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Philae Landing on 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko

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Philae

ESA’s Rosseta mission highlight is now imminent. Philae will be start its landing phase on 67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko on 11th November and actually land on the 12th November 2014. This PDF detailed timeline lists events leading up separation, landing and just after separation. All the times are in GMT.

In the end Philae performed 3 landings,15:33, 17:26 & 17:33. Still not secured to the comet’s surface but telemetry indicating all science instruments are OK. If it has ended up in a shadow zone behind a big bolder – it will only survive for the 2 days its charged battery allows. In sunshine it could last several months but is unlikely to survive the close approach of the sun around spring next year.

More via @Philae2014  (or search using #CometLanding) and live feed below once the actions starts.

Information Security. Cloud Computing – A Commercial and Legal Perspective 

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A  joint meeting from the Institute for Information Security Professionals (IISP) and the Manchester Branch of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT. This is a free  event and open to anyone with an interest in information security. No need to book just turn up. 
 
Speaker: Dai Davis from Percy Crow Davis & Co.
Date: 18th November 2014
Time: 18:00 for 18:30 start
Title: Cloud Computing – A commercial and legal perspective 
Cost: Free. Refreshments provided
Venue: Room E232, MMU, John Dalton Building, Chester Street, Manchester, M1 5GD
 

Cloud computing has been an information technology (IT) buzzword for many years and now it’s firmly ensconced in the mainstream of ICT and business.  Various forms of cloud computing, such as “Software as a Service” (SaaS) provide a more cost-effective alternative for enterprises to achieve their business objectives than traditional computing systems.

In some areas of business, such as records management, cloud computing has high visibility because it is associated with large costs savings.  However, cloud computing can be used in a less high profile manner in other areas of a business, from marketing to engineering, from contact database management to employee management and word processing. Cloud computing can be easily adopted, but with that adoption can come both obvious and hidden difficulties of great importance.

But is cloud computing for everyone? What are the contractual and legal risks of cloud computing? How should they be addressed? How can they be minimised and avoided? This talk examines how cloud computing can be adopted and the dangers avoided on a practical level.

  • Among the aspects of cloud computing that Dai will cover are:
  • What is the relationship between cloud computing, SaaS and similar services?
  • How, when and why is cloud computing used in companies?
  • How, when and why should cloud computing be used?
  • Security due diligence and data security implications
  • Control and ownership of data in the cloud
  • Dealing with termination and other practical issues

About the Speaker
Dai is a Technology Lawyer. He read Physics at Keble College, Oxford and took a Masters Degree in Computing Science at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne before qualifying as a Solicitor.  He is a qualified Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.  Dai is an active member of the Society for Computers and Law in the United Kingdom and has been Chairman of its Northern Branch and a member of the Council of that Society.  Dai has consistently been recommended in the Legal 500 and in Chambers Guides to the Legal Profession.

www.daidavis.com

ISRO’s GSLV Launch delayed

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ISRO has had three successful launches this year and the planned three more are not quiet on track. Two of the three remaining are the IRNSS navigational satellites. The IRNSS constellation has a 10 year plan but will only work once the complete constellation of seven are in orbit. The first has been in orbit for over a year and the 2nd IRNSS-1B was launched in April this year..

The key launch this year is the GSLV-Mk3. This is India’s heavy lift launcher on a maiden sub-orbital flight designed to test a habitable crew module. It was scheduled to be launched in May, June, July and the August.   It has been delayed again but no alternative date has been announced. It will now likely be sometime after ISRO’s Mars Orbiter Mission’s arrival at Mars on 24th September.

Launch of of IRNSS-1B from Shriharikota on 4th April 2014.