temperature range, and the mirror’s surface is coated in gold. Credit: NASA / Dennis HenryNASA has released new images of the full-scale prototypes of six telescopes slated to observe some of the universe’s tiniest fluctuations. On October 22, the agency showed off mock-ups of the Laser Interferometer Space Antenna (LISA), a European Space Agency-led project slated to embark on its mission around 2035. While not the final working equipment meant to measure gravitational waves, the mock-up offers glimpses of a design that will likely resemble the machine array destined to help astronomers discover potentially groundbreaking insights into the...
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A new model for public private partnerships
Top Stories

A new model for public private partnerships

Top Stories Tamfitronics Nick Gray​​ is UK and Europe chief operating officer at consultancy Currie & BrownBetween 1997 and 2010, more than 700 new public sector construction projects were successfully delivered, improving the fabric of many key sectors of the economy, such as education and healthcare. Arguably, the delivery of many of these projects might not have happened had it not been for the private finance initiative (PFI) model. In 2018, the Conservative government discontinued PFI for new infrastructure projects, which kickstarted discussions on how best to finance the UK’s acute ongoing need for public development projects.The PFI problem childAt its core, ()the old PFI model made sense, but it remains controversial. Early PFI contracts were often complex and lengthy, making it difficult to flex them to meet the evolving needs of a project...
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