AS YOU WALK OUT THE DOOR. HERE ARE THE SEVEN BIG THINGS THAT WE’RE FOLLOWING FOR YOU TODAY. IT IS LOOKING TO BE A HOT ONE OUT THERE. HERE’S ERIC WITH THE FORECAST. YEAH NOT HOT YET THOUGH. WE’RE ACTUALLY RIDING ON A VERY PLEASANT START TO THIS 1ST OF JUNE. THIS MONDAY MORNING SANTA FE IS AT 55 OR 57 IN RIO RANCHO, HOLDING IN THE LOWER 60S HERE AT THE ALBUQUERQUE SUNPORT. THE WIND IS LIGHT, THE SKY IS BRIGHT. WE’LL KEEP THE SKY FULL OF SUNSHINE THROUGHOUT. 91 IS CURRENTLY THE HOTTEST TEMPERATURE WE’VE SEEN SO FAR HERE FOR THE YEAR 2026, AND WE’RE AT LEAST GOING TO BE GOOD FOR 91 TODAY. WE’LL PROBABLY BE ABOVE THAT BY A DEGREE OR TWO INTO THE DINNER HOUR. WE’RE DRY TODAY WITH THE BRIGHT SKIES, LIGHT SOUTHERLY BREEZES, GREAT POOL TIME, AFTERNOON TO SPEND SOME TIME WITH KIDS OUTDOORS IF YOU CAN GET THERE. HOT, HOT. THANK YOU. ERIC. ALBUQUERQUE CITY COUNCIL COULD VOTE ON A PLAN THAT WOULD RAISE THE MINIMUM WAGE BY $3. CURRENTLY, IT’S $12 APPROVED. IT WOULD GO TO 15. THE CITY COUNCIL MEETING AT 5:00 TONIGHT. THEY COULD ALSO DEFER THE VOTE UNTIL ITS NEXT MEETING. THE NEW MEXICO EPSTEIN TRUTH COMMISSION WILL HOLD ITS FIRST PUBLIC HEARING TODAY. THIS WAS CREATED TO EXAMINE WHAT HAPPENED TO JEFFREY EPSTEIN’S ZORRO RANCH IN SANTA FE COUNTY. THE HEARING STARTS AT 2 P.M. AT THE ROUNDHOUSE AND IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC. AN INFANT’S DEATH IS UNDER INVESTIGATION IN NORTHEAST ALBUQUERQUE. OFFICERS WERE CALLED EARLY YESTERDAY MORNING TO AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ON OSUNA ROAD AFTER A CALLER REPORTED A CHILD WAS DEAD. INVESTIGATORS WITH APD’S CRIMES AGAINST CHILDREN UNIT HAVE SINCE TAKEN OVER THAT INVESTIGATION. THE U.S. FIRED MORE STRIKES IN IRAN OVERNIGHT AS THE TWO COUNTRIES CONTINUE NEGOTIATING A PEACE DEAL. TALKS HAVE BEEN COMPLICATED AS PRESIDENT TRUMP IS ADAMANT THE DEAL MUST STRIP IRAN OF ITS NUCLEAR AMBITIONS. THE MILITARY SAYS THE STRIKES FOLLOWED WHAT IT DESCRIBES AS AGGRESSIVE ACTIONS BY IRAN. LAWMAKERS ARE BACK IN WASHINGTON AFTER A WEEK LONG BREAK. REPUBLICANS TRYING TO PASS A BILL TO PAY FOR IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT. BUT IT IS SOME OF PRESIDENT TRUMP’S OTHER PRIORITIES, LIKE THE BALLROOM CONSTRUCTION AND TAXPAYER FUNDED SETTLEMENT THAT IS STALLING PROGRESS. KIDS ACROSS OUR STATE CAN GET FREE MEALS AS THE SUMMER FOOD SERVICE PROGRAM KICKS OFF TODAY, THERE ARE OVER 400 MEAL SITES ACROSS THE STATE AT PLACES LIKE CHURCHES, PARKS AND SCHOOLS. BREA
Sandia Lab helping NASA with Dragonfly mission to Titan
Rotorcraft would have to withstand intense heat in descent to surface of Saturn’s largest moon.
Sandia National Laboratories is playing a crucial role in NASA’s preparation for the Dragonfly mission to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon. At its National Solar Thermal Test Facility, engineers recreated the heat that the heat shield on Drangonfly’s rotorcraft will have to withstand while going through Titan’s dense, nitrogen-rich atmosphere, a Sandia Labs news release said.Sandia and NASA recently completed the sixth and final solar tower tests, which began in 2023. The high heat testing capability also benefits Sandia’s nuclear deterrence mission, the release said.Each test involved mounting heat shield material atop Sandia’s 200-foot solar tower, where engineers could adjust its angle to receive concentrated sunlight. Hundreds of mirror-like heliostats then focused sunlight on a 24-inch area to create a heat pulse of more than 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit, much hotter than what Dragonfly’s descent is expected to experience. Inert gas was also passed over the heat shield material to approximate Titan’s atmosphere. The material charred and smoked, and instruments recorded how the heat moved over shoulders, edges, and gaps.“We are able to simulate the heating profile on a physical scale and time scale that’s meaningful for flight, using concentrated sunlight to deliver repeatable tests, independent validation and opportunities to iterate,” said Ken Armijo, Sandia’s lead engineer and test director for the campaign. “These tests help build confidence in the heat shield system before it ever flies.”Once the Dragonfly rotorcraft has landed on Titan, it will be capable of being airborne for miles at a time during its planned mission of 3.3 years. More information on the Dragonfly mission is online at www.science.nasa.gov/mission/dragonfly/.
Sandia National Laboratories is playing a crucial role in NASA’s preparation for the Dragonfly mission to Titan, Saturn’s largest moon.
At its National Solar Thermal Test Facility, engineers recreated the heat that the heat shield on Drangonfly’s rotorcraft will have to withstand while going through Titan’s dense, nitrogen-rich atmosphere, a Sandia Labs news release said.
Sandia and NASA recently completed the sixth and final solar tower tests, which began in 2023. The high heat testing capability also benefits Sandia’s nuclear deterrence mission, the release said.
Each test involved mounting heat shield material atop Sandia’s 200-foot solar tower, where engineers could adjust its angle to receive concentrated sunlight. Hundreds of mirror-like heliostats then focused sunlight on a 24-inch area to create a heat pulse of more than 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit, much hotter than what Dragonfly’s descent is expected to experience. Inert gas was also passed over the heat shield material to approximate Titan’s atmosphere. The material charred and smoked, and instruments recorded how the heat moved over shoulders, edges, and gaps.
“We are able to simulate the heating profile on a physical scale and time scale that’s meaningful for flight, using concentrated sunlight to deliver repeatable tests, independent validation and opportunities to iterate,” said Ken Armijo, Sandia’s lead engineer and test director for the campaign. “These tests help build confidence in the heat shield system before it ever flies.”
Once the Dragonfly rotorcraft has landed on Titan, it will be capable of being airborne for miles at a time during its planned mission of 3.3 years. More information on the Dragonfly mission is online at www.science.nasa.gov/mission/dragonfly/.
