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NASA Awards Intuitive Machines Lunar South Pole Research Delivery

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 29, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — A new set of NASA science experiments and technology demonstrations will arrive at the lunar South Pole in 2027 following the agency’s latest CLPS (Commercial Lunar Payload Services) initiative delivery award. Intuitive Machines of Houston will receive $116.9 million to deliver six NASA payloads to a part of the Moon where nighttime temperatures are frigid, the terrain is rugged, and the permanently shadowed regions could help reveal the origin of water throughout our solar system.

Part of the agency’s broader Artemis campaign, CLPS aims to conduct science on the Moon for the benefit of all, including experiments and demos that support missions with crew on the lunar surface.

“This marks the 10th CLPS delivery NASA has awarded, and the fourth planned for delivery to the South Pole of the Moon,” said Joel Kearns, deputy associate administrator for exploration, Science Mission Directorate, NASA Headquarters in Washington. “By supporting a robust cadence of CLPS flights to a variety of locations on the lunar surface, including two flights currently planned by companies for later this year, NASA will explore more of the Moon than ever before.”

NASA has awarded Intuitive Machine’s four task orders. The company delivered six NASA payloads to Malapert A in the South Pole region of the Moon in early 2024. With this lunar South Pole delivery, Intuitive Machines will be responsible for payload integration, launch from Earth, safe landing on the Moon, and mission operations.

“The instruments on this newly awarded flight will help us achieve multiple scientific objectives and strengthen our understanding of the Moon’s environment,” said Chris Culbert, manager of the CLPS initiative at NASA’s Johnson Space Center in Houston. “For example, they’ll help answer key questions about where volatiles – such as water, ice, or gas – are found on the lunar surface and measure radiation in the South Pole region, which could advance our exploration efforts on the Moon and help us with continued exploration of Mars.”

The instruments, collectively expected to be about 174 pounds (79 kilograms) in mass, include:

The Lunar Explorer Instrument for Space Biology Applications will deliver yeast to the lunar surface and study its response to radiation and lunar gravity. The payload is managed by NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, California.Package for Resource Observation and In-Situ Prospecting for Exploration, Characterization and Testing is a suite of instruments that will drill down to 3.3 feet (1 meter) beneath the lunar surface, extract samples, and process them in-situ in a miniaturized laboratory, to identify possible volatiles (water, ice, or gas) trapped at extremely cold temperatures under the surface. This suite is led by ESA (European Space Agency).The Laser Retroreflector Array is a collection of eight retroreflectors that will enable lasers to precisely measure the distance between a spacecraft and the reflector on the lander. The array is a passive optical instrument and will function as a permanent location marker on the Moon for decades to come. The retroflector array is managed by NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.The Surface Exosphere Alterations by Landers will investigate the chemical response of lunar regolith to the thermal, physical, and chemical disturbances generated during a landing, and evaluate contaminants injected into the regolith by the lander. It will give insight into how a spacecraft landing might affect the composition of samples collected nearby. This payload is managed by NASA Goddard.The Fluxgate Magnetometer will characterize certain magnetic fields to improve the understanding of energy and particle pathways at the lunar surface and is managed by NASA Goddard.The Lunar Compact Infrared Imaging System will deploy a radiometer – a device that measures infrared wavelengths of light – to explore the Moon’s surface composition, map its surface temperature distribution, and demonstrate the instrument’s feasibility for future lunar resource utilization activities. The imaging system is managed by the Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

Under CLPS, multiple commercial deliveries to different geographic regions will help NASA conduct science and continue working toward a long-term human presence on the Moon. Future deliveries will include sophisticated science experiments, and technology demonstrations as part of the agency’s Artemis campaign. Two upcoming CLPS flights slated to launch near the end of 2024 will deliver NASA payloads to the Moon’s nearside and South Pole, including the Intuitive Machines-2 delivery of NASA’s first on-site demonstration of searching for water and other chemical compounds 3.3 feet below the surface of the Moon, using a drill and mass spectrometer.

Learn more about CLPS and Artemis at:

https://www.nasa.gov/clps

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SOURCE NASA

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AGFUND wins international award for excellence in inclusive banking and social impact

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October 17, 2026

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 Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal credits the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks for laying the foundations of its development impact

BANGKOK, Oct. 17, 2026 /CNW/ — The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND) won the “Excellence in Inclusive Banking and Social Impact” award at the 2026 Sustainable Development Goals Awards, organized by the World Savings and Retail Banking Institute (WSBI) in cooperation with the European Savings and Retail Banking Group (ESBG).

AGFUND CEO Hammam bin Nasser bin Juraid accepted the award in Bangkok, Thailand, alongside the Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group.

HRH Prince Abdulaziz bin Talal bin Abdulaziz, President of AGFUND, said the recognition acknowledges AGFUND’s experience using financial services to empower underserved communities, strengthen livelihoods and promote economic independence.

He credited the founders of AGFUND’s microfinance banks, particularly the late Prince Talal bin Abdulaziz, for establishing institutions centered on empowering people.

He added that the award reflects over two decades of commitment, the dedication of financial inclusion banks and partners, and clients who transformed financing into businesses and family income. He emphasized expanding opportunities and measuring success through lasting improvements in people’s lives.

Prince Abdulaziz stressed that the recognition reflects the value of institutions reaching excluded populations and encourages broader access and economic opportunities for families.

AGFUND’s financial inclusion banking network has served more than 1.3 million clients and disbursed over US$1.37 billion in financing since inception. Women represent 59 per cent of borrowers, demonstrating its contribution to economic empowerment.

Presented by WSBI, established in 1924, together with ESBG, the award recognizes an approach linking financial services, social impact and sustainable development.

Following its first bank in Jordan in 2004, AGFUND expanded across nine countries: Jordan, Yemen, Bahrain, Syria, Lebanon, Palestine, Sudan, Mauritania and Sierra Leone, focusing on communities underserved by conventional financial institutions.

The network has issued more than 1.5 million loans, opened over 927,000 savings accounts, established 112 branches and employed more than 1,500 people. Its services finance micro and small enterprises and income-generating activities, improving livelihoods and economic independence.

AGFUND plans to strengthen development partnerships, advance digital solutions and innovative financial products, and integrate financing with training, capacity development, market access and risk protection.

It is also exploring geographic expansion, particularly in Africa, through institutional partnerships that adapt successful approaches to local needs and extend sustainable financial inclusion to more communities.

Website – https://agfund.org/

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/agfund-wins-international-award-for-excellence-in-inclusive-banking-and-social-impact-302911811.html

SOURCE The Arab Gulf Programme for Development (AGFUND)

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GAC Showcases Multiple Models at Canton Fair: Systemic Global Expansion as a Response to High‑Level Opening‑Up

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October 17, 2026

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GUANGZHOU, China, Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — On 15 October, the 140th China Import and Export Fair (Canton Fair) kicked off in Guangzhou. Dubbed “China’s No.1 Exhibition” with a 70‑year history, it serves as a vital window for global merchants to understand China, and one of GAC’s stages to connect with the world. For international buyers, GAC serves not only as a sourcing platform but as a trusted channel for experiencing Chinese automotive innovation and building long-term local partnerships. Having made its debut in 2012, GAC has participated in the fair 30 times to date. Together with the Canton Fair, it has witnessed the transformation of Made‑in‑China products into Chinese global brands.

This transformation is reflected in GAC’s global expansion journey through a string of continuously refreshed sales figures. Overseas sales stood at 90,000 units in 2024, hit 130,000 units in 2025, and exceeded 197,000 units in January‑September 2026, representing a year‑on‑year surge of 138.9%. GAC is sprinting full steam ahead toward its annual target of 300,000 overseas units. GAC has accomplished a shift from “product export” to “system‑level global expansion”.

At the GAC booth, XT80, AION i60 and AISTALAND GX7 showcased intelligent driving, three-electric systems and premium cabins. The energy-ecology zone featured DC ultra-fast charging piles, 7 kW smart home chargers, multi-in-one electric drive units and PV-Storage-Charging-Swapping Technology, addressing range anxiety. Opening day drew buyers from Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, Latin America and Africa. At the Music & Cuisine Festival, GAC built three immersive spaces blending smart mobility, Cantonese cuisine, camping and sports. The XT80, AION N60, GAC S7 and AISTALAND GT7 served as lifestyle carriers, letting guests enjoy morning tea, global cuisines and intangible cultural heritage.

GAC will advance its ONE GAC 2.0 strategy, deepening localized operations and expanding its systematic global layout. As a tribute to the Canton Fair’s 70th anniversary and a new business card for China’s auto industry, GAC will help drive Chinese intelligent manufacturing onto the global stage.

For further information about GAC, please visit https://www.gacgroup.com/en or follow us on social media.

 

SOURCE GAC

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Highland and Bath Counties, Virginia Go Live on a Shared Caliber Hosted CAD Environment

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October 17, 2026

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Two neighboring rural counties, two dispatch centers, one common platform supporting more than 900 square miles of mountainous terrain

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 17, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Caliber Public Safety announced that Highland County and Bath County, Virginia went live on Caliber Hosted CAD on Tuesday, October 6, with both counties operating within a shared hosted environment. The arrangement gives each county its own dispatch operation while placing both on a common platform, creating a practical foundation for coordination between two neighboring jurisdictions.

For rural agencies, interoperability is usually a question of what happens when an incident crosses a county line. Mutual aid is routine in this part of western Virginia, where Highland County covers roughly 416 square miles with about 2,300 residents, and Bath County covers more than 500 square miles with about 4,100 residents. Together, the two counties serve a largely forested and mountainous service area with a small number of dispatchers and responders on any given shift.

The shared tenant approach addresses that directly. Each county retains the configuration, workflows, and local control it needs to run its own center. Both counties work from the same underlying platform, which removes the technical barriers that normally sit between separate CAD systems in adjacent jurisdictions.

“Two counties sharing one hosted CAD environment is not something you see often in rural public safety, and it took real coordination between both counties and our teams to get there,” said Michael Sturgeon, Senior Project Manager at Caliber Public Safety. “What matters is what the dispatchers and responders have now. Each county runs its own center the way it needs to, and neither one is working in isolation anymore.”

Capabilities Delivered

Highland County, which joined the Caliber CAD customer base with this project, is now operating Hosted CAD with integrated mapping and CJIS query, along with Google Places address validation and a LinX interface for regional information sharing. The county also uses Caliber’s Online RMS for sworn and non-sworn personnel. For dispatchers covering a county with one of the highest mean elevations east of the Mississippi River, verified addressing and immediate access to criminal justice data reduce the guesswork that slows down a call.

Bath County is operating Hosted CAD with mapping and CJIS query, plus interfaces to PulsePoint, RapidSOS with alerts. The RapidSOS connections put caller location and device data in front of the dispatcher at the start of the call, which matters in terrain where a caller may not be able to describe where they are. The PulsePoint interface extends cardiac arrest notifications to trained citizens and off-duty responders nearby, a meaningful addition in a county where response distances are long.

A Migration, Not Just an Implementation

Bath County has been a Caliber premise CAD and Online RMS customer for years. As part of this project, the county moved its premise-based system onto Hosted CAD, and Caliber completed a data conversion to bring the historical CAD databases forward into the new environment.

That piece is often the sticking point for agencies considering a move off a premise system. Years of call history, incident records, and master index data represent case continuity, state reporting obligations, and institutional knowledge. Data conversion is a formal, structured component of every Caliber implementation, with Caliber’s team managing the technical transformation, validation, and loading so that historically critical records carry over intact.

Caliber products are hosted at Nlets, the International Justice and Public Safety Network, and meet FBI CJIS policies, standards, and guidelines. The facilities include multi-site hot backup disaster recovery and redundant network paths to key state and federal entities.

Project Teams

The go-live required coordination among both counties and Caliber’s Professional Services, Deployment, Training, Engineering, and Support teams. Caliber congratulates the public safety professionals of Highland County and Bath County on a successful implementation and looks forward to a fruitful partnership.

About Caliber Public Safety

Caliber Public Safety provides integrated technology solutions for law enforcement, fire/EMS, corrections, and 911 communications agencies. The Caliber platform includes CAD, Mobile, Online RMS, and JailTracker, all built by and for public safety professionals. With a focus on reliability, interoperability, and ease of use, Caliber serves hundreds of agencies across the country, helping first responders spend less time on technology and more time serving their communities.

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/highland-and-bath-counties-virginia-go-live-on-a-shared-caliber-hosted-cad-environment-302911615.html

SOURCE Caliber Public Safety

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