Türkiye to host world's largest space congress in 2026 Türkiye's dedication to space exploration garners recognition from prominent figures in the field, with ambitious goals set to reach the moon by 2026 and enhance the nation's global space presence. The scenic resort of Antalya on the Turkish Riviera will host the 77th International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in 2026, the country's industry and technology minister has announced. "Türkiye won the race, and Antalya will host the world's largest space congress in 2026. May it be beneficial to our country and nation. This is our shared success and source of pride," Türkiye's Industry and Technology Minister Mehmet Fatih Kacir said during a technology event on Friday. Stressing that everyone who believes in Türkiye's future can make great contributions to such successes, he said science, research and development, innovation, and entrepreneurship all play important roles in scaling even more heights in the decades ahead. "The awareness of space among the Turkish people and our young people will increase greatly. Türkiye also aims to reach the moon in 2026. We will crown this step with the congress. Türkiye’s place in the world space community will rise much higher,” Serdar Huseyin Yildirim, head of the Turkish Space Agency (TUA) said. https://www.trtworld.com/turkiye/turkiye-to-host-worlds-largest-space-congress-in-2026-15280862

Dear Asgardia Members,As a devoted subscriber of our community, I'd like to share an important suggestion. It's time to restore and clean up our website, so that our internal members can communicate and collaborate more effectively. It's time to lift the veil that hinders our ability to connect, share ideas, and work together to build our space nation. We understand that the current website may present navigation and interaction challenges. I strongly encourage you to consider improvements to make the experience more user-friendly, faster, and accessible.Your voices matter. Asgardia's members have valuable ideas and unique perspectives. By listening to and implementing these suggestions, we can strengthen our community and mission. Let's continue working together to realize our shared vision for Asgardia. I hope my suggestion will be taken into consideration for the betterment of our space nation. With gratitude for your dedication to Asgardia,

We Are Exposed (to a lack of COBOL Programmers) The current pandemic has exposed a hole in the programming workforce, one that insiders reported on for almost ten years. The hole is the lack of COBOL programmers to support COBOL mainframes that power crucial commerce, government and financial systems. For the record, COBOL is a 50+ year old programming language invented to power IBM’s AS400 mainframes. In the Fifties, implementing mainframes saved industries millions of dollars paying for man hours. It replaced manual data-entry, computation, and manipulation. In 2020, it still powers 95% of any ATM swipes and 80% of in-personal financial transactions. According to a 2014 report in American Banker, 92% of top banks and 71% of Fortune 500 still used mainframes. Then COVID devastated the economy, and the systems used to mitigate the crisis couldn’t keep up with the demands. Consider how the Social Security Department has systems that include 60 million lines of COBOL code. That department, the IRS, and states’ unemployment offices can’t keep up with the tasks of recording and sending relief to millions of US citizens. For the most part, COBOL is still secure and reliable, but it needs to be scaled, if not migrated. Many states and companies have started COBOL migration but much of the work halted with the shelter in place orders, that is until state and federal departments realized they are handicapped by 40 or 50-year-old systems. Then they put out an “All Hands on Deck” call for COBOL developers, most of whom have retired. How This Gap Happened With 220 billion lines of code still in use worldwide, how did this gap happen? In part, technological evolution, a shift in training towards new languages, and a dismissive attitude towards COBOL programmers and the IBM AS400 mainframes contribute. COBOL was treated as on its way to obsolescence. It was a language to maintain, its developers no longer earned top salaries, and colleges pushed COBOL courses to second tiers. The population of COBOL experts aged; the average age is 60+. “Younger” COBOL developers are often in their 40’s and 50’s. Hiring COBOL programmers out of college was like finding the needle in the haystack. In the programming industry, COBOL was described as “not sexy” and like swallowing a painful pill. Not only did it feel stodgy because programmers couldn’t design anything fresh, but also one coder described it as loaded “with technical debt… modified, extended, moved to new hardware.” Worse yet, documentation was missing or out of date. In fact, most of the documentation was like a disappearing language, stuck in the heads of retired COBOL AS400 programmers. They hold the key to the language that needs updating to COBOL.net or to migrate to newer systems. COBOL Programmers Are Essential (Workers) It’s striking how COBOL developers are “essential workers” now that we are in crisis. They had been sidelined, their industry slowly paying developers less and less, not unlike CNA’s in a long-term care facility. Now that systems cannot keep up with the unemployment claims and CARES distributions, COBOL developers are on the front lines. And there are not enough of them. To be fair, Computerworld reported in 2017 that IBM had ramped up its partnerships to increase the number of training programs. At that time 75 colleges taught COBOL. IBM invited almost 70,000 students into its “Master the Mainframe” Contest between 2012-2014 and has since provided fellowships and scholarships to about 15,000 students a year to learn COBOL. This month IBM partnered with Linux Open Source on three initiatives to help companies find developers. They boast a new call out forum, a temporary technical forum for managing issues and sharing techniques, as well as a COBOL with VSCode training program. There is one overlooked source for expanding the Offshore development team: hire Programmers.io, which has international COBOL programmers at the ready for the task at hand.

As we venture into the realm of space and contemplate long-term space habitation, there's a profound connection to our home planet that we risk overlooking: Earth's natural electric field. More than just a scientific curiosity, this electric field has been an intrinsic part of our evolutionary journey. A prolonged absence from it, due to living in space, may introduce unforeseen physiological challenges to our health and wellbeing. Understanding Earth's Electric Field: Every living being on Earth has evolved under the influence of our planet's magnetic and electric fields. This ambient electric field is a result of the countless electrical storms that occur daily around the world, creating electrical currents that travel around Earth. We are, in essence, always in touch with this 'electric blanket,' though it largely goes unnoticed in our day-to-day lives. The Earth-Space Connection: Recent studies suggest that there's a connection between the Earth's natural electric field and our physiological well being. Here's how: 1. Bioelectrical Regulation: Our body is a complex network of electrical activities, with our cells, nerves, and tissues constantly transmitting and receiving electrical signals. Some theories suggest that our bodies might synchronize or harmonize with Earth's natural electric field, aiding in this regulation. 2. Circadian Rhythms: The natural electrical rhythms of Earth could play a role in setting or influencing our biological clocks, our sleep patterns, and our hormonal cycles. 3. Natural Grounding: The practice of "earthing" or "grounding" – directly connecting with the Earth's surface – has gained attention in holistic health circles. Proponents argue that direct contact with the Earth can neutralize free radicals and reduce inflammation, though more research is needed. Challenges in Space: Away from Earth, in the metallic confines of a spacecraft or space station, we lose that direct connection. How might this affect us? 1. Physiological Disruptions: Without the natural electric field as a reference, there might be disruptions in our bioelectrical processes, potentially affecting cellular functions, nervous system operations, or hormonal balances. 2. Sleep Disturbances: Altered exposure to natural electric fields might disrupt our circadian rhythms, leading to sleep disorders, fatigue, or other related health issues. 3. Potential for Increased Inflammation: If the theories around grounding hold weight, then the lack of Earth's electric field might lead to increased oxidative stress and inflammation in the body. Navigating the Unknown: As Asgardians, it's imperative we investigate these potential challenges further: 1. Research & Development: Devote resources to study the direct and indirect influences of Earth's electric field on human physiology. 2. Simulation Systems: Create onboard systems in spacecraft that can simulate Earth's electric field, thereby potentially offsetting some of the negative impacts of its absence. 3. Holistic Approaches: Integrate Earth-like environments, such as gardens or mineral baths, that might help replicate the grounding experience. As we dream of stars and distant worlds, let us not forget the subtle, unseen ties that bind us to our home planet. By understanding and respecting these connections, we pave the way for a healthier and more harmonious future in space.