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Missouri native to take another spacewalk today

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NASA astronaut Bob Behnken is expected to get suited up today and take a walk in space. He’s changing out all the batteries on one of the International Space Station channels today. Behnken, a St. Louis County native, talked this week with NASA officials about the project that is expected to take about six-and-a-half hours to complete.

Astronaut Bob Behnken (Photo courtesy of his Twitter feed)

“When the Space Station is in the sun, it’s collecting energy and it needs to store that for when it’s in the dark,” says Behnken. “And so those batteries, as they are cycled time and time again, they wear down and need to be replaced.”

Since joining NASA twenty years ago, Behnken has logged more than 37 hours of spacewalk time.

“I really look forward to the views of the Earth when we get a free moment,” he says. “I think each astronaut, when they go out on their first spacewalk, they’re really focused on trying to get all the activities accomplished and do a good job so that they can probably get a chance to do another one if the opportunity presents itself. After you’ve done a couple and know what to expect as you go through it, it is important to take some mental photographs, some mental images to remember what it was like to be outside so you can share that experience.”

Coverage of the event is scheduled to begin at 5 a.m. CST. The spacewalk is set for 6:35 a.m. You can watch the event live on NASA’s website.

Behnken and astronaut Doug Hurley are expected to undock and head back to Earth around August 2.

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‘Heart of Missouri manufacturing’ showcased in new directory featuring protective equipment makers

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Many Missouri manufacturers are harnessing their innovative spirit to help fill an important need during the COVID-19 era. Distilleries are fixing sanitizer. Several companies are churning out face masks and gowns. Plastic makers are crafting face shields. Signage businesses are producing sneeze guards.

Not all items have met medical standards, but their efforts can still serve a purpose. Amy Susan with Missouri Enterprise says that’s how a new directory was born – one showcasing the entrepreneurial enthusiasm of these companies.

“This effort really epitomizes the ingenuity and heart of manufacturing. That’s what should be celebrated,” she says. “Throughout all the darkness and unfortunate situation we are in, it’s a great time to celebrate what the manufacturing community is doing. This is just a secondary directory to fill a different need.”

While searching for other similar avenues, Susan says she wasn’t finding much out there.

“What we weren’t seeing was a platform for companies to really feature some of their products that are not necessarily intended for the medical community but provide an avenue for them to sell to other consumers to help us protect ourselves,” Susan says.

So far, about 54 Missouri companies are listed on the directory.

“The majority of these folks have the necessary equipment. They may just have to source different materials or change patterns. It’s a modification that they’ve been able to make,” Susan says. “Some of them, there may be some sustainability for these additional products to be added to their portfolio.”

Missouri Enterprise – a state manufacturing organization – is also offering to help manufacturers during the pandemic.

“We have a dozen experts on hand that are working around the clock to answer calls, guide them, provide expertise, or if it’s looking at a new product, or accelerated training to get them transitioned from making the medical-grade carts to shields. We are here. We are here to help manufacturers navigate this COVID crisis,” she says.

The directory can be found here.

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Bad weather postpones Missouri astronaut’s trip to space

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From left: Astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken (Photo courtesy of NASA’s Twitter page)

St. Louis County native and NASA astronaut Bob Behnken’s mission to the International Space Station will have to wait. Bad weather forced the liftoff to get postponed until Saturday afternoon.

Behnken is part of the first manned U.S. spaceflight in nearly a decade and the first space launch in history to involve a commercial aerospace company carrying humans into Earth’s orbit. NASA has teamed up with SpaceX for the mission.

Behnken is a Pattonville High and Washington University graduate. He has been on two other space flights and is also a U.S. Air Force colonel.

His wife, K. Megan McArthur, briefly joined NASA’s broadcast today. McArthur is a fellow astronaut.

“For me personally as a spouse, watching everything that Bob has put into this over the last five years, the dedication that he’s shown and the perseverance, is pretty special. For both of us though, the way that our minds work, it won’t be until sort of the mission is complete that you have a chance to savor it and celebrate it. This is a huge accomplishment for an Air Force flight test engineer to be part of the demonstration mission of a brand new vehicle. It’s going to be amazing,” she says.

Astronaut Michael Hopkins

NASA’s broadcast also included astronaut and southern Missouri native Michael Hopkins of Richland. He will be part of a mission later this year to the International Space Station after Behnken returns.

“As you can imagine, there’s a lot of emotions,” says Hopkins. “Of course we’re excited – excited for Bob and Doug, excited for NASA, excited for SpaceX, and really the whole country. A lot of pride in what it’s taken to get to this moment. All the thousands of people that have contributed to getting to this moment. But then there’s also bit of sense of duty of business as usual. So for us, we’re going to be watching. We’re going to be listening. We’re going to be learning and all of that to help get us prepared for when it’s our turn.”

Saturday’s liftoff is scheduled for 2:22 p.m. CST.

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Missouri astronaut prepares for historic SpaceX launch

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Later this month, north St. Louis County native Bob Behnken will put on his spacesuit and command the historic SpaceX flight to the International Space Station. He will strap into his seat in the cockpit of the Dragon spacecraft and fire up the vehicle. After a countdown concludes, Behnken and another NASA astronaut will lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

He will be aboard the first manned U.S. spaceflight in nearly a decade. The May 27 mission is also the first attempt by a private company – SpaceX – to fly astronauts to orbit.

Behnken, a Pattonville High and Washington University graduate, grew up being inspired by NASA’s programs. That inspiration has launched him into space two other times. He has logged more than 1,000 flight hours in 25 different aircraft.

Behnken says the coronavirus situation has shifted launch preparations.

“What’s really happened is the normal quarantine that astronauts go through about two weeks prior to launch to really make sure that we don’t take anything to the International Space Station or get the crew on orbit sick or be sick when we get on orbit. We’ve had to kind of stretch out and kind of begin closer to ten weeks prior,” says Behnken, a U.S. Air Force colonel.

He says the coronavirus will change the way the public gets to share the experience with the crew. For space shuttle launches, hundreds of thousands of people usually watch the launch at the Kennedy Space Center and nearby beaches. But the coronavirus outbreak has led NASA and SpaceX leaders to encourage the public to instead watch the liftoff on TV or online.

NASA is limiting the number of guests permitted at the space center, and the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex is not selling tickets for public viewing on NASA property. The visitor complex closed indefinitely in mid-March.

Behnken says this mission is the first one his son will get to watch him take part in.

“He’s seen me do it in old videos but he hasn’t seen me do it for real,” he says.

Behnken and his wife, K. Megan McArthur, are both astronauts.

“It’s been really interesting, I think for both my wife and I, to have gone through the process of seeing each other launch in space. That’s an aspect of our relationship I think that most couples can’t share,” he says. “Because I’ve seen her take that risk and had it be in front of her and I’ve done that to her.”

The length of the latest mission is unknown.

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Missouri Board of Education discusses classes next fall, students dodging school work

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A new state statute requires Missouri’s K-12 districts to start the school year no earlier than 14 calendar days prior to the first Monday in September, unless the State Board of Education waives the requirement. Board members are discussing whether to waive the requirement and give districts the option of starting the school earlier this fall.

Missouri Board of Education discusses classes next fall, students dodging school work

An uptick in coronavirus cases is projected in the fall – possibly affecting how much learning kids will have at school. During Monday’s board meeting, Education Commissioner Margie Vandeven says the coronavirus is an extenuating circumstance and the department is not trying to take advantage of the situation.

“It’s still very, very early on COVID loss, but summer loss is clear – that when many of our students, particularly our students who tend to struggle the most – when they are away from school for a period of time, significant learning loss can occur, and that is especially true in our youngest learners,” says Vandeven.

Board President Charlie Shields agrees with Vandeven.

“In the healthcare world, there’s widespread belief that you’ll see COVID-19 come back in the fall at some point. The challenge will be that it’ll be combined with flu and influenza at that time, which makes it even more challenging,” says Shields. “So, you could see additional disruption sometime this fall. So if we can get more days in by an earlier start date, seems to me that would be appropriate.”

Shields is the CEO of Truman Medical Center in Kansas City and a former Missouri Senate president.

The board plans to revisit the item during next month’s meeting.

Meanwhile, board member Pamela Westbrooks-Hodge of Pasadena Hill near St. Louis says she’s heard about some teachers reporting difficulties in getting students involved since the coronavirus threat closed schools statewide in mid-March.

“That’s a very real problem that’s been brought to my attention,” she says.

Vandeven says some teachers who had a hard time connecting with families before the coronavirus outbreak are having even more problems now with kids learning from home.

“People are saying ‘Well if you’re not requiring a grade, if you’re not requiring a test, if you’re not requiring this the kids are not participating.’ That’s a deeper question that I think we need to explore,” says Vandeven. “As we move forward, how do we communicate with families? That partnership has always been essential, but how do we effectively communicate with our families in typical times and then we would have a much greater possibility for that to carry over into a situation like this?”

Vandeven says districts must take the lead to keep kids engaged.

How much of a role lack of broadband internet and technology has to do with the students dodging their work is unknown, but the board did discuss a survey detailing the digital divide in Missouri.

The survey of about 450 of the state’s 555 school districts and charter schools shows about 21% of Missouri students – or 150,000 of them – do not have access to broadband internet and cannot afford the technology.

The latest Federal Communications Commission data shows nearly 600,000 rural Missourians lack access to broadband internet.

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(VIDEO) Highlights from today’s coronavirus briefing in Missouri

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Gov. Mike Parson says almost every Missouri business will be able to reopen their doors May 4. During a virtual coronavirus briefing today, the governor says he’s developing policies and guidelines for communities to follow.

Gov. Parson (Photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

“Social distancing is going to be important,” says Parson. “That’s going to be a key role to how we move forward and I think it’s sort of important that we maintain that social distancing for some time. There will be guidelines we will give to cities, the counties across the state for state policy and it will be where people can get out again.”

St. Louis City, St. Louis County have indefinitely extended their stay-at-home orders. Kansas City’s runs until May 15.

Missouri reports today at least 208 coronavirus related deaths and more than 6,100 people have tested positive for the disease. More than half of the cases are from St. Louis City and St. Louis County.

Beginning next week, the state will use a machine to decontaminate up to 80,000 N95 masks per day. Parson says the device will help with the state’s mask shortage and prevent the spread the coronavirus.

“Hospitals, healthcare providers and first responders will have the opportunity to utilize the Battelle Critical Care Decontamination System to safely decontaminate N95 masks,” says Parson.

Missouri MO Health Net Director Todd Richardson (Photo courtesy of the governor’s Flickr page)

Missouri Medicaid Director Todd Richardson says a federal grant paid for the entire cost of the cleaning system. The state is expected to have the device for at least the next six months.

“This system uses hydrogen peroxide vapor to sanitize N95 masks up to 20 times per mask,” says Richardson. “The Battelle Decontamination System will bolster our supply of necessary PPE.”

There will be up to 13 drop-off and pick-up sites statewide for health care providers and first responders to drop off their N95 masks. Each organization will be responsible for correctly and safely packaging their contaminated masks and labeling them according to the directions provided by Battelle. The masks are then returned to the original drop-off/pick-up site approximately 72 hours following drop-off.

Any health care or first responder organization interested in using the Battelle CCDS to decontaminate N95 masks should enroll at www.battelle.org/N95.

Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams (Photo courtesy of governor’s Flickr page)

Missouri is moving to a new phase that will boost coronavirus testing in congregated places with an outbreak, such as assisted living centers and nursing homes. State Department of Health and Senior Services Director Randall Williams says the focus needs to be on these places due to the number of deaths occurring from within.

“And so if you’re going to do that, you start moving into what we call comprehensive testing – very similar to what we did this weekend in which you go in and you test a lot of people and you test them quick,” says Williams.

A Festus nursing home near St. Louis has had at least 64 cases and several other nursing homes and assisted living centers have reported coronavirus cases.

Meanwhile, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, says he would rather let states struggling from the coronavirus declare bankruptcy instead of increasing federal aid that would require further deficit spending. Parson says he does not think states should be able to file for bankruptcy.

“I think the states should be responsible for how you spend your money and because you did a poor job of managing it, whatever those states may be, I don’t think the federal government should come and bail you out,” says Parson.

Current law does not allows states to declare bankruptcy.

Today’s briefing:

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Missouri awards $3 million to boost broadband internet access

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The state has awarded $3 million in grants to help expand broadband internet access in Missouri. In a press release today from Gov. Mike Parson’s office, it says sixteen companies are getting the funding to offer high-speed service to more than 4,400 Missouri homes, businesses and farms.

Missouri awards $3 million to boost broadband internet access

“Broadband brings so many new opportunities for rural economies,” says Parson. “From farming and business to education and health care, high speed internet is essential infrastructure in the modern economy, especially during these challenging times.”

The latest Federal Communications Commission data shows nearly 600,000 rural Missourians lack access to broadband internet.

“It is crucial that Missourians have an opportunity to get connected,” Department of Economic Development Director Rob Dixon says. “During a time in which many citizens have been instructed to stay home, reliable internet access is critical to meet needs for education, telemedicine, telecommuting, and overall quality of life.”

Recipients are:

Grant Alma Communications Lafayette, Saline, and Johnson Counties, $127,913
Boycom Cablevision Doniphan and Ripley County, $162,500
Callabyte Technology Holts Summit and Callaway County, $335,806
CenturyLink Wentzville, $29,160
Chariton Valley Communications Renick Village, $206,400
Chariton Valley Communications Rockford Hills, $50,625
Gascosage Electric Cooperative Phelps County, $402,332
New Florence Telephone Co. High Hill, $113,397
Northeast Missouri Rural Telephone Spring Lake & Yarrow, $354,921
Socket Telecom New Franklin, $129,860
Spectrum Mid-America Barnhart, $46,432
Spectrum Mid-America Smithville, $33,153
Steelville Telephone Exchange Bixby, $445,917
Steelville Telephone Exchange East End, $114,538
United Services Bolckow, $125,131
Worldwide Technologies Lexington, $370,990

Two companies reach deal to expand broadband internet to rural Missouri

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Internet service provider Wisper ISP and telecommunications company Sho-Me Technologies have come to an agreement to expand broadband internet access to rural Missouri. Wisper ISP CEO Nathan Stooke tells Missourinet the deal will allow his company to access Sho-Me Technologies’ existing fiber optic electrical power network that spans 4,200 route miles.

Two companies reach deal to expand broadband internet to rural Missouri

“I believe Sho-Me (Technologies) has somewhere above about 200,000 members across their co-ops that they provide power to,” he says. “So we’re going to be building out to those, in addition to the past locations that we won. But Sho-Me’s fiber goes more than just their membership area. It goes all the way down to the Bootheel of Missouri. It’s goes up north past Jefferson City.”

Illinois-based Wisper ISP currently has about 5,000 Missouri customers.

Missouri is one of the worst states in the nation in rural broadband reach – impacting the speed at which business is done for companies, farms, schools, among other things. The federal government has awarded Wisper $220 million in funding to expand broadband internet to Missouri.

Sho-Me Technologies has been operating an advanced, regional fiber optic network since 1997.

“Missouri cooperatives have always been motivated by finding new ways to help improve the lives of their member-owners,” says John T. Richards, CEO & General Manager of Sho-Me. “We are happy to work with Wisper to help extend broadband service to many of the unserved and underserved areas of rural Missouri.”

“If we take it all the way back to when Lewis and Clark were going across Missouri, it took them forever just to go a little bit because there were no roads, there were no ways to go across,” Stooke says. “And what we’re doing is we’re supercharging our build by using the highway that’s already there. We can get internet anywhere where they already have it and then all we have to do is build off of that.”

Stooke hopes to get started on the work within about two months and says the company is hiring for a variety of positions.

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Missouri launches coronavirus information hotline

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The Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) has activated a statewide public hotline for citizens or providers needing guidance regarding the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19. The hotline opened and can be reached at 877-435-8411. It is being operated by medical professionals and is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Missouri launches coronavirus information hotline

“Communication is vital to our response to this rapidly-evolving situation,” says Dr. Randall Williams, director of DHSS. “For several weeks, our COVID-19 webpage has been and continues to be a great resource for the public, but having the hotline as an additional resource will likely be invaluable as citizens seek guidance for their concerns.”

To date, 46 patients in Missouri have been tested for the virus; one of those has tested positive. DHSS says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have confirmed the case. A St. Louis County woman in her 20s who returned last week from studying abroad in Italy tested positive.

“For those who may be at risk for COVID-19, we encourage them to utilize this hotline or call their health care provider or local public health agency to inform them of their travel history and symptoms. They’ll be instructed on how to receive care without exposing others to the possible illness,” says Williams.

Two St. Louis area schools have been closed this week in connection with the confirmed case.

Suburban St. Louis company Bayer is closing its campus until further notice due to an employee under investigation for the coronavirus. The pharmaceutical and life sciences company has also closed the Creve Coeur campus of its subsidiary, The Climate Corporation.

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Missouri S & T celebrates 150th anniversary

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In 1870, legislation was signed into law creating what is now called the Missouri University of Science & Technology – making it one of the first higher education technology institutions west of the Mississippi River. Previously, the school, located in central Missouri’s Rolla, was called the Missouri School of Mines and Metallurgy and then the University of Missouri-Rolla.

Photos by Tom Wagner/Missouri S&T

During a celebration today at the state Capitol in Jefferson City, University of Missouri System President Mun Choi says the next 150 years will be bright and strong for Missouri S & T.

“During the past 150 years, I can’t think of a university that had more of an impact in the scientific and engineering breakthroughs that fuel the economy of Missouri and the country,” says Choi.

He cites university researchers developing many things, including TheraSphere, a radiotherapy treatment to save liver cancer patients, and ways to prevent and find traumatic brain injuries in America’s warfighters.

Chancellor Mohammad Dehghani says Missouri S & T is a “crown jewel of American engineering, science and education”.

“The average number of job offers that our graduates get is seven,” he says. “We have a sold out crowd of international companies that come to campus to recruit our graduates.”

Dehghani says the university’s graduates are the second-largest supplier of engineers and scientists to aerospace manufacturer Boeing’s worldwide operations and John Deer tractors.

Pictured are: Avery Welker, student representative to the University of Missouri Board of Curators; Missouri S&T Chancellor Mo Dehghani; UM System President Mun Choi; Robin Wenneker, UM System Curator designee; Missouri S&T mascot Joe Miner (Photos by Tom Wagner/Missouri S&T, Missouri S&)

Larry Gragg, a Missouri S & T history professor Emeritus, has written a book about the university’s 150-year history. Forged in Gold comes out this fall.

Gov. Mike Parson has made February 25 Missouri S & T Day. He signed a proclamation making the historic day the real deal. Missouri S & T Day at the Capitol includes displays and hands-on activities for science and history lovers, like extracting wheat germ DNA and a S & T pop-up museum.

Special guests at the Capitol event included Missouri S & T graduates State Auditor Nicole Galloway, Rolla State Senator Justin Brown, and State Representatives Jason Chipman of Steelville and Don Mayhew of Crocker.

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