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Welcome to program 444 of Shortwave Radiogram.
I'm Kim Andrew Elliott in Arlington, Virginia USA.
Here is the lineup for today's program, in MFSK modes as noted:
1:43 MFSK32: Program preview (now)
2:53 MFSK32: Drought parches Florida
6:20 MFSK64: Moscow's plans for Moon 'sovereign territories'
9:02 MFSK64: This week's images
27:43 MFSK32: Closing announcements
Please send reception reports to radiogram@verizon.net
And visit http://swradiogram.net
We're on Bluesky now: SWRadiogram.bsky.social
And X/Twitter: @SWRadiogram
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From Phys.org:
Drought parches Florida
by NASA
April 7, 2026
Florida is among the wettest U.S. states, but that doesn't mean
it is drought-free. Nearly all of Florida faced at least
"moderate" drought, and nearly 80% faced "extreme" conditions in
April 2026, according to data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.
Unusually dry conditions gripped the state for much of 2025, but
the intensity and extent of the drought ratcheted up starting in
January 2026.
Data from a NASA and German Research Center for Geosciences
satellite mission show that the drought has left its imprint on
the state's underground water supplies, which are often tapped
for drinking water and farming.
The drought is being felt throughout Florida. Some water
districts have imposed restrictions on when water can be used for
certain activities, such as lawn watering and car washes. News
reports suggest that the dry weather poses a threat to crops,
many of which already suffered severe damage during hard freezes
in February. Large wildland fires have flared up in some areas,
and even wetland ecosystems like the Everglades face unusually
dry conditions.
U.S. Drought Monitor records indicate that the current drought is
the most widespread and severe to affect the state since 2012.
Many areas have received less than half their normal rainfall
since September 1, 2025, according to the National Weather
Service. St. Petersburg has seen only 7.7 inches (195.6
millimeters) of rain since September 1, compared to the normal
19.0 inches, making this the driest year on record for that
period.
However, the current drought does not yet rival the worst drought
that has parched the state, according to data from the U.S.
Drought Monitor. Their analysis indicates that the 2000–2001
drought was more intense, lasted longer, and affected a larger
area. GRACE-FO observations are among the sources of information
that the U.S. Drought Monitor considers when mapping drought
conditions in its weekly assessments. Forecasters anticipate that
a slow-moving rainstorm set to hit Florida this week may offer
some relief.
https://phys.org/news/2026-04-drought-parches-florida.html
Shortwave Radiogram now changes to MSFK64 ...
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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64
Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net
From TVP Poland:
Moscow plans to establish 'sovereign Russian territories' on the
Moon
Maria Kamińska
08.04.2026
The Russian Academy of Sciences has proposed a plan to divide the
Moon so that Russia gets its own "sovereign territories".
Russia's space science program will ultimately allow Moscow to
establish control over lunar territories, Sergei Chernyshev, vice
president of the Russian Academy of Sciences, said at a presidium
meeting dedicated to space exploration, Russian news outlet RBC
reported on Tuesday.
"[The lunar program] will provide new knowledge and technologies
for lunar exploration. And ultimately, it will help establish
sovereign Russian territories on the lunar surface," he was
quoted as saying by RBC.
However, during the same event, Chernyshev also announced further
delays to Russia's lunar program, with the country's next
mission, Luna-26, now postponed to 2028, a year later than
previously planned.
Subsequent missions, Luna-27/1 and Luna-27/2, are now scheduled
for 2029 and 2030, while Luna-28 has been rescheduled to 2036.
Russia, once, along with the USA, one of the two space powers
during the Cold War, is now struggling to keep pace with both its
legacy rival and emerging players like China and India, which
have all rapidly expanded their space programs in recent years.
Chernyshev's comments also come as the US Artemis II mission
heads home after a historic orbit of the Moon earlier this week,
during which astronauts set a record for the farthest distance
humans have ever traveled from the Earth.
The mission is part of preparations for a lunar landing by
astronauts under the Artemis IV program, planned for 2028.
Space exploration
Chernyshev said that Russia's lunar program will be carried out
in two stages with the first one focused on mastering the
technologies necessary for landing and conducting research on the
lunar surface.
The second stage is set to involve building foundations for lunar
bases.
"The lunar program will help Russia maintain its place among the
leading space powers actively exploring the Moon," Chernyshev was
quoted as saying by RBC.
The projected budget for Russia's lunar program is about 700
billion rubles (€7.7 bn) through 2036, with total funding for the
broader space exploration set at around 4.4 trillion rubles (€48
bn), the newspaper the Moscow Times reported.
Lost know-how?
Russia, which carried out several successful robotic missions to
the Moon during the Cold War, now faces a decades-long hiatus in
its technological capacities to repeat past achievements.
Moscow launched its last lunar mission – and the only one in
post-Soviet times – called Luna-25 in 2023. But the operation
ended in failure after the spacecraft crashed into the lunar
surface during its descent.
"We've forgotten how to land on the Moon," Russian astronomer
Mikhail Marov said at the time as quoted by the Moscow Times. "In
the 1970s, we did this repeatedly, but now we've lost everything
that enabled our achievements."
https://tvpworld.com/92518436/ras-moscow-to-establish-sovereign-russian-territories-on-the-moon
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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK64
Please send your reception report to radiogram@verizon.net
This week's images ...
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The Artemis II crew captured this view of Earth setting on April
6, as they flew around the Moon. https://tinyurl.com/25nn4xdf ...
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Viewed from San Diego, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying Starlink
internet satellites after launching from Vandenberg Space Force
Base. tinyurl.com/2bwyuwsd ...
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Bridges over the Firth of Forth in Scotland at sunrise.
tinyurl.com/2bwyuwsd ...
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Flowers at Farragut Square, near the White House, April 7.
tinyurl.com/286fgdaf ...
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Sunrise over Rock Creek Park in Washington DC, April 7.
tinyurl.com/2cjyf5s3 ...
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The Orion Nebula seen from Sky Meadows State Park, Virginia,
April 13. tinyurl.com/22fryhlw
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Cyclists on a pre-dawn training ride at Charry Creek State Park,
Colorado, March 31. tinyurl.com/22gbzqbv ...
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Street photography in Girona, Spain. tinyurl.com/2a97tx2q ...
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Street photography in Girona, Spain. tinyurl.com/2a97tx2q ...
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Flowers in Anza-Borrego State Park, California, last weekend.
tinyurl.com/29mm22o2 ...
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Street art in Camden Town, London. tinyurl.com/24468jse ...
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Our painting of the week is Abstract Suprematist Composition (ca
1917) by Ivan Kliun (Russian, 1873-1943). tinyurl.com/274nsye6
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Shortwave Radiogram returns to MFSK32 ...
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This is Shortwave Radiogram in MFSK32 ...
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I'm Kim Elliott. Please join us for the next Shortwave
Radiogram.