RESTON, VA. — The U.S. Geological Survey used cutting-edge Earth science to publish the first off-planet mineral prospectivity map – assessing likely places to find lunar ice near the Lunar South Pole for a NASA mission.

“The USGS and NASA have partnered for over 50 years to leverage space technologies to map the Earth’s resources, and to bring Earth science to bear on space exploration,” said Sarah Ryker, acting USGS director.“As the nation plans to return astronauts to the Moon, the Artemis missions will require resources prohibitive to bring from Earth. Our USGS expertise in assessing resources will help locate ice, which can be purified for drinking, or electrolyzed to make hydrogen and oxygen, key ingredients in rocket fuel.”

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Low-level airplane flights begin as soon as late July over the Black Hills and Bear Lodge areas of Wyoming and South Dakota to image geology using airborne geophysical technology.

The flights are a collaborative effort between the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earth Mapping Resources Initiative and the state geological surveys of South Dakota and Wyoming, and are part of a national effort to modernize mapping of the nation’s geology.

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Development of regenerative grafts would aid stroke and injury victims, ease strain on families and the health care system, and position the U.S. as a leader in brain repair technology

The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), today unveiled its groundbreaking Functional Repair of Neocortical Tissue (FRONT) program, a transformative initiative to restore brain function and position the U.S. as the global leader in brain repair technology. The FRONT program aligns directly with the priorities set by President Trump and Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., demonstrating a strong commitment to innovation, public health, and the economic well-being of the American people.

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VA’s long-standing digital tool that helps reduce Veterans’ homelessness was recently expanded to aid in suicide prevention.

The Status Query and Response Exchange System (SQUARES) is a VA web application launched in 2015. It provides VA employees and external organizations such as homeless service community partners, law enforcement partners (police departments, sheriff departments, courts and jails) and local, state and federal agencies with reliable, detailed information about Veteran eligibility for VA homeless assistance.

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Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are helping to protect honey bee populations while developing new strategies for managing fire ant populations. Honey bees are a vital part of pollinating our crops, while fire ants – an invasive species -- pose a major threat to humans, animals, and U.S. agriculture.

ARS scientists are getting a better understanding of Deformed Wing Virus (DWV), a major pathogen that can debilitate honey bees and adversely affect entire colonies. They found that the virus also affects fire ants, which could aid in spreading the virus to other species, including bees.

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By Deb Henley
505th Command and Control Wing Public Affairs

LAS VEGAS (AFNS) -- The Department of the Air Force took a bold step toward future command and control capabilities with the successful completion of its first Decision Advantage Sprint for Human-Machine Teaming, or DASH, experiment, recently held at the Howard Hughes Operations Center, or H2O, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"The DASH experiment showed how machine support can dramatically reduce decision time and improve decision quality for air battle managers working in complex operational environments," said Col. Christopher Cannon, Advanced Battle Management Cross-Functional Team lead. “Battle management teams were exercising command and control decision advantage.”

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