European Space Research Articles

4.B. Round table: Closing the loop in the European Health Data Space: relation between primary and secondary data use

Abstract Currently, data collection processes in healthcare institutions across Europe remain exclusively geared towards the needs of primary use. Neither medical professionals’ clinical workflows, nor the data infrastructures and data management processes established within different organisations allow for the kind of highly standardised and structured data collection, processing and segregation from operational systems that secondary use requires. The development of a European Health Data Space offers large possibilities for research and innovation. High quality or primary data and secure pathways are required for the secondary use of data. Closing the loop and making relevant information from secondary use of data available to clinicians and health care professionals is a crucial step to build trust and enable a cultural shift that will enable health innovations and targeted treatments reach all those who could benefit from them without delay. Closing the loop between primary and secondary use of data will accelerate the shift from treatment of illness to prediction and prevention in the way healthcare is delivered - a shift that will need to be accompanied by an overhaul of European health systems’ current funding and reimbursement models. Establishing trustworthy sources of information and guidance for the use of novel health technologies, as well as involving patients and their caregivers early in the development of concrete applications, could help to foster better understanding and build trust in this area. To ensure acceptance, it will be particularly important for these developments to be driven by identified problems and defined needs in healthcare. Efforts should be made to address and include all parts of the population, not just the highly engaged and usually highly educated patients who typically participate in collaborative initiatives. The workshop will provide a holistic understanding of the interconnectedness between primary data and secondary use of health data. High quality of data and secure pathways are required for the secondary use of data. The workshop will explore paths for the evaluation of data-driven innovation and its introduction into clinical pathways that need to be further developed and standardised across the EU and the role that different actors in the health data system must play to meet the needs for secure and high-quality of data for research and policy development. The importance of actors like healthcare professionals, patients and citizens as well as the role of industry, public-private partnerships and relevance of health data innovative solutions will be addressed by each of the panellists and collaboration pathways for closing the loop will be further explored. The discussion will use and build on the findings and solutions identified in the EIT Health Think Tank report ‘Implementing the EHDS across Europe’. Key messages • In order to move to a data sharing environment, a cultural shift is needed to foster an environment of equality and openness to share data. • Healthcare professionals, patients and citizens are active participants and public-private partnerships could be instrumental to foster novel solutions and trust in this cultural transformation. Speakers/Panelists Nienke Schutte Sciensano, Brussels, Belgium Milana Trucl European Patient Forum, Etterbeek, Belgium Sinead O’Connor Trinity College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland Aneta Tyszkiewicz EFPIA, Brussels, Belgium Elina Drakvik Sitra, Helsinki, Finland

Double edged tech: navigating the public health and legal challenges of digital twin technology

Abstract This research addresses the legal challenges posed by the implementation of digital twin technology in public health. Digital twins are advanced computational models which aim to replicate human organ functions and biological processes. Their goal is to enable the simulation of the entire human body and to personalize the outputs with individual patient’s health data. Digital twin technology promises to bridge gap between personalized medicine and precision public health. This research is based on a comprehensive review of the current European and Swiss legal frameworks for medical devices and data protection that apply to digital twin technology. Within these frameworks, digital twins are in a grey area, as they are only considered as medical device software when applied to individuals. They also incorporate artificial intelligence, machine learning, and data analytics, which are already a source of legal concern in a healthcare setting, but their effective use in public health raises additional issues. Preliminary findings suggest significant shortcomings in the legal frameworks regarding data privacy, and the potential for increased surveillance by health insurance systems, which could lead to human rights violations. The public health application of digital twins would require global data analysis of sensitive personal information, raising further questions about the secure storage, transmission, and processing of this data. The study concludes that current legal frameworks must be future proofed to manage the complexities introduced by digital twins in public health. In particular, it suggests that regulatory oversight of medical devices needs to be significantly improved in order to safely harness the potential of digital twin technologies for public health. Finally, the new European Union health data space and the forthcoming EU AI act will also play important roles in the implementation of digital twin technologies. Key messages • Applying digital twin technology in public health faces considerable challenges, particularly the issues around data privacy, potential discrimination, and increased surveillance. • We need to adapt and strengthen existing legal frameworks to effectively manage the complexities introduced by digital twins, ensuring that these technologies can be safely used for public health.

Development and implementation of a simulated microgravity setup for edible cyanobacteria

Regenerative life support systems for space crews recycle waste into water, food, and oxygen using different organisms. The European Space Agency’s MELiSSA program uses the cyanobacterium Limnospira indica PCC8005 for air revitalization and food production. Before space use, components’ compatibility with reduced gravity was tested. This study introduced a ground analog for microgravity experiments with oxygenic cyanobacteria under continuous illumination, using a random positioning machine (RPM) setup. L. indica PCC8005 grew slower under low-shear simulated microgravity, with proteome analysis revealing downregulation of ribosomal proteins, glutamine synthase, and nitrate uptake transporters, and upregulation of gas vesicle, photosystem I and II, and carboxysome proteins. Results suggested inhibition due to high oxygen partial pressure, causing carbon limitation when cultivated in low-shear simulated microgravity. A thicker stagnant fluid boundary layer reducing oxygen release in simulated microgravity was observed. These findings validate this RPM setup for testing the effects of non-terrestrial gravity on photosynthetic microorganisms.

Unlocking public infrastructures? State aid and the common European data space

EU state aid rules are part of the EU’s competition policy, a form of soft law developed to nudge states away from public investments in many areas. Rules were used to impose that market competition holds a privileged position, and that enacting social, political, or economic benefits that might stifle competition requires a complicated legal and political negotiation process between the European Commission, Member States, and private companies. Nonetheless, many strategic projects or situations in recent years led to significant state aid. The Commission utilised a variety of means to encourage both private and public investments in EU based digital infrastructure that is critical for public media services and for unified European data space. Despite EU’s balancing act between the private and public interests, business interests are dangerously capturing the development in the media data space. To grasp the social and economic contribution of publicly financed productive activities, we approach public broadcasting systems as producers of public wealth of a peculiar kind whose activities and goals are defined by their public purpose, rather than the imperatives of capital and profitmaking. Unifying data spaces with too many design decisions conceded to capitalist production runs the risk of further neglecting social foundations of member states. We argue that the desired digital transformation would be more successful if it moved towards affirmative approaches to public services and public infrastructures, recognising the historical and contemporary contribution of the production of public wealth and public media in member states.

REFORMING THE STANDARDIZATION AND CERTIFICATION SYSTEM OF UKRAINE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF EUROPEAN EXPERIENCE

The article substantiates the need to reform the standardization and certification system of Ukraine in the context of the implementation of the European experience as one of the factors of harmonizing Ukrainian state policy with EU public policy during our country's European integration progress. It is noted that the process of implementation of the European experience of certification and standardization in Ukraine is a multidimensional phenomenon that includes both technical and socio-philosophical aspects. The importance of this process lies not only in the adaptation of legislation and standards, but also in the transformation of public consciousness itself, the formation of new ethical and social norms. Only in a combination of these elements is it possible to successfully integrate Ukraine into the European space and ensure the sustainable development of its society. It was concluded that the further steps of Ukraine in the direction of European integration condition the improvement of the national Ukrainian legislative space in terms of its harmonization and coordination with the policies and directives of the European Union regarding the establishment of a system of standardization and certification, ensuring the high quality of products, goods and services capable of properly meeting the needs of Ukrainian consumers.

STATE POLICY ON THE PROTECTION OF NATIONAL INTERESTS OF UKRAINE IN THE INTERNET ENVIRONMENT

The article deals with the problem of protecting Ukraine’s national interests in the context of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The Internet is seen as a space for free expression of opinions, but often turns into a battlefield in the information war. The article analyses the processes of informatisation of society and the increase in the number of Internet users. The impact of the Russian-Ukrainian war on the leading Internet providers and their political position is analysed. Today, Ukraine enjoys great support from leading campaigns in this area, but the aggressor country is heavily funding war propaganda. Attention is drawn to the results of statistics on cyberattacks on state institutions and the public by the Russian Federation. It is emphasised that today state institutions, business and society in Ukraine have united to counteract the negative information influence of Russia. The structure of Ukraine’s national interests, priorities and directions of their protection are defined. Attention is focused on the fact that the Russian Federation attracts teenagers to extremist and radical activities on the Internet. This additionally threatens the national interests of Ukraine. Prevention of extremism is based on raising the legal, political and general culture of citizens, and shaping a positive image of the state. Therefore, it is justified to take effective measures to develop a powerful ideological corpus, a national idea and to adhere to the state’s strategy for European integration. It is important to establish systematic training of specialists in the field of protecting national interests in the Internet space, enhancing the preventive role of the media and institutional support for analytical, educational, propaganda and information work. The author proposes to develop a powerful system of countering manipulations on the Internet, which will include technological developments, methodology, ideological component, legal and educational measures. The author substantiates the necessity of Ukraine’s integration into the global and regional European information space; integration into international information and telecommunication systems and organisations; modernisation and certain changes in the information policy; improvement of legislation on harmonisation of national legislation with international standards; introduction of modern information and communication technologies into public administration processes, etc.

Race, racism and coloniality in Bordeaux: Perceptions and experiences of 15 local women racialized as non-white

ABSTRACT This study focuses on the city of Bordeaux, a city mostly known today for its wine industry but with a strong colonial legacy as it was the second main slave trade harbor in France. Thus, Bordeaux illustrates the erasure of race, racism and coloniality in race-evasive and so-called post-racial French and European (urban and discursive) spaces. Based on in-depth interviews with 15 women racialized as non-white and living in Bordeaux, this article sheds light on some of the ways in which the participants perceived and experienced race, racism and coloniality to materialize in Bordeaux. Analyzed using tenets of thematic analysis, the findings are organized around two themes: (1) disrupting raceless discourses and whiteness and (2) drawing geographical and historical continuities. The findings help identify concrete ramifications of race, racism and coloniality in urban spaces and point to ways of developing racial literacy in and through cities.

Euclid II. The VIS instrument

This paper presents the specification, design, and development of the Visible Camera (VIS) on the European Space Agency's mission. VIS is a large optical-band imager with a field of view of 0.54 deg$^2$ sampled at with an array of 609 Megapixels and a spatial resolution of . It will be used to survey approximately 14 000 deg$^2$ of extragalactic sky to measure the distortion of galaxies in the redshift range $z=0.1$--1.5 resulting from weak gravitational lensing, one of the two principal cosmology probes leveraged by With photometric redshifts, the distribution of dark matter can be mapped in three dimensions, and the extent to which this has changed with look-back time can be used to constrain the nature of dark energy and theories of gravity. The entire VIS focal plane will be transmitted to provide the largest images of the Universe from space to date, specified to reach AB with a signal-to-noise ratio S/N in a single broad E (r+i+z)$ band over a six-year survey. The particularly challenging aspects of the instrument are the control and calibration of observational biases, which lead to stringent performance requirements and calibration regimes. With its combination of spatial resolution, calibration knowledge, depth, and area covering most of the extra-Galactic sky, VIS will also provide a legacy data set for many other fields. This paper discusses the rationale behind the conception of VIS and describes the instrument design and development, before reporting the prelaunch performance derived from ground calibrations and brief results from the in-orbit commissioning. VIS should reach fainter than AB =25$ with $ S/N 10$ for galaxies with a full width at half maximum of in a diameter aperture over the Wide Survey, and $m_ AB for a Deep Survey that will cover more than 50 deg$^2$. The paper also describes how the instrument works with the telescope and survey, and with the science data processing, to extract the cosmological information.

Space Analogs and Behavioral Health Performance Research review and recommendations checklist from ESA Topical Team.

Space analog research has increased over the last few years with new analogs appearing every year. Research in this field is very important for future real mission planning, selection and training of astronauts. Analog environments offer specific characteristics that resemble to some extent the environment of a real space mission. These analog environments are especially interesting from the psychological point of view since they allow the investigation of mental and social variables in very similar conditions to those occurring during real space missions. Analog missions also represent an opportunity to test operational work and obtain information on which combination of processes and team dynamics are most optimal for completing specific aspects of the mission. A group of experts from a European Space Agency (ESA) funded topical team reviews the current situation of topic, potentialities, gaps, and recommendations for appropriate research. This review covers the different domains in space analog research including classification, main areas of behavioral health performance research in these environments and operational aspects. We also include at the end, a section with a list or tool of recommendations in the form of a checklist for the scientific community interested in doing research in this field. This checklist can be useful to maintain optimal standards of methodological and scientific quality, in addition to identifying topics and areas of special interest.

The arisal of data spaces: why I am excited and worried.

This paper explores the significant role of real-world data (RWD) in advancing our understanding and management of Multiple Sclerosis (MS). RWD has proven invaluable in MS research and care, offering insights from larger and diverse patient populations. A key focus of the paper is the European Health Data Space (EHDS), a significant development that promises to change how healthcare data is managed across Europe. This initiative is particularly relevant to the MS community. The paper highlights various data initiatives, discussing their importance for those affected by MS. Despite the potential benefits, there are challenges and concerns, especially about ensuring that the growth of various data platforms remains beneficial for MS patients. The paper suggests practical actions for the global MS community to consider, aimed at optimizing the use of RWD. The emphasis of this discussion is on the secondary use of health data, particularly in the European context. The content is based on the author's own experiences and interpretations, offering a personal yet informed view on using RWD to improve MS research and patient care.

Database of Candidate Targets for the LIFE Mission

We present the database of potential targets for the Large Interferometer For Exoplanets (LIFE), a space-based mid-infrared nulling interferometer mission proposed for the Voyage 2050 science program of the European Space Agency. The database features stars, their planets and disks, main astrophysical parameters, and ancillary observations. It allows users to create target lists based on various criteria to predict, for instance, exoplanet detection yields for the LIFE mission. As such, it enables mission design trade-offs, provides context for the analysis of data obtained by LIFE, and flags critical missing data. Work on the database is in progress, but given its relevance to LIFE and other space missions, including the Habitable Worlds Observatory, we present its main features here. A preliminary version of the LIFE database is publicly available on the German Astrophysical Virtual Observatory.

CLOWN: The PASO Cloud Detection for Optimization of Automatic Optical Surveys

Orbiting space objects have become in the last decade a major nuisance impacting ground astronomy and orbiting space assets, from observatories to satellites and space stations. In particular with the rise of the satellite population in Low Earth Orbits, space objects are becoming an even bigger threat and a strong problem to astronomical observations. To tackle these threats, several coordinated surveillance networks composed of dedicated sensors (telescopes, radars, and laser ranging facilities) track and survey space objects, from debris to active satellites. As part of the European Space Surveillance & Tracking network, Portugal is developing the Pampilhosa da Serra Space Observatory, with both radio and optical telescopes dedicated to the Space Situational Awareness domain, deployed at a Dark Sky destination. To optimize telescope survey time, we developed CLOud Watcher at Night (CLOWN), an application interface that automatically monitors clouds in real time. This software can correctly trace cloud positions in the sky and provide accurate pointing information to the observation planning of the optical telescope to avoid cloudy areas. CLOWN only requires the use of an all-sky camera, which is already a norm in observatories with optical telescopes and can be used with any camera, including those for which no information about its model specification do exist. CLOWN does not require great computing power, and it does not require the installation of additional equipment. CLOWN results are very promising and confirm that the app can correctly identify clouds in a variety of different conditions and cloud types.

Automatic Detection of Flood Extent and Volume Estimation from Sentinel-2 Satellite Images using Deep Learning Techniques in India

Floods are unexpected natural disasters that can have a major impact on human life, soil along bank erosion, damage vital infrastructure, road closures, economy standard, and society of various affected regions. An initial step of proper assessment is necessary for flood damage along with accurate measurements to easily restore essential damage of infrastructure, relief, and mitigation as quickly as possible. Nowadays, the rapid development of remote sensing images using deep learning as a most positive tool for accurately estimating the extent of overall flood detection surfaces. The monitoring of flood detections from remote sensing images still extends a few issues due to mostly varying from different weather changes conditions, cloud coverage areas that can have a limit to use of level of visible remote sensing satellite collected data. Moreover, Remote Sensing Satellite based observations may not always be mapped to the distribution's flood point peak, also it is very essential for both the flood extent and flood volume estimation. To overcome this challenge, we have presented a new remote sensing technology that integrates with a high resolution multi-spectral satellite data/information by using an advanced Deep Learning to accurately analyze remote sensing based observations. In our experiment, we use the European Space Agency (ESA) launched Sentinel type-1, Sentinel type-2 data and Digital Elevation Model (DEM) to accurately measure flood monitoring results. In our study, we reviewed a real example of the flood situation that happened in 2019 in Kolhapur. In our results, we evaluated a flood volume estimation at 0.0010 km3 in Kolhapur district. Finally, the proposed methodology provides an effective way to accurately motoring floods using low-cost satellite data and deep learning approaches. This project has the potential to improve the more accurate flood detection and mapping which can prevent an exactly timely response and immediate recovery efforts for flood surrounding affected areas.

Fostering Tourism Through Regional Culture in the Russian–Chinese Borderland: A Case Study of Zabaykalsky Krai and Northeast China

The article focuses on the cultural and civilisational potential of Russian eastern borders and China border regions. The issues raised in this article seem to be topical in the context of two circumstances: first, tourist contacts have undergone significant transformations in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, and second, the aggravating situation with the emergence of barriers to entry into the European tourism space makes China one of the most attractive regions for tourism development. The concept of ‘border’ appears as a unique sociocultural space where regional culture functioning is mediated by the influence of three cultural dimensions (national, local and foreign). In the era of digitalisation, online platforms act as a modern space for the concentration and accumulation of tourist content. Updating the work on online platforms can become one of the ways of solving the identified problems in the border tourism sector. The article gives a possible solution to the above issues based on the original model of ‘regional cultures dialogueness in the borderland’, its integration into the concept of tourism development in the border areas. The authors suggest recommendations on the vector of modern state policy regarding the development of tourism initiatives in the Russian–Chinese border area.

Informatization of the professional training of future teachers of physical education in the conditions of distance education

The article shows the importance of the use of new information technologies in the process of professional training of future teachers of physical education at the current stage of the development of society in the conditions of distance learning. The main directions and tasks regarding the use of info-communication and multimedia learning tools in the professional training of students from the specialty 014 Secondary education are defined. (physical culture). The educational component "sports-pedagogical informatics" was introduced into the educational process, the curriculum and diagnostic technology for assessing success according to the modular rating system for this course were developed. It has been established that the implementation of such innovative tasks in full will make it possible to significantly optimize the professional training of future specialists in the conditions of distance learning and to quickly integrate into the European educational space. In addition, the main stages of the introduction of computer and multimedia tools into the educational process of future teachers of physical culture are determined. The justified need to introduce the educational component "Sports and pedagogical informatics" into the educational process of students from the specialty 014 Secondary education (physical culture). Carrying out such innovative tasks in full will make it possible to significantly optimize the professional training of students in the specialty 014 Secondary education (physical education) in the conditions of distance learning.

Evolution of the Concept of Traumatic Experience: Cultural Aspect

The purpose of the article is to conduct a cultural reflection to clarify the peculiarities of the evolution of the concept of traumatic experience, to outline the specifics of its conceptual and semantic deployment in the European socio-cultural space. The research methodology includes general scientific principles of systematisation and generalisation of the problem under study, which allowed to identify and scientifically substantiate existing theories, conceptual approaches to understanding the content of the concepts of ‘trauma’, ‘traumatic experience’, ‘trauma of modernisation’, ‘trauma of social change’. The purpose and objectives of the article led to the use of an axiological approach, which allowed identifying the interdisciplinary nature of the theories under consideration, revealing personalised scientific positions and their cultural context. The use of the analytical method allowed us to identify conceptual foundations for further scientific perspectives on the problematisation of traumatic experience, namely, to clarify the role and significance of cultural/creative practices in processing traumatic experience by studying the evolution of this concept within the framework of the formation of trauma studies as an independent field of scientific knowledge and to make an attempt to develop algorithms for their practical implementation in the discourse of applied cultural studies. The scientific novelty lies in the cultural analysis of personalised scientific positions on the evolution of the concept of ‘traumatic experience’, in view of the specifics of its conceptual and semantic deployment in the European socio-cultural space. Conclusions. The conceptual and semantic development of the concept of traumatic experience unfolds against the dynamic change in the European general socio-cultural context caused by the outbreak and course of the First World War. Already during the war and after its end, on the basis of the empirical experience gained in the treatment of numerous traumas and mental disorders, scientific understanding of their nature, the specifics of traumatic experience manifestations began, and practicing military doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists developed recommendations for its experience, overcoming, and processing/working through. The evolution of the concept of traumatic experience in the discourse of classical psychoanalysis developed in the unity of epistemological and hermeneutical theory of experience, playing a leading role in explicating trauma and traumatic experience in the sphere of interest of various social sciences and humanities, from art history and cultural studies to sociology and political science. By expanding the subject field of studying trauma and traumatic experience, Freud laid the foundation for a methodological principle that is called interdisciplinary and becomes one of the basic ones for further studying trauma and traumatic experience against the broad background of a holistic picture of human existence in society and the world of culture.

Literary geography and the problem of the formation of geo-cultural texts (using the example of the Black Sea texts of Russian literature)

The article is devoted to the problem of the formation of geo-cultural texts within the framework of literary geography. An important part of literary and geographical studies is the study of geographical images presented in literary works. The concept of a geo-cultural text makes it possible to typologize literary and geographical images in relation to different geo-cultures. Local geo-cultures with a developed literary tradition usually have a number of representative geo-cultural texts that characterize the landscape and figurative features of the development of a given territory. The evolution of the Black Sea text is considered using the concepts of geo-culture and geo-cultural text. Images of the South, exoticism, and antiquity are explored as key images determining the development of the Black Sea text. Special attention is paid to the formation of interrelations between the images of the Crimea and antiquity. The marine “exoticism,” combined with the “atmosphere” of antiquity, the marginal antiquity of European culture, turned out to be the strongest emotional stimulus for the formation of both southern and Black Sea images in Russian literature. In the geo-cultural context, the “crystallization” of the Black Sea text of Russian literature takes place by the end of the 19th–beginning of the 20th century (I. Bunin, A. Kuprin). This is due to the rich landscape descriptions, which make it possible to talk about the “Black Sea aura” of these texts and the emergence of a kind of “Black Sea ontologies.” Further, the substantial core of the geo-cultural Black Sea text in the 20th century is determined by the works of M. Voloshin, O. Mandelstam, I. Babel, A. Green, K. Paustovsky, V. Kataev. Through the “crystallization” of the Crimean and Black Sea texts and the modern re-creation of its own image of “Black Sea antiquity” throughout the 20th century, Russian culture created its geo-cultural “antiquity” within the framework of the European geo-cultural space. Thanks to the work of I. Brodsky (“Roman” and “imperial” loci), the Crimean and Black Sea texts expand their semantic field, turning out to be a “node” of metaphorical assimilation, uniting the Mediterranean geo-cultural area and geo-cultural zones of influence of Russian literature.

Ukrainian Musical Culture: Integrative Component

The purpose of the research to study the current state of Ukrainian musical culture and to prove the importance of its European integration. Research methodology. To achieve the set goals, the following research methods were used: historical - to study the emergence, formation and development of Ukrainian musical culture; systematic method – for a comprehensive study of the musical culture of Ukraine; cultural – which reveals the complexity of socio-cultural processes and phenomena; axiological method – which allowed to investigate the phenomena of mass culture in view of their valuable nature. Scientific novelty the article consists in the theoretical and methodological substantiation of the influence of the European space on the Europeanisation of Ukrainian culture in Ukraine and beyond. Conclusions. The disclosure of the concept of Ukrainian culture showed that the constituent parts of any culture are the people with their customs, beliefs, traditions, as well as innovations in this field, which are closely intertwined with the past heritage. Enrichment of culture is possible only if the experience of past generations is successfully combined with modern manifestations of cultural development. Having considered the main factors and determining factors of national culture, we proved that art itself, in particular music, are determining factors of culture. It is music that is capable of enriching and elevating the spiritual value of the Ukrainian people, because the feeling of beauty aesthetically directs the personality, contributes to value orientations and conscious being. The interpenetration of different cultures and generations leads to the development of innovations, while the use of some of the latest technologies loses the meaning of national culture. It is necessary to enrich the spiritual culture of Ukraine – as an important factor in the development of a modern, educated personality. National musical heritage is the primary source of formation of national consciousness and identity. Integration processes and cultural dialogue are a necessary condition for the development of Ukrainian musical culture, as well as any culture in general. A dialogue that involves active interaction, mutual enrichment of equal cultural subjects, a desire to understand one's own and others' peculiarities and uniqueness.

Precision Manufacturing in China of Replication Mandrels for Ni-Based Monolithic Wolter-I X-ray Mirror Mandrels

The X-ray satellite “Einstein Probe” of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) was successfully launched on 9 January 2024 at 15:03 Beijing Time from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in China with a “Long March-2C” rocket. The Einstein Probe is equipped with two scientific X-ray telescopes. One is the Wide-field X-ray Telescope (WXT), which uses lobster-eye optics. The other is the Follow-up X-ray Telescope (FXT), a Wolter-I type telescope. These telescopes are designed to study the universe for high-energy X-rays associated with transient high-energy phenomena. The FXT consists of two modules based on 54 thin X-ray Wolter-I grazing incidence Ni-replicated mirrors produced by the Italian Media Lario company, as contributions from the European Space Agency and the Max Planck Institute for Extraterrestrial Physics (MPE), which also provided the focal-plane detectors. Meanwhile, the Institute of High Energy Physics (IHEP), together with the Harbin Institute of Technology and Xi’an Institute of Optics and Precision Mechanics, has also completed the development and production of the structural and thermal model (STM), qualification model (QM) and flight model (FM) of FXT mirrors for the Einstein Probe (EP) satellites for demonstration purposes. This paper introduces the precision manufacturing adopted in China of Wolter-I X-ray mirror mandrels similar to those used for the EP-FXT payload. Moreover, the adopted electroformed nickel replication process, based on a chemical nickel–phosphorus alloy, is reported. The final results show that the surface of the produced mandrels after demolding and the internal surface of the mirrors have been super polished to the roughness level better than 0.3 nm RMS and the surface accuracy is better than 0.2 μm, and the mirror angular resolution for single mirror shells may be as good as 17.3 arcsec HPD (Half Power Diameter), 198 arcsec W90 (90% Energy Width) @1.49 keV (Al-K line). These results demonstrate the reliability and advancement of the process. As the first efficient X-ray-focusing optics manufacturing chain established in China, we successfully developed the first focusing mirror prototype that could be used for future X-ray satellite payloads.

Railway security checks at the border: between intrusive security technologies and fundamental traveller rights.

European railway borders are facing a particular exposure to security threats and need a delicate balance between securitization and free movement, especially amid globalisation, the current geopolitical landscape and increased migrant flows. For example, the war in Ukraine illustrated the challenges experienced at the Eastern EU borders by the refugee migration surge in early 2022. This exploratory focuses on the European border security control process from the rail border perspective. It encompasses a descriptive synthesis of the lessons learned from the UIC Refugee Task Force as well as insights from the ongoing EU-funded Horizon Europe project ODYSSEUS (Unobtrusive Technologies for Secure and Seamless Border Crossing for Travel Facilitation). Project ODYSSEUS aims to support the security and integrity of the European space, reduce illegal movements of people and goods across EU borders, facilitate travelling for citizens all while protecting fundamental rights of travellers. The project will test a combination of multi-behavioural and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant biometric user identity verification tools, allowing, when possible, citizens to cross EU border without any interruption or queue. Further, novel luggage and baggage checks will allow citizens' vehicles and cargos to be remotely checked at land borders to speed up the border check processes in a secure and reliable manner. The project will run three pilot tests at road, rail and water borders. In this paper, we analyse the implementation of project's technologies in the rail border crossing pilot test and discuss the implications for the actors involved in the process of railway border crossing (e.g., border authorities, railway operators and railway travellers).