Por Jackie Wattles, CNN

Cuando cuatro astronautas inicien un viaje histórico alrededor de la Luna el 6 de febrero, subirán a bordo de la nave espacial Orión de la NASA, de 5 metros de ancho, sabiendo que presenta una falla conocida, la cual ha llevado a algunos expertos a instar a la agencia espacial a no realizar la misión con humanos a bordo. Sin embargo, la NASA confía en que ha solucionado el problema y que el vehículo podrá traer a la tripulación a casa de forma segura.

El problema se relaciona con un recubrimiento especial aplicado a la parte inferior de la nave, llamado escudo térmico. Se trata de una pieza crucial diseñada para proteger a los astronautas de temperaturas extremas durante su descenso de regreso a la Tierra durante la recta final de su misión lunar, Artemis II.

Esta parte vital de la nave espacial Orión es casi idéntica al escudo térmico utilizado en Artemis I, un vuelo de prueba sin tripulación de 2022. El vehículo Orión de esa misión anterior regresó del espacio con un escudo térmico dañado por daños inesperados, lo que llevó a la NASA a investigar el problema.

Y aunque la NASA está a punto de autorizar el uso del escudo térmico para el vuelo, incluso quienes creen que la misión es segura reconocen que existe un riesgo desconocido.

“Este es un escudo térmico anormal”, declaró el Dr. Danny Olivas, exastronauta de la NASA que formó parte de un equipo de revisión independiente designado por la agencia espacial que investigó el incidente. “No hay duda al respecto: este no es el escudo térmico que la NASA querría proporcionar a sus astronautas”.

Aun así, Olivas afirmó que, tras años analizando qué falló con el escudo térmico, la NASA “tiene el problema bajo control”.

Al finalizar la investigación hace aproximadamente un año, la NASA decidió volar la cápsula Artemis II Orion tal como está, creyendo que podría garantizar la seguridad de la tripulación modificando ligeramente la trayectoria de vuelo de la misión.

“Creo que no hay vuelo que despegue sin una duda persistente”, declaró Olivas. “Pero la NASA realmente entiende lo que tiene. Conocen la importancia del escudo térmico para la seguridad de la tripulación, y creo que han hecho bien su trabajo”. Lakiesha Hawkins, administradora asociada adjunta interina de la Dirección de Misiones de Desarrollo de Sistemas de Exploración de la NASA, se hizo eco de esa opinión en septiembre, afirmando: “Desde una perspectiva de riesgo, nos sentimos muy confiados”.

Y Reid Wiseman, el astronauta que comandará la misión Artemis II, ha expresado su confianza.

“Los investigadores descubrieron la causa raíz, que fue clave” para comprender y resolver el problema del escudo térmico, declaró Wiseman a la prensa el pasado julio. “Si nos ceñimos a la nueva ruta de reentrada que la NASA ha planeado, este escudo térmico será seguro para volar”.

Otros no están tan seguros.

“Lo que están diciendo es una locura”, declaró el Dr. Charlie Camarda, experto en escudos térmicos, científico investigador y exastronauta de la NASA.

Camarda, quien también formó parte de la primera tripulación del transbordador espacial en lanzarse tras el desastre del Columbia en 2003, forma parte de un grupo de exempleados de la NASA que no creen que la agencia espacial deba enviar astronautas a bordo de la próxima excursión lunar. Dijo que ha pasado meses intentando que los líderes de la agencia atiendan sus advertencias, sin éxito.

“Podríamos haber resuelto este problema hace mucho tiempo”, dijo Camarda, quien trabajó como científico investigador de la NASA durante dos décadas antes de convertirse en astronauta, sobre el problema del escudo térmico. “En cambio, siguen postergando el asunto”.

Los portavoces de la sede de la NASA no respondieron a una lista de preguntas sobre el escudo térmico para este artículo, aunque CNN sí entrevistó a exempleados de la NASA que trabajaron

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By Dana O’Neil, CNN

(CNN) — The NCAA has reached out to the National Association of Basketball Coaches to convene a call Friday afternoon to discuss the Charles Bediako situation, multiple sources told CNN Sports.

The sources were unsure if the call involved all Division I coaches or just select NABC Board members, but the impetus for the call was clear: Bediako’s participation in games at Alabama.

Bediako, who last played for the Crimson Tide in 2023 and has since played in the NBA’s development G League, has been granted a temporary restraining order that will allow him to play against Tennessee on Saturday. He sought the restraining order after the NCAA denied his request, citing its longstanding rule preventing players who have signed professional contracts from returning to college.

But an Alabama circuit court judge pushed back against the NCAA’s decision, clearing Bediako to play at least until a hearing next week.

Several administrators, including Connecticut athletic director David Benedict, have suggested that the NCAA declare any games in which Bediako competes ineligible. The restraining order, however, specifically says that neither the player nor program can be punished by the NCAA for Bediako’s participation.

“It doesn’t mean the games need to count toward the NCAA Tournament,’’ Benedict told ESPN. “Otherwise throw away the rule book and set it on fire. There are no rules.’’

His coach, Dan Hurley, posted a slightly subtler reaction on his X feed, sharing a clip from the movie “Back To School,” of 65-year-old Rodney Dangerfield declaring he was going to college

Bediako is the second player to find his way back to college after turning pro. James Nnaji, who also played in the G League, has appeared in six games for Baylor.

In response, NCAA president Charlie Baker has forcefully reaffirmed the national governing body’s position.

“The NCAA has not and will not grant eligibility to any prospective or returning student-athletes who have signed an NBA contract (including a two-way contract),” he said in a statement.

Bediako had previously signed such a contract with the San Antonio Spurs.

The judges’ ruling come at a time when college sports are facing yet another critical inflection point, most of it once again coming via the courts. As Bediako challenges amateur rules, Duke is suing its quarterback, Darian Mensah, for attempting to breach his contract and transfer, and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is seeking relief for an additional year of college football from a Mississippi court.

This isn’t the first time college basketball coaches have been called for a sort of reckoning. In 2003, the NABC convened a mandatory meeting in Chicago to discuss a wave of scandal in the sport.

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By Jennifer Hansler, CNN

(CNN) — The Trump administration is expected to deport dozens of Iranians back to their home country as soon as this Sunday, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

It would be the first known deportation flight to Iran from the United States since sweeping anti-government protests broke out in the country in recent weeks and President Donald Trump threatened the regime for its brutal crackdown on the uprisings. It would also be the third under Trump

There are major concerns about the fate of the dozens of Iranians on board the prospective deportation flight, which was first reported by MS NOW.

CNN has reached out to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the White House for comment.

Two of the Iranians who have been informed they will be on the upcoming flight are partners and face “an extremely high chance” of being executed for being gay if they are forced to return, their lawyer, Bekah Wolf, told CNN.

“If they were to be sent back right now, they’re facing death sentences by hanging,” said Wolf, a lawyer with the American Immigration Council.

“When they fled in 2021, they had been arrested by ‘morality police’ for being gay and were being prosecuted for it and for conduct that is punishable by death,” she said Friday.

She said they have pleaded with her to save their lives.

One of those individuals spoke to CNN in December about his fear of being forced to return to Iran.

“I suffered a lot in country for what I am,” he said, telling CNN he was tortured and raped in Iran. He did not want to be identified for fear of retaliation.

He came to the US “just to have a normal life like everyone else,” he told CNN at the time.

“Definitely, my life is at risk if I return to my country,” he said.

He was detained after crossing the border in the waning days of the Biden administration, after traveling months and being robbed and beaten en route to the US. He said he has suffered abuse and discrimination while in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention.

The man had initially been slated to be on the second deportation flight to Iran in December. He was ultimately kept off it amid a pending appeal of his asylum case, which was denied by the Trump administration. His case is still pending.

According to Wolf, the man’s partner is “in terrible medical condition” and has experienced “very intensive medical neglect” in the ICE facility where he has been detained.

The expected flight comes as Trump has said that his administration will talk with Iran. Still, the US president has not taken the prospect of military action against Iran off the table.

“We have a lot of ships going that direction, just in case. We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens. We have a big force going toward Iran,” Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One Thursday.

“I’d rather not see anything happen, but we’re watching them very closely,” he said.

Wolf noted that “to go out of their way to negotiate with Iran to accept another deportation flight, which is what has to occur in order for this flight to happen, really sort of demonstrates the hypocrisy of our immigration policy.”

“We’re saying, on the one hand, that we will support the protesters against this horrific regime, and at the same time we’re making a deal with that same regime to deport people who have fled to seek asylum,” she said.

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