Latest news with #VERITAS
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Business Standard
12-05-2025
- Science
- Business Standard
Earth's 'twin' planet was more active than we thought
Venus, which was long believed to be barren, was once geologically active, reveal Nasa's researchers. Scientists used decades-old radar data to discover tectonic activity on Venus, suggesting it was an active planet. These latest findings revise Venus' conceptualisation and revive the reinterpretation of Earth's geological processes, and open a new perspective towards planetary evolution as well as on what is needed to sustain habitabilit. NASA reveals tectonic activity on Venus' surface Venus was believed to have a solid, immobile crust and lacked any internal activity for decades. It has a dense carbon dioxide atmosphere and hot temperatures, and the motionless scene seemed to be serene. Nasa's latest research has changed the idea. The study suggests that Venus' surface could actually be remoulding itself, similar to how Earth's crust remoulds through tectonic activity. The latest research is based on the re-examination of images captured by NASA's Magellan spacecraft in the 1990s. The team of researchers used advanced computer modelling techniques and enhanced image analysis programs, which scientists used to compare Venus' ancient surface characteristics, and discovered some surprising signs of movement. The images show that the parts of Venus' surface appeared to be fragmented into enormous crustal blocks, which shift and rotate relative to each other, as ice floes drift on the ocean. It suggests a mobile crust and mantle convection beneath, which means that Venus retains internal heat and is dynamically active to this day. What is 'Flake Tectonics'? Venus's crust is composed of weaker and smaller pieces similar to flakes on a soft, churning mantle, which scientists call "flake tectonics." Driven by internal heat, the flakes slowly move and reprocess the surface over time. However, the process differs from Earth's plate tectonics, implying that Venus does have a geologically active interior. Lead author Paul Byrne said, "This tells us that Venus is not a dead planet. It's actually doing things." Why now? The study used old data from the Magellan mission, but researchers were able to see things they had missed before using new computer models and techniques. The researchers used old data and saw things which were missed before using computer models and techniques. The timing of the findings holds important significance as Nasa is planning two new missions to Venus – VERITAS and DAVINCI are both expected to launch in the next decade. Findings make way for new doubts This latest finding, shifting crust, opens new questions about how rocky planets work and shows how similar, different they are from Earth. As Nasa is gearing up for the new missions, these findings could be the beginning of a wholesome understanding of our closest planetary neighbour.
Economic Times
11-05-2025
- Science
- Economic Times
Earth's ‘twin' is not dead but very much ‘alive'; NASA's latest discovery explained
NASA's recent analysis of Magellan spacecraft data suggests Venus may possess a dynamic surface, challenging the long-held belief of a static crust. Evidence indicates the presence of 'flake tectonics,' where crustal blocks shift due to mantle activity. This discovery, coupled with upcoming missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI, could revolutionize our understanding of rocky planet evolution and Earth's future. In this recent study its found out that Venus's surface could be alive with movement, with chunks of crust slowly shifting and reshaping the planet. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What did NASA find? Some parts of Venus's crust appear to be broken into blocks, These blocks seem to move and shift like ice floes floating on water. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is this important? What is 'Flake Tectonics'? Why now? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads VERITAS and DAVINCI are both expected to launch in the next decade. These missions could confirm if Venus is really as active as it now seems. What does this mean for us? Learn how rocky planets evolve. Understand why Earth became habitable and Venus did not. And predict what could happen to Earth in the distant future. In a breakthrough that could change how we see our 'twin' planet, NASA has discovered that Venus may not be the hot, dead world we thought it was. Instead, its surface could be alive with movement, with chunks of crust slowly shifting and reshaping the planet, similar to Earth's underground activity. It suggests the planet is still geologically decades, scientists believed Venus had a solid, motionless crust — but this new study paints a different scientists studied radar images of Venus taken by the Magellan spacecraft in the 1990s. By comparing surface features, they noticed something surprising:This movement is a sign of mantle activity underneath the surface, which means Venus may still have a warm, churning has moving tectonic plates, which help regulate its temperature and recycle materials. Venus was thought to lack such activity, making it more like a stagnant, overheated these new findings suggest that Venus's crust is not static. The surface may be slowly reshaping itself over time, a process called 'flake tectonics.'Paul Byrne, the study's lead author, says, 'This tells us that Venus is not a dead planet. It's actually doing things.'Venus may have smaller, weaker crustal blocks than Earth's large tectonic plates. These float and shift because of heat from the mantle pushing type of surface behavior is different from Earth's plate tectonics but still suggests internal geological study used old data from the Magellan mission, but researchers were able to see things they had missed before using new computer models and findings come at the perfect time — NASA is planning two new missions to Venus:Understanding Venus's crust can help scientists:The discovery of a shifting crust opens new questions about how rocky planets work — and how similar, or different, they are from Earth. As NASA gears up for new missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI to explore Venus more closely, this finding could be just the beginning of a wholesome understanding of our closest planetary neighbor.
Time of India
11-05-2025
- Science
- Time of India
Earth's ‘twin' is not dead but very much ‘alive'; NASA's latest discovery explained
NASA's recent analysis of Magellan spacecraft data suggests Venus may possess a dynamic surface, challenging the long-held belief of a static crust. Evidence indicates the presence of 'flake tectonics,' where crustal blocks shift due to mantle activity. This discovery, coupled with upcoming missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI, could revolutionize our understanding of rocky planet evolution and Earth's future. In this recent study its found out that Venus's surface could be alive with movement, with chunks of crust slowly shifting and reshaping the planet. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads What did NASA find? Some parts of Venus's crust appear to be broken into blocks, These blocks seem to move and shift like ice floes floating on water. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Why is this important? What is 'Flake Tectonics'? Why now? Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads VERITAS and DAVINCI are both expected to launch in the next decade. These missions could confirm if Venus is really as active as it now seems. What does this mean for us? Learn how rocky planets evolve. Understand why Earth became habitable and Venus did not. And predict what could happen to Earth in the distant future. In a breakthrough that could change how we see our 'twin' planet, NASA has discovered that Venus may not be the hot, dead world we thought it was. Instead, its surface could be alive with movement, with chunks of crust slowly shifting and reshaping the planet, similar to Earth's underground activity. It suggests the planet is still geologically decades, scientists believed Venus had a solid, motionless crust — but this new study paints a different scientists studied radar images of Venus taken by the Magellan spacecraft in the 1990s. By comparing surface features, they noticed something surprising:This movement is a sign of mantle activity underneath the surface, which means Venus may still have a warm, churning has moving tectonic plates, which help regulate its temperature and recycle materials. Venus was thought to lack such activity, making it more like a stagnant, overheated these new findings suggest that Venus's crust is not static. The surface may be slowly reshaping itself over time, a process called 'flake tectonics.'Paul Byrne, the study's lead author, says, 'This tells us that Venus is not a dead planet. It's actually doing things.'Venus may have smaller, weaker crustal blocks than Earth's large tectonic plates. These float and shift because of heat from the mantle pushing type of surface behavior is different from Earth's plate tectonics but still suggests internal geological study used old data from the Magellan mission, but researchers were able to see things they had missed before using new computer models and findings come at the perfect time — NASA is planning two new missions to Venus:Understanding Venus's crust can help scientists:The discovery of a shifting crust opens new questions about how rocky planets work — and how similar, or different, they are from Earth. As NASA gears up for new missions like VERITAS and DAVINCI to explore Venus more closely, this finding could be just the beginning of a wholesome understanding of our closest planetary neighbor.
Malaysian Reserve
22-04-2025
- Business
- Malaysian Reserve
FIELD MEDICAL CLOSES $40 MILLION SERIES A FINANCING TO REDEFINE PULSED FIELD ABLATION FOR VENTRICULAR TACHYCARDIA
CARDIFF-BY-THE-SEA, Calif., April 21, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Field Medical Inc., a pioneer in cardiac pulsed field ablation (PFA) technology, today announced the successful closing of $40 million in Series A financing. The round includes $20 million in new capital and the conversion of $20 million in seed-round debt. Participants include several leading strategics, venture capital firms and family offices, with multiple seed investors reinvesting – underscoring strong confidence in the company's initial focus on ventricular tachycardia (VT) and the broader versatility of its technology. The funding will support the completion of two pilot studies – VCAS for VT and Field PULSE for atrial fibrillation (AF) – as well as continued development of Field's commercial PFA system and operational scale-up in preparation for VERITAS, the company's pivotal trial focused on VT. 'This financing is a pivotal milestone as we advance in redefining how electrophysiologists approach ablation therapy,' said Steven Mickelsen, M.D., founder and chief executive officer of Field Medical. 'With the support of our investors, we are accelerating the development of the FieldForce™ Ablation System, building on early clinical evidence, and moving closer to our commercial goal of expanding access to next-generation PFA solutions for cardiac ablation.' 'We are encouraged by the strong support and confidence from both new investors and our reinvesting seed-round investor base,' said Oskar Dadason, chief financial officer. 'This funding enables us to execute our strategic plan with speed and focus as we transition from early-stage innovation into commercial readiness.' Field Medical is developing transformative technology for the treatment of all cardiac arrhythmias, including VT and AF. The FieldForce Ablation System, featuring the first built-for-purpose, contact force focal PFA catheter, enables an instantaneous ablation workflow, with therapy delivered in a fraction of a second. Recent results from the VCAS (VT) and PULSE (AF) pilot studies demonstrate the system's versatility. Powered by FieldBending™, the company's proprietary technology that delivers brief, high-intensity electric fields, the System is positioned as the single, advanced solution for treating a full spectrum of cardiac arrhythmias. About Field Medical® in 2022, Field Medical is advancing next-generation pulsed field ablation (PFA) technologies to address the complex needs of modern cardiac ablation. The company is led by Dr. Steven Mickelsen, a pioneer in pulsed electric field technology and a leading innovator in the field. His foundational work in PFA established the basis for modern advancements in the technology, which Field Medical continues to refine with its groundbreaking solutions. In 2024, Field Medical's technology was recognized by the FDA with Breakthrough Device Designation and inclusion in the TAP Pilot Program. For more information, visit and follow us on LinkedIn and X. The FieldForce™ Ablation System is an investigational device and is limited by federal (or United States) law to investigational use. The Growing Prevalence of VT and AFVentricular tachycardia (VT) and atrial fibrillation (AF) are two of the most common and serious arrhythmias, contributing to stroke, heart failure, sudden cardiac death and escalating health care costs. VT and premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) affect more than 6 million people in the United States and Europe, while AF impacts an estimated 2% to 6% of the global population. The AF catheter ablation market is currently valued at $5 billion and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 13% to 16%, surpassing $11 billion by 2034. In comparison, the global VT market— which includes devices and catheter ablation—was valued at approximately $12.5 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 5.26%, reaching $17 billion by 2027. Notably, the catheter ablation segment within the VT treatment market is projected to grow at a higher rate of 13% annually during this period, reflecting increased adoption of catheter-based interventions for VT management. Media ContactHolly Windler619.929.1275
Forbes
18-04-2025
- Science
- Forbes
Trump's NASA Cuts Would Decimate U.S. Venus Science
Preliminary budget cuts proposed by the Trump Administration would slash a huge swath out of NASA's Venus science funding. And it would spell the end of the space agency's much anticipated $500 million DAVINCI mission, an orbiter and atmospheric probe, which had been due for launch to our sister planet in 2030. The Trump White House shared a draft version of its 2026 budget request for NASA with the space agency, as Ars Technica first revealed last week. The proposed preliminary budget calls for a 30 percent cut to the space agency's planetary science budget, taking it down to only $1.929 billion, Ars Technica reports. DAVINCI is a NASA-led mission; not only is it a return to Venus, it's a return to the surface, which has not been done for a long, long time, Stephen Kane, a planetary astrophysicist at the University of California, Riverside, and a member of NASA's DAVINCI science team, tells me by phone. The American planetary science community is also fearful that if DAVINCI is axed, there may be a domino effect in Congress that would endanger funding for VERITAS, a NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Venus mapping mission due for launch in 2031. The budget proposal would also decimate NASA research grants that are the lifeblood of career planetary scientists and as well as early career doctoral and graduate students doing Venus-related research. The U.S. planetary science community is pretty much in a state of shock over the proposed cuts and it's uncertain as to whether Congress will try to help NASA defend its Venus science programs. Venus is an extreme example of a planet gone awry, with surface temperatures hot enough to melt lead and surface pressures some 93 times that of Earth. But new technologies are finally enabling the scientifically long-neglected planet to be explored in a way that has never previously been possible. It's just astounding that it's the nearest planet, the same size as Earth and we still know very little about the chemistry and composition of the atmosphere, says Kane. If we can't understand Venus, then we've got no hope for an exoplanet that's 100 light years away, he says. Prior to the November presidential election, Kane flew to Washington, D.C. on behalf of The Planetary Society to lobby both sides of the aisle in Congress and emphasized the importance of staying the course with NASA's planned Venus funding. Kane tells me that he was well-received by both Congressional Democrats and Republicans, but said the new administration's proposed cuts will jeopardize the work that's been done in U.S. Venus science over the last decade and a half. Prior to the recent change in presidential leadership, Kane says that both NASA's DAVINCI and VERITAS missions as well as the European Space Agency's EnVision Venus orbiter were on a pathway for launch by the early 2030s. But he says that because the three missions are so interconnected, if one or more is canceled, it's not clear how EnVision would be impacted. If these cuts go through, they will also represent a blow to American soft power. NASA is the biggest source of soft power that the United States wields, meaning that anywhere you go in the world people love NASA, says Kane. That's not something that you can buy, he says. And perhaps the most frustrating and ironic aspect about these potential cuts is that in the scheme of the U.S. government's overall budget, Mars gets much more of the planetary science budget than Venus. And if you compare U.S. Venus funding to everything else, it's kind of like we're talking accountancy errors, says Kane. I have trained graduate students working on Venus who are now wondering if they have invested all their efforts into something which isn't actually going to go anywhere, says Kane. What can we expect in the next few months? The final NASA budget is going to take months to resolve, and, meanwhile, we have to somehow keep our heads in the science, says Kane. It's very difficult to keep doing the good science whilst concerned about the existential nature of this impending budget crisis, he says. What happens if these cuts go through? We're going to see a decimation of U.S. science leadership and if we lose that, it's going to take decades to rebuild, says Kane.
