March, 2019 | CompuScoop.com

Space X crew un-docks from International Space Station March 8th at 2am ET. Watch on NASA TV

Dan Uff March 8, 2019 2

NASA will provide coverage of the upcoming prelaunch and launch activities for the SpaceX Demo-1 flight test to the International Space Station for the agency’s Commercial Crew Program, which is working with the U.S. aerospace industry to launch astronauts on American rockets and spacecraft from American soil for the first time since 2011.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting 2:49 a.m. EST Saturday, March 2, for the launch of the company’s uncrewed Demo-1 flight, which will be the first time a commercially built and operated American rocket and spacecraft designed for humans will launch to the space station. The launch, as well as other activities leading up to the launch, will air on NASA Television and the agency’s website.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft will launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from historic Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The Crew Dragon is scheduled to dock to the space station at approximately 6:05 a.m. Sunday, March 3.

This will be the first uncrewed flight test of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and will provide data on the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket, Crew Dragon spacecraft and ground systems, as well as in-orbit, docking and landing operations.

The flight test also will provide valuable data toward NASA certifying SpaceX’s crew transportation system for carrying astronauts to and from the space station. SpaceX’s Demo-2 test flight, which will fly NASA astronauts to the space station, is targeted to launch in July.

Following each flight, NASA will review performance data to ensure each upcoming mission is as safe as possible. After completion of all test flights, NASA will continue its review of the systems and flight data for certification ahead of the start of regular crewed flights to the space station.

Full Demo-1 coverage is as follows. All times are EST:

Friday, Feb. 22

(no earlier than) 6 p.m. – Post-flight readiness review briefing at Kennedy, with the following representatives:
- William Gerstenmaier, associate administrator, NASA Human Exploration and Operations
- Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
- Kirk Shireman, manager, International Space Station Program
- Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
- Astronaut Office representative

Thursday, Feb. 28

4 p.m. – Pre-launch briefing at Kennedy, with the following representatives:
- Kathy Lueders, manager, NASA Commercial Crew Program
- Joel Montalbano, deputy manager, International Space Station Program
- Hans Koenigsmann, vice president, Build and Flight Reliability, SpaceX
- Pat Forrester, chief, Astronaut Office, Johnson Space Center
- Melody C. Lovin, launch weather officer, 45th Weather Squadron

Friday, March 1

4 p.m. – In-person media opportunity at the press site countdown clock with:
- NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine
- NASA astronaut Bob Behnken, assigned to SpaceX Demo-2 flight test
- NASA astronaut Doug Hurley, assigned to SpaceX Demo-2 flight test
- NASA astronaut Victor Glover, assigned to SpaceX Crew Dragon-1 operational mission
- NASA astronaut Mike Hopkins, assigned to SpaceX Crew Dragon-1 operational mission

Saturday, March 2

2 a.m. – NASA TV launch coverage begins for the 2:49 a.m. liftoff
4 a.m. – Post-launch news conference at Kennedy with:
- NASA representative
- SpaceX representative

Sunday, March 3

3:30 a.m. – Rendezvous and docking coverage
8:45 a.m. – Hatch opening coverage
10:30 a.m. – Station crew welcoming ceremony

Thursday, March 7

12:15 p.m. - Hatch closing coverage begins

Friday, March 8

2:00 a.m. – Undocking coverage begins
7:30 a.m. – Deorbit and landing coverage

The deadline for media to apply for accreditation for this launch has passed, but more information about media accreditation is available by emailing ksc-media-accreditat@mail.nasa.gov.

For more information on event coverage, got to:

https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-spacex-demo-1-briefings-events-and-broadcasts

The goal of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program is safe, reliable and cost-effective transportation to and from the International Space Station, which could allow for additional research time and increase the opportunity for discovery aboard humanity’s testbed for exploration. For launch countdown coverage, NASA's launch blog, and more information about the mission, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/commercialcrew

-end-

Disney CEO: Disney’s entire movie library will be streaming via Disney +

CompuScoop Staff March 8, 2019 0

Disney is betting big on its 2019 streaming service called Disney+,” Mike Sorrentino reports for CNET. “With Disney CEO Bob Iger calling the streaming service the company’s ‘biggest priority’ for 2019, the company is ending its streaming deal with Netflix so it can launch its own subscription platform as the exclusive streaming home for Disney movies, TV shows and other original programming. ”

“Much of the original programming planned for Disney+ leans into the company’s franchises like Marvel and Star Wars. And it be the only place to stream the company’s new movies after they premiere in theaters, starting with Captain Marvel,” Sorrentino reports. “Not only that, Iger revealed Thursday that the service will house the entire Disney motion picture library “fairly soon” after launch.”

“Basically: If you love Star Wars or Marvel movies, you may find yourself considering yet another subscription before the year is out,” Sorrentino reports. “Disney’s other streaming services — Hulu and sports-focused ESPN+ — will run on the same tech platform so you can subscribe to them with the same password and credit card info. But Disney plans for all three to be individual subscriptions. ”

Tons more in the full article here.

Apple Watch saves another life, this time a person with ….

Dan Uff March 8, 2019 0

The health-related stories keep coming for the Apple Watch. The device has been credited with saving another life due to its heart beat monitoring functionality, with the wearable device detecting an unusual pulse rate and a suggestion to go to hospital, ultimately leading to a diagnosis of tachycardia.

To read the rest of the story from Appleinsider, click here.

Apple will not appeal songwriter royalty increase like other digital music services

CompuScoop Staff March 7, 2019 0

“Spotify, Google, Pandora and Amazon have teamed up to appeal a controversial ruling by the U.S. Copyright Royalty Board that, if it goes through, would increase payouts to songwriters by 44%, Variety has learned,” Chris Willman reports for Variety. “A joint statement from the first three of those companies reads: ‘The Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), in a split decision, recently issued the U.S. mechanical statutory rates in a manner that raises serious procedural and substantive concerns. If left to stand, the CRB’s decision harms both music licensees and copyright owners. Accordingly, we are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit to review the decision.'”

Willman reports, “Sources say that Apple Music is alone among the major streaming services in not planning to appeal.”

“David Israelite, president/CEO of the National Music Publishers’ Association, had previously said that the digital companies would be ‘declaring war’ on the songwriting community if they appealed the royalty increase,” Willman reports. “Israelite did single out Apple for praise for not participating in an appeal. ‘We thank Apple Music for accepting the CRB decision and continuing to be a friend to songwriters,’ he said.”

Read more in the full article here.