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Earth Intelligence

07 Feb 2024 — 5 min read

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U.S. Border Security Bill
SpaceX Launches

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U.S. Border Security Bill:

The recent surge in illegal immigration has led Texas to enhance its border security initiatives, notably through the deployment of the Texas National Guard. This move signifies Texas's proactive approach to managing border security amid concerns over federal policies. In support of Texas's actions, a coalition comprising 27 Republican governors has committed to deploying their National Guard units to assist in securing the border.
This collective response from multiple states underscores a widespread state-level intervention in response to the immigration surge. Within this context, a bipartisan Senate bill has been proposed, seeking to address the challenges of immigration and border security. The bill, however, has become a subject of controversy due to differing opinions on its effectiveness in securing the border.
The bill outlines a comprehensive financial plan, allocating a total of $118 billion towards various efforts: $60.06 billion for Ukraine in response to the conflict with Russia, $20.23 billion dedicated to enhancing U.S. border security, $14.1 billion for security assistance to Israel amid threats, $10 billion for humanitarian aid in conflict zones like Gaza, the West Bank, and Ukraine, $4.83 billion to support Indo-Pacific allies against China, $2.44 billion for U.S. military operations near the Red Sea, $2.33 billion for displaced Ukrainians and refugees, and an additional $4.01 billion for other critical areas such as disaster relief and healthcare.

SpaceX Launches:

Today, SpaceX is scheduled to conduct two operations. The first event is the return of the Dragon spacecraft carrying the Ax-3 crew from the International Space Station, set for no earlier than 9:05 AM EST. This crew, composed of astronauts Michael López-Alegría, Walter Villadei, Alper Gezeravcı, and Marcus Wandt, will conclude their mission that began with a launch on January 18.
The process for returning to Earth includes several critical steps: distancing from the ISS, lowering the orbit, discarding the spacecraft's trunk, and finally, splashing down near Florida's coast. The second operation is the launch of 22 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit, planned for 5:17 PM PST from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. This launch, part of SpaceX's broader initiative to expand global internet coverage, will utilize a Falcon 9 rocket.
The first stage booster, marking its 14th flight, is expected to land on a drone-ship in the Pacific Ocean. There are additional launch opportunities available until 8:54 PM PST if needed. Following these missions, SpaceX is also preparing for the launch of NASA's PACE mission on Thursday, February 8, aiming for a sun-synchronous orbit. This orbit is crucial for scientific satellites like PACE, as it allows the satellite to consistently pass over the Earth at the same local solar time, ensuring uniform lighting conditions for observations. This is particularly beneficial for monitoring environmental changes.
Orbits play a key role in satellite operations, with low-Earth orbit (LEO) being used for many communication and Earth-observing satellites due to its proximity to the Earth. Medium Earth orbit (MEO) is commonly used for navigation satellites like the Global Positioning System (GPS), while geostationary orbit (GEO) is ideal for weather and communications satellites that need to maintain a fixed position relative to the Earth. Each level of orbit serves distinct purposes, from close-range Earth observations in LEO to wide-area coverage in GEO.

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