Latest news with #Flyeye
New Straits Times
12-08-2025
- New Straits Times
Army reviews training SOPs following Palapes cadet's death
GEMAS: The army is reviewing its standard operating procedures (SOP) for training, including those for the Reserve Officers' Training Unit (Palapes). Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan said the SOP include improving the health screening process, which must be more thorough before training begins. "This is because it is a high-risk training involving the use of live ammunition, which aims to test and enhance the resilience, confidence, and courage of the trained personnel and officers. "This (Palapes) training is conducted for 112 participants per session. "Over 20 officers and trainers are assigned to supervise the exercise. "The training is also brief, only taking about 15 minutes," he told reporters after witnessing the 2025 Live Fire Exercise (LKT) at the shooting range in Syed Sirajuddin Camp today. Also present were Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari and Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar. Previously, a Palapes cadet from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM) Skudai, Johor, Syamsul Haris Shamsudin, 22, was reported to have died while undergoing Palapes UTM training at the Army Combat Training Centre (Pulada) in Ulu Tiram, Johor. The cause of death was unclear and uncertain. The second-semester Cyber Security Bachelor's Degree student at UTM, who was the eldest of three siblings, had joined the Palapes UTM training on July 26, which was scheduled to end on Aug 3. Muhammad Hafizuddeain said the findings of the investigation into the trainee's death, conducted by the army investigation committee, would be finalised today and therefore, urged the public not to speculate on the incident. "The incident that befell him is deeply regretted. "Even though it occurred during a planned training session, we are very sad. "Although he was a cadet officer, he was one of us," he said, adding that the training the deceased participated in complied with the established SOP. In other developments, he said the army is always open to any proposals from any party to supply aircraft that meet the specified capabilities and features, especially the Black Hawk helicopter. Regarding the LKT, he said it involved approximately 2,500 personnel from all three branches of the Armed Forces. For the first time, the Johor Military Force (JMF) also participated in the exercise, which aims to enhance professionalism and test doctrines and procedures. He said that this LKT also focused on modern integration, showcasing the acquisition of Flyeye drones or UAS for real-time intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and combat damage assessment missions. When asked if the LKT was a reaction to the current regional tensions, he said such exercises are to ensure that the army is always at the highest level of readiness to handle any potential threats and protect the country's sovereignty. "We cannot deny that the tensions in this region serve as a wake-up call for all of us that national security should not be taken lightly. "This exercise also serves as a message or warning to any party that tries to disrupt the country's security," he said. Police are conducting a detailed investigation into Syamsul Haris' death at the training centre on July 28.
The Sun
12-08-2025
- Politics
- The Sun
Malaysian Army reviews training SOP after PALAPES cadet death
GEMAS: The Malaysian Army (TDM) is reviewing its standard operating procedures (SOP) for training, including those for the Reserve Officer Training Unit (PALAPES). Army Chief General Tan Sri Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan said the SOP includes improving health screening processes before training begins. He stated this is crucial due to the high-risk nature of live ammunition exercises, which test personnel resilience and courage. The PALAPES training involves 112 participants per session, supervised by over 20 officers and trainers, lasting around 15 minutes. He spoke after witnessing the 2025 Live Fire Exercise (LKT) at Syed Sirajuddin Camp, attended by Deputy Defence Minister Adly Zahari and Chief of Defence Force General Tan Sri Mohd Nizam Jaffar. The review follows the death of a 22-year-old PALAPES cadet from Universiti Teknologi Malaysia during training in Johor last month. Muhammad Hafizuddeain urged the public to avoid speculation as the investigation findings will be finalised today. He expressed deep regret over the incident, emphasising the deceased cadet was part of the TDM family despite being a trainee. The Army Chief confirmed the training followed established SOP, but improvements are being made to prevent future incidents. Separately, he said TDM welcomes proposals for aircraft supplies, particularly Black Hawk helicopters, to meet operational needs. The LKT exercise involved 2,500 personnel from all armed forces branches, including the Johor Military Force for the first time. Modern integration was a focus, with Flyeye drones used for real-time intelligence and surveillance missions. When asked if the exercise responded to regional tensions, he said it ensures TDM remains prepared for any threats to national sovereignty. He stressed regional tensions serve as a reminder that security must not be taken lightly. The exercise also sends a warning to parties attempting to disrupt Malaysia's security. – Bernama
Al Etihad
10-06-2025
- Science
- Al Etihad
European Space Agency's new asteroid hunter opens its eye to sky
10 June 2025 12:03 SICILY (ALETIHAD) The European Space Agency's (ESA) newest planetary defender has opened its 'eye' to the cosmos for the first time. The Flyeye telescope's 'first light' marks the beginning of a new chapter in how to scan the skies for new near-Earth asteroids and by an insect's compound eye, ESA and OHB Italia designed Flyeye to capture a region of the sky more than 200 times as large as the full Moon in a single exposure – much larger than a conventional will use this wide field of view to automatically survey the sky each night independent from human operation and identify new asteroids that could pose a hazard to Earth. 'In the future, a network of up to four Flyeye telescopes spread across the northern and southern hemispheres will work together to further improve the speed and completeness these automatic sky surveys and to reduce the dependence on good weather at any individual site,' said ESA's Ernesto Doelling, Flyeye Project Manager.'The earlier we spot potentially hazardous asteroids, the more time we have to assess them and, if necessary, prepare a response,' said Richard Moissl, Head of ESA's Planetary Defence Office. 'ESA's Flyeye telescopes will be an early-warning system, and their discoveries will be shared with the global planetary defence community.'ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Centre (NEOCC) will verify any potential new asteroid detections made by the Flyeye telescopes and submit the findings to the Minor Planet Centre, Earth's hub for asteroid observational data. Astronomers, including experts from the NEOCC, will then carry out follow-up observations to further assess the hazard that the object may Aceti, Managing Director at OHB Italia, explained, 'The unique optical design of the Flyeye telescope is optimised for conducting large sky surveys while maintaining high image quality throughout the wide field of view."He added that the telescope is equipped with a one-metre primary mirror, which efficiently captures incoming light. This light is then divided into 16 separate channels, each equipped with a camera capable of detecting very faint objects. This enables simultaneous high-sensitivity observations over a large region of the sky. During operations, Flyeye's observation schedule will be optimised to consider factors such as Moon brightness and the work of other survey telescopes such as the NASA-funded ATLAS telescopes, the Zwicky Transient Facility and the upcoming Vera Rubin Telescope.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Bug-eyed telescope ready to find Earth-smashing asteroids
It's only a matter of time before a catastrophically sized asteroid barrels towards Earth again. Until very recently in human history, there was no way of knowing if one was hurtling towards us, much less do anything to alter its path. Now, international space agencies and disaster preparedness experts have powerful tools to keep watch over the skies—and the newest aide just opened its bug-inspired compound 'eye.' According to the European Space Agency, the Flyeye-1 telescope recently completed its 'first light' test at the Italian Space Agency's Space Geodesy Center, located about 160 miles east of Naples. Soon, it and as many as three other similar installations around the world will work in tandem to provide comprehensive, automated surveys of space every night to scan for cosmic threats. 'The earlier we spot potentially hazardous asteroids, the more time we have to assess them and, if necessary, prepare a response,' explains Richard Moissl, Head of ESA's Planetary Defence Office. 'ESA's Flyeye telescopes will be an early-warning system, and their discoveries will be shared with the global planetary defence community.' Similar to an insect's vision (hence its name), Flyeye captures incoming light through its 3.3-foot-wide primary mirror. That light is divided into 16 independent channels, all equipped with their own secondary lens and detector cameras designed to flag extremely faint objects. Flyeye's automated observation schedule is designed to factor in variables such as lunar brightness along with other survey telescopes like NASA's ATLAS, the Zwicky Transient Facility, and the forthcoming Vera Rubin Telescope. So what happens if Flyeye spies a suspicious space rock out there in deep space? The plan is for experts at ESA's Near-Earth Object Coordination Center (NEOCC) to review and verify any potential concerns. If the situation warrants further investigation, the NEOCC will then forward their report to the Minor Planet Center, a global hub for asteroid data. Subsequent research will lead to international contingency planning, which could involve any number of solutions, such as smacking the asteroid off course with a targeted spacecraft launch. Before that can happen, Flyeye needed to demonstrate its up to the task. For its first light test, Flyeye focused on multiple known asteroids, including 2025 KQ. Astronomers discovered the space rock only two days earlier, offering direct proof that the telescope is already capable of rapid follow-up observations. 'These images of the sky above the ancient stone hills of Matera, Italy, are more than just a test—they are proof that Flyeye is ready to begin its mission,' ESA said in its announcement. Flyeye-1 is now on its way for installation on Monte Mulfara in Sicily. If all goes according to plan, the telescope's first sibling will be up and running sometime in 2028.
Al Arabiya
25-02-2025
- Science
- Al Arabiya
Chance huge asteroid will hit Earth down to 0.001 percent
The chance that a football field-sized asteroid capable of destroying a city will strike Earth in 2032 has fallen to 0.001 percent, the European Space Agency said on Tuesday. A week ago, the asteroid set a new record for having the highest probability of hitting Earth -- 3.1 percent according to NASA and 2.8 percent according to the ESA. The planetary defense community has been scanning the skies. However, as had been widely expected, fresh observations from telescopes around the world narrowed the area of uncertainty where the asteroid could strike, increasingly ruling out the odds of a direct hit. The ESA said the chance was now down to 0.001 percent, adding that the threat level on the Torino Impact Hazard Scale was now at zero -- after hitting level three out of a possible 10 last week. The asteroid, called 2024 YR4, was discovered in December. It is estimated to be 40-90 meters (130 to 300 feet) wide, which means it has the potential to devastate a city. The impact date would have been December 22, 2032 -- but it is now extremely likely the asteroid will simply zoom past Earth. Despite the plummeting risk, the James Webb Space Telescope will still observe the asteroid in the coming months, the ESA said. Scientists had emphasized that even if the asteroid had been heading our way, Earth is now capable of fighting back. In the first test of our planetary defenses, NASA's DART mission successfully altered a harmless asteroid's trajectory in 2022 by smashing a spacecraft into it. Richard Moissl, head of the ESA's planetary defense office, told AFP that observing the asteroid -- then ruling out a direct hit -- was 'a very exciting and educational exercise.' Praising the early detection of the asteroid, he emphasized that 'there is still ample room for improvement.' Several new telescopes, such as the Vera Rubin and Flyeye, which are near becoming operational will enable astronomers to spot asteroids more quickly, Moissl said. So will Europe's planned early warning mission NEOMIR, he added. The last time an asteroid bigger than 30 meters wide posed such a significant risk was Apophis in 2004, when it briefly had a 2.7 percent chance of striking EartFh in 2029 -- a possibility also ruled out through additional observations.
