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Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute: Archaeologists Analyze How Diseases Impacted Indigenous Populations in the Americas During Colonial Times
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Aug. 7 (TNSjou)-- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Ancient epidemics
Archaeologists analyze how diseases impacted Indigenous populations in the Americas during colonial times
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A new study examines the history of smallpox epidemics brought to America by European colonists, the absence of archaeological evidence associated with those epidemics, and whether ancient DNA might offer new insights.
When Europeans first arrived in the Americas, they brought many infectious diseases with them that did not exist in the continent before.
One
... Show Full Article
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Aug. 7 (TNSjou)-- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Ancient epidemics
Archaeologists analyze how diseases impacted Indigenous populations in the Americas during colonial times
-
A new study examines the history of smallpox epidemics brought to America by European colonists, the absence of archaeological evidence associated with those epidemics, and whether ancient DNA might offer new insights.
When Europeans first arrived in the Americas, they brought many infectious diseases with them that did not exist in the continent before.
Oneof them was smallpox, a highly contagious and deadly viral disease that spread quickly through Indigenous populations that hadn't yet developed defenses against it. It is considered one of the most devastating of all the introduced diseases to the Americas, killing an estimated 3 to 4 million people.
A recent paper, published in the Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, and co-authored by anthropologists and archaeologists, including from the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), examines ethnohistoric and archaeological records from across the Americas to understand the nature and magnitude of epidemics caused by these diseases, as well as impacts, both biological and cultural, on Indigenous populations.
It also highlights something puzzling: despite multiple accounts of mass death and depopulation, there are no documented mass or altered burials identified as resulting from smallpox during the colonial period, and no substantial collections of bones, teeth, or skeletal fragments recovered from one place, that could provide more archaeological evidence.
"Disease is a global phenomenon, but evidence for severe epidemic disease in the Americas prior to European arrival is scarce," says the main author, historical bioarcheologist Alex Garcia-Putnam, who is an assistant professor in the Anthropology Department and the Assistant Director of the Forensic Anthropology Identification and Recovery (F.A.I.R.) Lab at the University of New Hampshire.
Garcia-Putnam's research first focused on the impacts of disease spread by Spanish colonists on Indigenous populations in Peru. Soon it expanded to other Native populations during the colonial period: the central Great Plains of North America, the Pacific Northwest, and central and South America, including Mexico, the Isthmus of Panama, and Peru. He invited STRI staff scientist Nicole Smith-Guzman, New York University bioarcheologist Thomas Snyder, the State of Washington's State Physical Anthropologist Guy Tasa, and University of Kansas archaeologist and Pawnee Nation citizen Carlton Shield Chief Gover, to be co-authors, for their ample knowledge of the archaeological and ethnohistoric context covering a broad geography, to better understand the impact on different populations.
"It wasn't just diseases as biological agents that were affecting people's health. It was also things that were going on socially around them that could make them more vulnerable to disease," says Smith-Guzman. "This research would help to better understand the complexities and the impact of colonialism on the populations all across the continent."
For instance, the impact of Spanish colonialism in Panama, a high-traffic area, and its surrounding regions is well-documented. Accounts from Spanish colonists such as Pedrarias Davila note that smallpox decimated most of the Native populations; and in the oral histories of the Indigenous Guna people of Panama, the ongoing epidemics are mentioned as having played a role in their decision to migrate from the mainland in the Darien province to the islands of the San Blas Archipelago, in the Caribbean coasts of Panama.
"Though they had more than one place of residence to make the most of the land resources when fishing or hunting, and they changed the location of their settlements approximately once a decade, the Guna oral histories do refer to the arrival of the epidemics as a factor for moving," explains social anthropologist Monica Martinez Mauri of the University of Barcelona, who was not involved in this study.
Yet there is very little evidence of mass or altered burials related to the smallpox epidemic found in any of these regions.
"Mass burial was not an unknown phenomenon to Indigenous societies prior to European arrival, due to warfare or other scenarios, but the Euro-Christian practices that were forced upon Indigenous populations could have impacted how they buried their dead, diseased or otherwise," the authors say.
One explanation might be that mass burials simply have not been discovered yet by archaeologists. It's also possible that since so many people were dying at the same time, there was no one left to bury the dead.
"Burial traditions vary for different cultures. It was important to include specialists from across these different areas to know what's a normal burial and what's an altered burial in these places," points out Smith-Guzman.
Is it possible to tell if someone died of smallpox, especially if it happened a long time ago?
The answer might be in ancient DNA (aDNA): since smallpox is a DNA-based virus, genetic evidence of the pathogen's presence in human tissue can be found in preserved human teeth, bones, preserved skin and coprolites (preserved fecal matter). The researchers consider one possible future avenue of paleopathological analyses using aDNA to detect viral aDNA and identify people who died of smallpox, which might help identify mass graves dedicated to smallpox victims.
However, since the samples need to be destroyed for aDNA analysis, it presents an ethical issue and requires permission and support from the descendant communities. "Limiting the destruction of human remains is paramount," Garcia-Putnam adds.
Another challenge of aDNA is obtaining sufficient samples of human tissue for analysis. In Panama and other tropical areas, for example, the soils are often too acidic for preserving pathogen DNA within ancient bone tissues. But areas like Peru and the Pacific Northwest of the U.S. might offer better DNA preservation, if mass burials can be found.
The article ultimately proposes a multidisciplinary approach and criteria to guide future research, including evaluating burials and skeleton assemblages to determine if they were a result of the smallpox epidemics, expanding the research to other impactful diseases--measles, plague, influenza, etc.--and using computer-based modeling to simulate how smallpox spread from community to community.
The authors hope to understand the complexity of health impacts on Indigenous communities during colonial times, including how populations dealt with multiple overlapping epidemic diseases as well as violence, and political, religious and environmental upheavals happening simultaneously.
"It's important to acknowledge that these epidemics have been happening for a long time in our human history, and that they impact more than just human health," states Smith-Guzman. "Knowing that diseases took a toll on certain communities at specific points in time helps us understand decisions that were made in that culture."
"Infectious diseases are on the front of everyone's mind: COVID, Mpox, Ebola, Hantavirus," Garcia-Putnam states. "And we can and should learn from our global history co-evolving with these pathogens and use those lessons to better guide our present and future."
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Reference:
Garcia-Putnam, Alex, Snyder, Thomas J., Tasa, Guy L., Smith-Guzman, Nicole E., Chief Gover, Carlton Shield. 2026. Exploring archaeological evidence for historic smallpox epidemics in the Americas, Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, Volume 83, 101778, ISSN 0278-4165, DOI: 10.1016/j.jaa.2026.101778
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About the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Headquartered in Panama City, Panama, STRI is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. Our mission is to understand tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, to train students to conduct research in the tropics and to promote conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Watch our video, and visit our website, Facebook, X and Instagram for updates.
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/ancient-epidemics
Smithsonian Institution: Revitalized Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Opens Oct. 31
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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Revitalized Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Opens Oct. 31
Redesign Installs 50% More Artworks, Including 24 Major Works From Joseph H. Hirshhorn's Foundational Gift
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The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden will reopen Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, following a four-year revitalization that has repaired aging infrastructure and reorganized the 1.3-acre space to display more artworks, welcome more visitors and reunify the museum's campus. Sixty artworks, a 50% increase from the garden's previous
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Smithsonian Institution issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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Revitalized Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden Opens Oct. 31
Redesign Installs 50% More Artworks, Including 24 Major Works From Joseph H. Hirshhorn's Foundational Gift
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The Smithsonian's Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden will reopen Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026, following a four-year revitalization that has repaired aging infrastructure and reorganized the 1.3-acre space to display more artworks, welcome more visitors and reunify the museum's campus. Sixty artworks, a 50% increase from the garden's previousincarnation, will be set within a landscaped garden of nearly 30,000 new plants and trees, inviting contemplation as viewers discover links between Joseph H. Hirshhorn's transformative gift and today's most exciting sculpture.
Architect-artist Hiroshi Sugimoto has redesigned the Sculpture Garden with careful consideration of Gordon Bunshaft's original design. His dry-stacked stone walls define key spaces and encourage exploration, particularly in the East Garden, where major Modernist bronzes from the Hirshhorn's holdings by the likes of Auguste Rodin, Henri Matisse and Henry Moore reveal the history of modern sculpture, appearing alongside recent acquisitions and commissions by leading contemporary artists.
"The revitalization of the Sculpture Garden marks the most significant rethinking of our campus since the Hirshhorn opened in 1974, and the reopening installation presents the seamless connection between the museum and the garden through works from the 1880s to the present day," said Hirshhorn Director Melissa Chiu. "From Rodin, Willem de Kooning, Barbara Hepworth and David Smith to artists leading the way today, including Sugimoto, the Sculpture Garden centers pivotal moments in sculpture within a landscape designed for discovery. We are proud to bolster Joseph H. Hirshhorn's vision for 21st-century audiences."
In 1974, the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden opened with 52 artworks drawn from Joseph Hirshhorn's foundational gift to the nation of more than 2,000 sculptures. When the Hirshhorn outdoor galleries reopen on the National Mall in October, 60 artworks--39 from the founding donor's personal collection, including 21 that were installed in 1974--will be on view in the Sculpture Garden and Plaza. Among the reinstalled artworks will be renowned touchstones by Rodin, including "The Burghers of Calais" (1884-1889) and "Monument to Balzac" (1891-1898); a complete series of bronze reliefs, "The Backs I-IV," made by Matisse between 1909 and 1931; and essential abstract works by Hepworth, Moore, Smith, as well as Lucio Fontana and Alberto Giacometti.
The new curatorial arrangement will be accompanied by architectural modifications that expand public access to the Hirshhorn campus, including five points of entry, a wider "front door" on the National Mall, the introduction of east and west overlooks, and flexible interior spaces, including the East and Central Gardens and the West Lawn. The stacked-stone walls--hand-hewn from 950 tons of stone--define outdoor galleries and provide a timeless background for modern and contemporary sculpture.
Five sculptures by Moore and two by Hepworth, grounded in Joseph Hirshhorn's friendships with both artists, will be installed to highlight the depth of the museum's Modernist holdings. Nearby, in the walkway leading to the Central Garden, four Smith works, installed in a central planting bed, will form a group that underscores the sculptor's pivotal role in advancing Abstract Expressionist sculpture through his revolutionary approach to welding and metal. Elsewhere in the East Garden, sculptures gifted and bequeathed by Joseph Hirshhorn include works by Hans (Jean) Arp, Max Bill, Andrea Cascella, Elisabeth Frink, Willem de Kooning, Henri Laurens, Jacques Lipchitz, Aristide Maillol, Joan Miro, Pablo Picasso, Germaine Richier and Tomonori Toyofuku.
Interwoven with these historic sculptures are contemporary artworks such as Yoko Ono's "Wish Tree for Washington, DC" (2007), which invites visitors to tie handwritten wishes for peace to the branches of a Japanese dogwood--part of the artist's global "Wish Tree" project. The West Garden and allee, meanwhile, broaden the visitor's focus to groundbreaking contemporary sculpture, including recent acquisitions by Mark Grotjahn, Raven Halfmoon, Lauren Halsey, Izumi Kato, Liz Larner and Pedro Reyes.
Sugimoto reorganized the Sculpture Garden to further the Hirshhorn's mission to share more artwork, welcome more visitors and repair aging infrastructure. Working with Smithsonian experts, his team includes his Tokyo-based architecture firm, New Material Research Laboratory (NMRL), cofounded in 2008 by Sugimoto and Tomoyuki Sakakida in association with YUN Architecture, in Brooklyn, New York; Quinn Evans, in Washington, D.C., as architect of record; and Rhodeside & Harwell Inc., in Alexandria, Virginia, as landscape architect.
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About the Hirshhorn
The Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden is the national museum of modern and contemporary art and a leading voice for 21st-century art and culture. Part of the Smithsonian, the Hirshhorn is located prominently on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Its holdings encompass one of the most important collections of postwar American and European art in the world. The Hirshhorn presents diverse exhibitions and offers an array of public programs on the art of our time--free to all. The Hirshhorn Museum is open Mondays noon-5:30 p.m. and Tuesdays-Sundays 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. (closed Dec. 25). For more information, visit hirshhorn.si.edu. Follow the museum on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.
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Original text here: https://www.si.edu/newsdesk/releases/revitalized-hirshhorn-sculpture-garden-opens-oct-31
SBA Announces First-Ever Critical Suppliers Prize Competition to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing and Supply Chains
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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SBA Announces First-Ever Critical Suppliers Prize Competition to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing and Supply Chains
Competition Offers $20 Million in Capital to Small Businesses That Will Scale Domestic Production
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Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced its first-ever Critical Suppliers Prize Competition, a national contest to strengthen U.S. manufacturing and critical industry supply chains by expanding capacity at key chokepoints. The competition will award up to
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Small Business Administration issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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SBA Announces First-Ever Critical Suppliers Prize Competition to Strengthen U.S. Manufacturing and Supply Chains
Competition Offers $20 Million in Capital to Small Businesses That Will Scale Domestic Production
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Today, the U.S. Small Business Administration announced its first-ever Critical Suppliers Prize Competition, a national contest to strengthen U.S. manufacturing and critical industry supply chains by expanding capacity at key chokepoints. The competition will award up to$20 million in non dilutive capital, including as many as six prizes with a maximum of $6 million each, to small businesses that demonstrate the capacity to rapidly scale domestic production through measurable, enduring supply chain solutions.
"For decades, bad policy hollowed out America's industrial base and shifted our reliance toward foreign producers and fragile overseas supply chains. Thanks to President Trump, those days are over," said Administrator Kelly Loeffler. "The Critical Suppliers Prize Competition will unleash promising solutions to supply chain vulnerabilities, bring capacity and jobs back home, and rebuild strategic sectors like advanced materials, metals, and energy production. By backing innovators to deliver at scale, the Trump SBA is targeting the critical industries that will anchor America's economic strength and national security for decades to come."
Contestants must have an aligned business strategy that provides tangible deliverables on one of the following critical industry supply chain priorities:
* Advanced Metals Manufacturing, including rapid tooling, precision casting and forging, heat treated components, strategic and critical minerals, and rare earth element recovery and magnet production.
* Advanced Materials Manufacturing, including large format additive manufacturing and materials transformation.
* Energy Systems, Energetics and Components, including nuclear energy, battery energy storage systems and standardization efforts.
Eligible competition contestants must meet the following criteria:
* Private entities or teams that meet SBA's definition of a small business.
* Individuals submitting responses to this opportunity, including individuals representing organizations partnering with the small business applicant, must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents who are at least 18 years of age at the time of their submission of an entry.
* An individual cannot belong to more than one entry in this competition.
* Contestants must be current and in good standing on any federal obligations.
* Contestants must be in good standing in the jurisdiction of their state of organization.
* Contestants must be an entity organized in and maintaining a primary place of business in the U.S. and/or its territories.
* Contestants must be profitable and demonstrate creditworthiness.
* Contestants must demonstrate the ability to deploy funds rapidly (within six months) and demonstrate the ability to achieve measurable increases in production or ability to implement a solution to support efficiencies in production to deliver near-term supply chain impact.
* All members of the senior management team of a contestant must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. and over the age of 18.
The SBA has committed to rebuilding American supply chains and domestic manufacturing through a series of targeted initiatives. This year, the agency waived loan fees for manufacturing NAICS codes, established the first-ever loan program dedicated to American manufacturers, and modernized the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program so more private capital flows into critical, supply chain sensitive industries. The agency also announced a new 90% Made in America Loan Guarantee for small manufacturers and continues to promote existing programs such as the asset-based 7(a) Working Capital Pilot (WCP) Program. Through its ongoing Supplier Matchmaking Expo series and its Make Onshoring Great Again Portal, the agency has also played an active role in helping large companies source small suppliers to onshore supply chains across industries.
Contestants must submit proposals electronically to investinnovate@sba.gov. Proposals may be in the form of a company pitch deck. More information can be found at https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/priorities/sba-initiatives/critical-suppliers-prize-competition/. The deadline for submission is Aug. 28 by 11:59 p.m. ET.
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About the U.S. Small Business Administration
The U.S. Small Business Administration helps power the American dream of entrepreneurship. As the leading voice for small businesses within the federal government, the SBA empowers job creators with the resources and support they need to start, grow, and expand their businesses or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more, visit www.sba.gov.
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About SBA Office of Investment and Innovation
The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Investment and Innovation (OII) leads programs to support U.S. growth-oriented small businesses and startups. These programs provide access to capital, assistance, and networks to support the success of innovation-driven small businesses. OII's work is bolstered by public-private partnerships that drive small business growth from idea to impact. To learn more, visit https://www.sba.gov/about-sba/sba-locations/headquarters-offices/office-investment-innovation.
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Original text here: https://legacy.sba.gov/article/2026/08/06/sba-announces-first-ever-critical-suppliers-prize-competition-strengthen-us-manufacturing-supply
NTSB: Cellphone Use and Lack of Proper Lookout Leads to Fatal Vessel Collision in Texas
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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Cellphone Use and Lack of Proper Lookout Leads to Fatal Vessel Collision in Texas
Distraction by personal electronic devices involved in at least 10 marine casualties between 2009 and 2024
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The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that distraction and failure to maintain a proper lookout caused a 2024 fatal collision between a bulk carrier and towing vessel near Lynchburg, Texas.
The bulk carrier Yangze 7 and the towing vessel Miss Peggy collided on July 19,
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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Cellphone Use and Lack of Proper Lookout Leads to Fatal Vessel Collision in Texas
Distraction by personal electronic devices involved in at least 10 marine casualties between 2009 and 2024
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The National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday that distraction and failure to maintain a proper lookout caused a 2024 fatal collision between a bulk carrier and towing vessel near Lynchburg, Texas.
The bulk carrier Yangze 7 and the towing vessel Miss Peggy collided on July 19,2024, while both were inbound in the Houston Ship Channel. The Miss Peggy capsized and sank with five crewmembers on board. Four crewmembers, one of which sustained serious injuries, were recovered by a good Samaritan vessel and the fifth crewmember was later found deceased in the wreckage.
NTSB investigators found the pilot who was directing the movement of the Yangze 7 had been on a non-operational phone call with another pilot, who was directing the movement of another vessel, for 39 minutes before the collision, distracting him from his duties. The call ended two minutes and 16 seconds before the collision. This distraction resulted in the pilot being unaware of the presence of the Miss Peggy.
The NTSB issued two safety recommendations: one to the U.S. Coast Guard and one to the American Pilots' Association. The NTSB recommended the U.S. Coast Guard prohibit the nonoperational use of personal electronic devices by persons directing the movement of a vessel through the waterways under its jurisdiction. The NTSB also recommended the American Pilots' Association develop and implement guidance prohibiting nonoperational use of personal electronic devices by pilots actively directing the movement of a vessel and to encourage their member associations to adopt such guidance in their operational rules and policies.
The NTSB determined that distraction by personal electronic devices was either a contributing factor or the probable cause in at least 10 marine casualties between 2009 and 2024, killing three and injuring 45.
Both vessels also did not maintain a proper lookout while transiting. The captain of the Miss Peggy did not detect the Yangze 7 approaching from astern, and the bridge team of the Yangze 7 did not detect the Miss Peggy until the towboat was less than a ship's length ahead. Regulations and long-standing prudent maritime practice require a proper lookout, by all available means, for safe navigation.
Marine Investigation Report 26-24 (https://www.ntsb.gov/investigations/AccidentReports/Reports/MIR2624.pdf) and the safety recommendations are available online.
To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
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Original text here: https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20260806.aspx
NASA Tests Featherweight Radar Antenna for SkyFall Mars Helicopters
PASADENA, California, Aug. 7 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Tests Featherweight Radar Antenna for SkyFall Mars Helicopters
The hardware will enable the SkyFall mission's trio of planetary rotorcraft to use ground-penetrating radar to study the Martian subsurface.
When the trio of NASA's SkyFall helicopters takes to the Martian skies, one of their tasks will be to hunt for frozen water -- a critical resource for future astronauts -- using ground-penetrating radar. For that radar to work, each rotorcraft will carry a flexible, fabric-based antenna
... Show Full Article
PASADENA, California, Aug. 7 (TNSres) -- NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory issued the following news:
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NASA Tests Featherweight Radar Antenna for SkyFall Mars Helicopters
The hardware will enable the SkyFall mission's trio of planetary rotorcraft to use ground-penetrating radar to study the Martian subsurface.
When the trio of NASA's SkyFall helicopters takes to the Martian skies, one of their tasks will be to hunt for frozen water -- a critical resource for future astronauts -- using ground-penetrating radar. For that radar to work, each rotorcraft will carry a flexible, fabric-based antennathat will need to extend below the aircraft without interfering with landings or breaking upon impact. It is a specialized design for the mission, and it recently cleared a round of testing at the agency's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
Although orbiting spacecraft can map the thick Martian ice deposits tens of yards below the surface, they're effectively blind to the top several yards of regolith, or broken rock and dust. This shallow zone is what will matter most for future astronauts, who will need to easily reach and process ice for water, oxygen, and fuel.
"The only way to detect shallow subsurface ice remotely is to fly close to the ground," said Adrian Tang, SkyFall's ground-penetrating radar lead instrument scientist at JPL. "By flying low and slow, a SkyFall helicopter could capture radar images that resolve the fine layering where dry soil gives way to ice, detecting its presence and mapping its extent."
Composed for Mars
To peer beneath the Martian surface, SkyFall's ground-penetrating radar will use an ultra-wide frequency range -- from 500 to 2,500 megahertz -- corresponding to wavelengths of about 24 to 5 inches (60 to 12 centimeters). The longest wavelengths can penetrate several yards below the surface. The shorter wavelengths provide finer detail about the uppermost layers and surface texture.
This is where the unique antenna design comes in. A traditional antenna operating in that part of the electromagnetic spectrum would need to be 19 inches (48.3 centimeters) long and have a clear view of the ground, but the minimum clearance between Mars' surface and the base of the helicopter's fuselage is only about 6 inches (15.2 centimeters). The team needed an antenna that wouldn't interfere with or be damaged by landing.
After an extensive search for the right antenna, the SkyFall team zeroed in on the Vivaldi because it can transmit and receive signals across a large, continuous range of radio frequencies, and because its flat, lightweight profile can be easily cut into flexible, metalized fabrics. The curvilinear antenna was named by its inventor, Peter Gibson, who felt its sweeping lines resembled a violin, an instrument associated with composer Antonio Vivaldi.
While the standard Vivaldi footprint was efficient and robust, it was still too large to work with SkyFall's ground clearance. Fortunately, SkyFall's ground-penetrating radar can be further miniaturized because it is designed specifically for shallow surveying (under 16 feet, or 5 meters) in the dry Martian regolith, which blocks radio waves far less than Earth's soil. The team developed techniques to reduce the antenna's size even more without sacrificing sensitivity.
"Although we managed to shrink the antenna quite a bit, it is about 11/2 times longer than the helicopter's legs," said Christine Gebara, SkyFall ground-penetrating radar mechanical lead at JPL. "That means during landing, the Vivaldi has to bend out of the way -- and if it lands on a rock, it bends even further. But when the helicopter takes off again, the antenna must spring back into place for data collection. Because SkyFall is expected to make dozens of flights exploring Mars, we needed an antenna that could repeatedly handle those pressures without losing its shape in flight."
To ensure their downsized Vivaldi could withstand flight operations, the team sheathed it in a polyester and then layers of Vectran -- the same flexible, superstrong material used for the landing airbags containing NASA's Spirit and Opportunity Mars rovers. To help the antenna maintain shape while airborne, engineers added flexible fiberglass tape springs and a lightweight magnesium mounting structure. The entire setup weighs about 5 ounces (150 grams), slightly more than two violin bows.
Testing Vivaldi
Testing space hardware concepts with paper designs and mathematical models can get a mission only so far. The team needed to prove their antenna prototype could survive a full mission's worth of intense temperature swings and space radiation.
Working in JPL's Environmental Test Laboratory, engineers bent the antenna to simulate one possible orientation after a SkyFall flight at Mars. Then they ran it through dramatic thermal shifts to simulate the Martian day-night cycle, during which temperatures can swing by as much as 170 degrees Fahrenheit (94 degrees Celsius). Next, they repeatedly flexed the antenna as if it had gone through dozens of landings. Along the way, they paused six times to carry the hardware to an electromagnetic test chamber to verify that its ability to beam and receive radar signals hadn't diminished.
During radiofrequency testing, the team inverted the antenna so that the bottom pointed up -- a setup that stresses the structure more than Mars' one-third gravity ever would -- and tested signal performance. By the end of the test campaign, the antenna had withstood 200 Mars landings, more than double what would be required for a successful prime mission, with no loss of performance.
"This test checked every box it was supposed to and answered our biggest technical questions," said Tang. "While we still have work ahead of us before the antenna is fully flight-qualified, this was a major milestone, and the hardware performed exactly as expected."
With the antenna's first big test campaign behind it, the ground-penetrating radar team is building an engineering model that will endure vibration testing, deployment in a simulated Martian environment, signal testing, and outdoor trials at JPL's Mars Yard.
Equipped with four instruments each, the three SkyFall aircraft follow in the footsteps of NASA's Ingenuity Mars Helicopter, which flew 72 times over nearly three years, proving that powered, controlled flight is possible in the rarefied Martian atmosphere. It also demonstrated how an aerial perspective can generate valuable data by helping NASA's Perseverance Mars rover team plan time-saving routes and choose locations for science-gathering.
SkyFall is expected to launch aboard NASA's Space Reactor-1 Freedom in late 2028.
For more information on SkyFall:
https://science.nasa.gov/mission/skyfall/
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Original text here: https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-tests-featherweight-radar-antenna-for-skyfall-mars-helicopters/
IDB Supports the Modernization of the Energy Subsidy System to Protect Vulnerable Households in Argentina
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Supports the Modernization of the Energy Subsidy System to Protect Vulnerable Households in Argentina
The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $500 million operation to support the implementation of Argentina's new Targeted Energy Subsidies System (SEF), aimed at protecting access to energy for vulnerable households and strengthening the sustainability of the country's energy subsidy scheme.
The operation will support the transition toward
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release:
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IDB Supports the Modernization of the Energy Subsidy System to Protect Vulnerable Households in Argentina
The Board of Executive Directors of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a $500 million operation to support the implementation of Argentina's new Targeted Energy Subsidies System (SEF), aimed at protecting access to energy for vulnerable households and strengthening the sustainability of the country's energy subsidy scheme.
The operation will support the transition towarda more targeted, efficient, and fiscally sustainable subsidy system. To this end, it will finance subsidies for natural gas consumption through the gas distribution network and bottled gas (LPG) for eligible households, while also strengthening the institutional capacities required to implement, manage, and monitor the new scheme.
The IDB-supported program will directly benefit approximately 1.2 million households receiving support for natural gas network consumption and 3.5 million bottled gas users.
In addition, the operation will strengthen the technical and institutional capacities of the Secretariat of Energy and the National Gas and Electricity Regulatory Authority through the development of information systems, analytical tools, and improvements to targeting and monitoring mechanisms, contributing to more efficient and transparent program management.
The IDB loan has a repayment term of 25 years, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the IDB works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-supports-modernization-energy-subsidy-system-protect-vulnerable-households-argentina
Argentina Boosts Agricultural Productivity in Rio Negro With IDB Support
WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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Argentina Boosts Agricultural Productivity in Rio Negro with IDB Support
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors approved an $80 million operation to boost agricultural productivity in the Province of Rio Negro, Argentina, through investments in irrigation, rural electrification, and productive infrastructure.
The operation will finance the Rural Productive Development Program for the Province of Rio Negro, which seeks to increase agricultural productivity,
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 7 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release on Aug. 6, 2026:
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Argentina Boosts Agricultural Productivity in Rio Negro with IDB Support
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) Board of Executive Directors approved an $80 million operation to boost agricultural productivity in the Province of Rio Negro, Argentina, through investments in irrigation, rural electrification, and productive infrastructure.
The operation will finance the Rural Productive Development Program for the Province of Rio Negro, which seeks to increase agricultural productivity,improve the efficiency of rural infrastructure, and strengthen production resilience. The initiative will help advance water-use efficiency, expand access to electricity, and strengthen the capacity of producers and institutions to prevent and respond to extreme events such as wildfires, droughts, and hailstorms.
"Rio Negro has enormous potential to further strengthen its agricultural production. Through this operation, the IDB is supporting strategic investments that will improve access to water and energy, strengthen risk management, and create better conditions for producers. This initiative reflects our commitment to more productive and resilient growth for Argentina's regional economies," said Viviana Alva Hart, IDB Group Representative in Argentina.
"The approval of this loan reflects the confidence that international organizations place in the way we manage the province. That confidence is built through responsibility, predictability, and keeping our commitments. This is the path we have chosen and will continue to strengthen," said Alberto Weretilneck, Governor of Rio Negro Province.
This operation is the first under the Conditional Credit Line for Investment Projects (CCLIP) titled "Strategic Provincial Investments Program for Rural Productive Development," which provides for up to $600 million to finance future investments in Argentina's provinces. Through this credit line, the IDB will support projects aimed at strengthening rural infrastructure, promoting innovation and the adoption of new technologies, increasing agricultural productivity and developing more resilient and competitive production systems.
The program is expected to directly benefit nearly 7,000 agricultural producers in Rio Negro Province. In addition, 566 households in Guardia Mitre will gain access to higher-quality electricity service. Indirectly, more than 275,000 people in the areas of intervention will benefit from improvements in the province's water, energy, and productive infrastructure.
The loan has a 25-year repayment period, a 5.5-year grace period, and an interest rate based on SOFR. The financing will be complemented by $5 million in local counterpart funding, bringing the total program cost to $85 million.
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About the IDB
The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), a member of the IDB Group, is devoted to improving lives across Latin America and the Caribbean. Founded in 1959, the IDB works with the region's public sector to design and enable impactful, innovative solutions for sustainable and inclusive development. Leveraging financing, technical expertise, and knowledge, it promotes growth and well-being in 26 countries.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/argentina-boosts-agricultural-productivity-rio-negro-idb-support
