Category Archives: Space Exploration

Sygnia has today listed on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) the Sygnia Itrix Sustainable Economy Exchange Traded Fund (SYGSE), expanding the suite of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) that the financial services provider is offering to investors looking for offshore investment diversification.

The ETF tracks the S&P Kensho Sustainable Technologies Index, which measures the performance of companies with exposure to smart transportation and manufacturing, sustainable agriculture, clean power, space exploration, intelligent infrastructure, and the technologies that enable remote working.

Finding themes that provide growth in a low-growth world is critical to successful investing, and innovation stocks focused on building a sustainable economy present key opportunities, says Kyle Hulett, Head of Investments at Sygnia.

The listing of SYGSE happens at a time the JSE is preparing to usher in new amendments to its listings requirements, paving the way for issuers to list and trade Actively Managed ETFs (AMETFs) for the first time in the bourses history.

The amendments will come into effect on 14 October 2022 and are expected to stimulate the growth of the ETF sector, which after todays listing of SYGSE has seen listed ETFs growing to 94 with an ETF market capitalisation exceeding R114 billion.

AMETFs are funds that are traded on the market in which the investment manager uses an active investment strategy to produce a return for the investor instead of passively tracking an index or other type of asset. Traditionally, ETFs listed on the JSE are passively managed.

Valdene Reddy, Director of Capital Markets at the JSE, says she is pleased that issuers are continuing to flock to the JSE, giving South African investors an opportunity to diversify their portfolios while fulfilling their environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investment objectives.

The JSE is a magnet for ETF issuers who take seriously their responsibility to strike a balance between generating returns for investors and addressing ESG related concerns. Investors have the opportunity to invest in ETFs like SYGSEO and gain exposure to the underlying companies who contribute towards growing a sustainable economy, concludes Reddy.

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Sygnia lists ETF that invests in clean energy and space exploration - african markets

Ryan Whites documentary Good Night Oppy tells the inspirational true story of Opportunity, a rover sent to Mars for a 90-day mission in 2003 that ended up surviving for 15 years. Per an official synopsis, the film follows Opportunitys groundbreaking journey on Mars and the remarkable bond forged between a robot and her humans millions of miles away. Watch the trailer below.

Angela Bassett narrates the documentary about the rover that outlasted its estimated survival date by more than 60 times. The rover was initially launched into space in 2003 to look for ancient water on Mars; it died in 2019 on the Red Planet after discovering that Mars stayed wet for an extended period and that conditions could have been suitable for sustaining microbial life, per NASAs website. Its twin rover Spirit was active on Mars until 2010.

Good Night Oppy director White told IndieWire that Steven Spielberg played a huge role

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Good Night Oppy Trailer: Mars Exploration Doc Follows a Rover to the Red Planet - IMDb

Space tourism stocks are ready for take-off. Should all go well, the industry could be worth up to $800 billion by 2030, says UBS, as reported by Forbes. By 2040, the industry could be worth $1 trillion, added Morgan Stanley. Plus, theres already a good deal of pent-up demand. According to analysts at Cowen, 39% of people with a net worth of more than $5 million are already interested in paying at least $250,000 for a flight, says CNBC. Even billionaire-run companies, like Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN), Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musks SpaceX, Virgin Galactic (NYSE: SPCE) are ready for lift-off. Even companies, like Maxar Technologies (NYSE: MAXR) (TSX: MAXR), and Maritime Launch Services Inc. (NEO: MAXQ) (OTCQB: MAXQF) are gearing up for big launches of their own. In fact, on August 29th, 2022, Maritime Launch announced that the company has satisfied the conditions related to the approval and construction of the only dedicated planned commercial launch Spaceport in North America. In short, the countdown for a potential $1.4 trillion space boom is already counting down.

Look at Maritime Launch Services Inc. (NEO: MAXQ) (OTCQB: MAXQF), For Example

Maritime Launch Services Inc., owner and operator of Canadas first commercial spaceport, Spaceport Nova Scotia, is pleased to announce the appointment of Sylvain Laporte to the Board of Directors. A former President of the Canadian Space Agency, Mr. Laporte is a sectoral leader who has advanced Canadas involvement in space through the launch of scientific and earth observation satellites, planetary exploration missions and the continued human presence on the International Space Station with Canadian astronauts.

Over the last year, Maritime Launch has met a number of key milestones and I am thrilled to join the Board at this critical stage in their development, says Sylvain Laporte. With over 38 years of experience, I have spent a significant portion of my career dedicated to advancing and championing the growth of the Canadian aerospace sector. I am looking forward to using my leadership experience to propel Maritime Launch to the next level.

Mr. Laporte has served as CEO of the Canadian Intellectual Property Office. He has held senior positions within Industry Canada as the Chief Informatics Officer and the Executive Director of the Integrated Technologies Office. Laporte has served 20 years in the military as an aerospace engineer with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Sylvains leadership in space has fundamentally changed the trajectory of Canadas competitive success in the sector said Sasha Jacob, Chair, Board of Directors. With senior leadership roles in the public and private sectors, Sylvain has developed innovative aerospace programs resulting in meaningful socio-economic benefits for Canadians. I look forward to adding his voice, energy and perspective to our board table.

Throughout Laportes career, he has been focused on creating innovation and leading change management in the space, defence, aeronautical, supply chain management and information technology sectors.

I have known Sylvain for a number of years and since our very first meeting, Ive been impressed by Sylvains commitment to bring the many benefits of space to earth said Stephen Matier, President and CEO of Maritime Launch. Not only do Sylvain and I share the same passion for developing young talent in the Canadian space industry, we also believe that now is the time to take the next step into what is a very competitive space race, and launch technology into orbit that will change life for the better.

During Laportes tenure as President of the Canadian Space Agency, he played a key leadership role in securing investments of $2.5B for Canadas space program. The funds are used to accelerate innovation, to grow the Canadian space industry and the economy, to create the jobs of the future and to inspire Canadians.

Other related developments from around the markets include:

Tesla Inc. reported that, In the second quarter, we produced over 258,000 vehicles and delivered over 254,000 vehicles, despite ongoing supply chain challenges and factory shutdowns beyond our control.

Amazon announced Amazon Catalytic Capital, a new initiative to invest $150 million in venture capital (VC) funds, accelerators, incubators, and venture studios that provide funding to entrepreneurs from underrepresented backgrounds, primarily at the pre-seed/seed stage of venture capital funding. The company will invest in funds that focus on Black, Latino, Indigenous, women, and LGBTQIA+ founders. Amazon expects to support more than 10 funds and over 200 companies through the next year.

Virgin Galactic, an aerospace and space travel company, announced it secured land to move forward with a new astronaut campus and training facility in the State of New Mexico, near the Companys commercial operations headquarters. The land, located in Sierra County, will be home to a new, first of its kind astronaut campus, for exclusive use by Virgin Galactic Future Astronauts and up to three of their guests in advance of a spaceflight from Spaceport America. The master plan for the campus will include training facilities, purposeful accommodations, and tailored experiences as well as an observatory, wellness center, recreation activities, and unique dining options -- all underpinned by Virgins signature hospitality.

Maxar Technologies, provider of comprehensive space solutions and secure, precise, geospatial intelligence, announced it has been awarded an Option Year 3 contract renewal by the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) for the Global Enhanced GEOINT Delivery (G-EGD) program. The contract, which began September 1, 2022, is valued at $44 million. This is the third of three option years for the contract, which has a total value of up to $176M.

Legal Disclaimer / Except for the historical information presented herein, matters discussed in this article contains forward-looking statements that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such statements. Winning Media is not registered with any financial or securities regulatory authority and does not provide nor claims to provide investment advice or recommendations to readers of this release. For making specific investment decisions, readers should seek their own advice. Winning Media is only compensated for its services in the form of cash-based compensation. Pursuant to an agreement Winning Media has been paid three thousand five hundred dollars for advertising and marketing services for Maritime Launch Services Inc. by a third party. We own ZERO shares of Maritime Launch Services Inc. Please click here for full disclaimer.

Contact Information:2818047972[emailprotected]

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Potential $1 Trillion Space Travel Could Provide Big Thrust for these Top Stocks - Baystreet.ca

Aspace industry start-up that facilitated NASA's first rocket launch from Australian soil in more than a quarter of a centuryis being sued for nearly $5 million, with claims of bullying and discrimination filed against the company's director.

Equatorial Launch Australia (ELA) shot to national prominence earlier this year after the US space giantshot suborbital rockets from a spaceport it runs in remote north-east Arnhem Land.

Documents filed in the federal court, seen by the ABC, show that the company is now being sued by its former chief executive, Carley Scott, who is alleging she was unfairly dismissed from the firm in March.

In the documents, Ms Scott has also made a series of bullying allegations against ELA's current director, Michael Jones, whoshe also accused of making "belittling and discriminatory comments about women and Northern Territorians".

Mr Jones has also been accused of making "racist comments about Indigenous Australians".

He's alleged to have said to Ms Scott over time:

"There's too much spending on Aboriginal people, they get enough and are still crying poor."

"There should be no Aboriginal flag. Aboriginals never had flags. There should be just one Australian flag."

And: "The [Aboriginal land] permit system did not apply to him, as he is Australian and can go wherever he wants and doesn't need permission to go onto someone else's land."

He also accused of belittling Ms Scott as a woman, allegedly saying:

"You're part of the school of women club."

And asking: "Why do you think so many women get murdered before and after [Family Court cases]? It's the frustration the guys have that they're getting screwed."

ELA's space base lies on Aboriginal land near Nhulunbuy and has been sub-leased to the company by the powerful Gumatj clan.

In a statement, ELA said "personal accusations against Michael Jones were made as part of an earlier bullying claim in the Fair Work Commission, initiated by Ms Scott".

"It was responded to in detail as part of the Commission's usual process, but then further consideration of it was deferred several times by Ms Scott and it was ultimately withdrawn by her," the company said.

"Mr Jones vehemently denies the alleged statements attributed to him by Ms Scott and finds them reprehensible in nature."

ELA's Arnhem Land spaceport was used by NASA to fire three rockets between June and July this year, but there have been no plans for future launchesyet.

The NT government has been a backer of the Arnhem Land space base since its inception.

The company said the court case with Ms Scott had "no bearing on government or financial relationships of ELA's and is between ELA and Ms Scott only".

An NT Government spokesperson also denied that the court case could damage their relationship.

"This matter is before the courts remains a matter directly between ELA and the former ELA employer," the spokesperson said.

"ELA and the Territory Government worked together to launch rockets from Arnhem Land which was a milestone for Australia in establishing the Northern Territory as a launch site and an important player in space exploration.

"This is a project we are proud to back."

ELA said the firm would be "responding vigorously with a strong defence and associated counterclaim in the federal court in the coming weeks".

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Equatorial Launch Australia hit with lawsuit, including allegations of bullying against director Michael Jones - ABC News

Re: Out with a bang: Brunswick companies to blast human, pet remains into space (Oct. 6, Page C1):

If there was ever an example for the need of a carbon tax, the business plan by Brunswick-based bluShift Aerospace and Northern Lights Space Exploration to launch the remains of humans and pets into space is it.

So, the wealthy few can have their and their pets remains in eternal space at the huge carbon cost to the planet of putting them there. So, all the remaining living life on the planet can try to live under an ever-increasing warming planet and its resulting consequences of death and destruction. Never mind the addition of space junk and that of trash falling back to Earth.

What rock do the founder and CEO of bluShift Aerospace and the managing partner of Northern Lights Space Exploration live under?

Carl WilcoxNew Gloucester

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Letter to the editor: Launch cremated remains into space? A poorly grounded idea - Press Herald

On Sept. 24, 2014, sounds of celebration echoed across Bangalore as the Indian Space Research Organization had just made history.

A year earlier, the nation's space agency blasted a little spacecraft toward Mars, hoping to punch the boxy probe into the red planet's orbit and hover it alongside NASA's state-of-the-art Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter and ESA's inventive Mars Express. This, at the time, was an ambitious goal.

India had yet to enter the interplanetary game, and had allotted amere $74 million (4.5 billion rupees) to achieve what the US once did spending nearly 10 times that. Even Christopher Nolan budgeted far more to produce his glorious, space-y film, Interstellar, and Boeing's cheapest commercial airplane costs a few million more.

Then came Sept. 24, 2014.

ISRO's spacecraft, known as Mangalyaan, officially entered Martian orbit as part of the Mars Orbiter Mission, making India the fourth nation to insert a robot into Mars' gravitational whirlpool -- and the first to do so on its maiden try. But, as the belabored saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

This week, India bid an inevitable farewell to Mangalyaan, which translates from Hindi to "Mars craft."

After eight incredible years of service studying the rocky world's atmosphere and testing key technologies from the sky -- a much longer lifetime than the agency expected -- Mangalyaan ran out of fuel and battery power.

The culprit, scientists believe, might've partly been an unfortunate back-to-back sequence of solar eclipses. Mangalyaan is solar powered and therefore couldn't charge back up without the power of the sun. Starting now, it will slowly drift toward Mars' surface in silence.

"The spacecraft is non-recoverable and attained its end-of-life," ISRO said in a statement Monday, emphasizing that "the mission will be ever-regarded as a remarkable technological and scientific feat in the history of planetary exploration."

ISRO's Martian space explorer was a trooper.

Once Mangalyaan blasted off from Earth almost a decade ago, the spacecraft's team expected to say goodbye to its muse in about six months. Yet, as ISRO notes, "despite being designed for a life span of six months as a technology demonstrator, the Mars Orbiter Mission has lived for about eight years in the Martian orbit with a gamut of significant scientific results."

Not only did Mangalyaan help scientists understand elusive Martian quirks like the planet's towering dust storms and create a detailed atlas of its icy poles, but eventually, the craft's lens also transcended the orb's vicinity to shed light on other parts of our solar system too. The probe, ISRO highlights in a sort of obituary, managed to decode secrets about our sun's corona before losing contact with ground control.

And, during a national meeting held last week to discuss the mission's finale, the team also reminisced about the more human consequences of Mangalyaan's legacy too.

Kiran Kumar, former chairman of ISRO and key designer for India's Mars mission stands before the first ever images of Mars taken by an Indian space craft.

So far, the agency said, more than 7,200 users have registered to download Mangalyaan's data from ISRO's online archive, 400 of whom are international, and about 27,000 downloads of varying sizes have been carried out already.

"The mission has also contributed to human resource generation in the domain of planetary sciences," ISRO said. "It has generated several Ph.D. holders, while many of the research scholars are using the data from the mission to pursue their doctoral work."

Indian scientists and ISRO engineers monitor the Mars Orbiter Mission at the agency's tracking center in 2013.

It's poignant to think about Mangalyaan's everlasting imprint on space exploration because, around the time when the craft left Earth, reporters, scientists and space enthusiasts worldwide predicted a variety of directions in which that imprint could bend.

Most opinions were wide-eyed.

BBC News openly called India's Mars mission "cheap and thrilling," because the country's space program "succeeded at the first attempt where others have failed," by sending an operational mission to Martian orbit. Regarding that low cost, ISRO managed to keep things "simple," the publication stated, attempting to get the biggest bang for its buck.

India accomplished its Martian orbital endeavor with about 1/10 what it once costed the US.

For instance, Mangalyaan was armed with methane detectors meant to answer some of the most pressing questions about Mars' atmosphere, like whether methane-producing bugs might exist somewhere on the planet, thus offering proof of extraterrestrial life.

"The mission is also credited with the discovery of 'suprathermal' Argon-40 atoms in the Martian exosphere, which gave some clue on one of the potential mechanisms for the escape of atmosphere from Mars," ISRO said.

Some opinions were well-intentioned, but missed the mark.

In 2014, a New York Times sketch about Mangalyaan erupted in controversy because it teased the fact that India is soon to join the "elite space club." Many found it distasteful because the character representing India was wearing a traditional dhoti and turban as well as holding a cow on a leash while knocking on the door of a so-called "elite space club." Inside, two white men looked perplexed. One held a newspaper headlined "India's Mars Mission."

In an apology letter, a Times editor said the "intent of the cartoonist, Heng Kim Song, was to highlight how space exploration is no longer the exclusive domain of rich, Western countries," though Indian reporters still felt the graphic marred the sentiment.

On the flip side, ISRO met its fair share of criticism.

Some argue that Mangalyaan's lack of scientific publications-- after five years it'd only produced about 27 -- goes to show the agency was in a rush to hastily get the probe up there. Though as a response to that, others contend that Mangalyaan was meant to be a six-month-long technology demonstration and just so happened to outlive its expected lifetime. Maybe even those 27 publications are a superb achievement, in that case.

By trying to compete with wealthier nations' interplanetary space missions, some have also suggested the agency spent money on space exploration that could've better been leveraged for issues closer to home. Things like health care innovation, infrastructure development and food insecurity solutions that space organizations like NASA or Roscosmos don't have to consider, due to their residence in privileged countries.

As a counterargument, however, in 2013, Indian journalist Samanth Subramanian wrote in The New Yorker that "Mangalyaan's 73-million-dollar budget is a pittance compared to the 20 billion dollars that India will spend this year to provide subsidized food to two out of every three of its citizens, or the $5.3 billion that will be spent this year on a rural employment plan."

It's undoubtedly difficult to measure the benefits and costs -- particularly economic ones -- that come from a space mission. But now, at the end of it all, it'd be remiss to exclude the ultimate payoff that came from Mangalyaan's success.

The existence of this spacecraft spurred the creation of jobs, the mission's unique insights enhanced the field of astronomy, and the project's culmination exuded an evocative message.

Adventuring into space needn't solely be based on wealth, power or privilege, but also on the intrinsic human impulse to explore.

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Why the Death of India's Mangalyaan Mars Orbiter Is a Big Deal - CNET

Theres a lot that can be said about Elon Muskbut theres no denying the fact that the entrepreneur and engineer has seriously disrupted the aerospace industry with SpaceX. The private spacecraft engineering company was first launched by Musk 20 years ago and has already become a leading force in space transportation and innovation.

Case in point: the SpaceX Starship. Musks latest Starship was designed to cut down the transportation costs and waste that come with space travel, resulting in a more sustainable form of aerospace exploration and space tourism, thanks to its aerodynamic design and fully reusable transportation system.

Curious to understand more about the latest innovation from SpaceX? Heres everything you need to know about the Starshipincluding how much it might cost if you want to book a future flight to the earths orbit or beyond.

What is the SpaceX Starship?

The SpaceX Starship is a deep-space transportation system that many industry experts and astronauts are calling a game changer in space exploration and the future of space travel, both commercial space tourism and further aerospace research.

The SpaceX Starship spacecraft and its Super Heavy rocketknown simply as Starshipis a fully reusable transportation system designed to carry crew and cargo to the moon, Mars, and to the earths orbit. The super-heavy-lift launch vehicle is the tallest and most powerful launch vehicle ever builtbut its equally important to note that this breakthrough in aerospace engineering is also helping to create a more eco-friendly and sustainable future in space exploration.

The two-stage-to-orbit launch vehicle hits 400 feet in height and uses liquid oxygen and liquid methane for propellant and is powered by Raptor engines. This technique allows for a significantly reduced launch cost and increased launch frequency.

How Much Does the SpaceX Starship Cost?

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk recently stated that he expects the SpaceX Starship to cost less than $10 million all in, which is significantly less expensive than the current industry standard. Musk later added that he expects a Starship flight to eventually cost maybe even as low as a million dollars per flight as space travel on the Starship becomes more and more frequent.

To give you an idea, the current cost of a flight on SpaceXs current Falcon 9 runs closer to $62 million to launch while private NASA flights to the International Space Station sell for $55 million each.

When Will SpaceX Launch Starship?

The SpaceX Starship serial number 15 (SN15) successfully completed SpaceXs fifth high-altitude flight test from Starbase in South Texas. The test Starship test flights are executed to improve understanding and development of the reusable transportation system while testing the Raptor engines and propellant transition in a controlled environment.

Theres no set date for when the Starship will go orbital, but Elon Musk has hinted that the massive rocket could launch as soon as next month. Late next month maybe, but November seems highly likely. We will have two boosters & ships ready for orbital flight by then, with full stack production at roughly one every two months, the SpaceX CEO said on Twitter.

That said, SpaceX plans to officially launch the space tourism side of the Starship in 2023 when Japanese businessman Yusaku Maezawa and the crew of his dearMoon lunar tourism mission will become the first passengers on a lunar Starship mission. The weeklong aerospace trip will include a fly-by of the moon and is considered to be a vital first step in space tourism that goes beyond the earths orbit.

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What is the SpaceX Starship? - Fast Company

Human Exploration Rover Challenge

NASA

NASA has announced the 61 teams selected to compete in the 2023 Human Exploration Rover Challenge (HERC) April 20-22 at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

For the 2023 season, HERC returns to live, on-site competition for the first time since 2019. Participating teams will represent 45 colleges and universities and 16 high schools from 30 countries around the world.

Throughout the nine-month challenge, each team will attempt to design, build, and test human-powered rovers capable of traversing a challenging half-mile obstacle course that simulates the terrain of the Moon, Mars, or other rocky bodies in our solar system. In addition, students must also design and demonstrate a unique tool capable of completing various mission tasks.

A hearty congratulations to this years selected teams. said Miranda Fike, senior education specialist at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center, in Huntsville, Alabama. We welcome our return to in-person competition and look forward to seeing each teams creative solutions throughout the year and how their rovers and task tools perform on the course in April.

Along with HERCs return to Huntsville, the 2023 season will feature a new course location, ten obstacles and five liquid sample retrieval tasks. Two pilots from each team must complete the challenge in eight minutes or less. Teams earn points by successfully completing design reviews, developing a rover meeting all criteria, and completing course obstacles and mission tasks. Winning teams are those that accumulate the highest number of points throughout the project year in each category.

The students must also think like mission planners, selecting tasks to complete along the path to gain the maximum points available. This encourages teams to develop strategies that balance efficiency with speed and simulates real-world conditions astronauts may face completing space missions.

Our goal is to make real-world connections between student ingenuity and the vital work NASA is doing to return explorers to the Moon and prepare the way for crewed missions to Mars, said education specialist Catherine Shelton of the Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall.

HERC is managed by NASAs Southeast Regional Office of STEM Engagement at Marshall. HERC is one of eight Artemis Student Challenges and reflects the goals of NASAs Artemis Program, which seeks to put the first woman and person of color on the Moon. NASAs Office of STEM Engagement strives to further the agencys goal of encouraging students to pursue degrees and careers in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

For more information about the 2023 Human Exploration Rover Challenge, visit: https://www.nasa.gov/HERC

For more information about other NASA engineering challenges, visit: https://stem.nasa.gov/artemis

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NASA Selects Teams for 2023 Human Exploration Rover Challenge - Space Ref

The summer of 1969 was a momentous one. It was the summer we first saw a person step on the surface of the Moon, creating an unforgettable historic moment in space exploration. But the summer of 1969 was also one for the history books for IndyCar racing. It gave Hall of Fame driver Mario Andretti his first and only Indianapolis 500 win.

Mario Andretti is the household name in the world of IndyCar racing, especially in my home. I grew up hearing about the exploits of this unstoppable driver, and my grandfather was even at the famed 1969 Indy 500.My father sent me to my National Air and Space Museum internship with one goalto find out where the Smithsonian was keeping the car that Andretti drove to victory in 1969. It was quite an easy mystery to solve since it ended up being one of the key artifacts going on display in the Museums Nation of Speedexhibition.

The mystique of the 1969 Indianapolis 500 is something that has stuck out to me since I was a child. I have always had a feeling that it was quite a special race and when I sat downwith Doug Boles, the current president of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, I discovered he felt the same way.

If you take a look back at the 53rd running of the Indianapolis 500, it comes down to two substantial figures in the racing world, who took the checkered flag for the first time together that historic Memorial Day weekend in 1969. They were Mario Andretti and his just-as-storied team owner Andy Granatelli, who might be better known as Mister 500 because of how long he had been involved with the race.

[Granatelli] had been coming around for a long time. He had campaigned all kinds of historic cars... and hed never won [the Indy 500] and the years previous to 1969 hed come so close, Boles said. So, for him to win in 1969 and for Mario to win in 69 was special for both of them. This win had been culminating for Andretti since his rookie year in 1965 when he was both the rookie of the year and the IndyCar National Champion.

During the 1969 season, Andretti drove a Lotus. [The Lotus] had been so successful, but unable to win at the Speedway in previous years, Boles said. When practice for that years Indy 500 started at the beginning of May, Mario and AJ Foyt had this amazing competition in practice leading up to qualifying, Boles said. Both were running at over 170 miles per hour around the Speedway, which in 1969 was a really big deal.

The grandeur of the Lotus came crumbling down two days before qualifying was supposed to begin. Andretti hit the wall in turn 4. The Lotus burst into flames leaving the car unusable and Andretti with nasty burns all over his face. With only a day and a half before time trials began, the pit crew got to business setting up the back-up car for Andretti, a Brawner Hawk that was already two years old and was never supposed to see the brickyard. Andretti does the unthinkable in his new car and qualifies on the front row in second just a tick under 170 miles per hour. Right behind AJ Foyt [on the pole], Boles said.

Andretti hopping from a Lotus to a Brawner Hawk is a remarkable change that not all drivers would be able to successfully make halfway through the month of May. The cars handle completely differently, Boles said. For them to have to make that change, get the car ready to go, and be competitive with it was a pretty big feat for them to do... The weight distribution was different, the aerodynamics were different, it created not just a challenge for the team, but Mario had to completely rethink how he was driving because it handled completely differently than that Lotus. But that's a testament to the team of that day and certainly Marios ability to drive just about any racing car on the face of the Earth.

All of the sweat and tears had been leading up to May 30, 1969, and for the green flag to drop. From the green flag you knew he was gonna compete, Boles said. [Andretti] immediately, in that Brawner Hawk, goes to the front and leads the first 5 laps. AJ [Foyt] leads some laps in the race and ultimately Mario leads 116 laps. So, the story is even better because the car started the month of May as a backup, but for an accident involving Mario Andretti that car probably doesnt get a chance to run.

Changing to a backup car was not the only wrench thrown into Andrettis 1969 Indy 500 plan. During multiple pit-stops the Brawner Hawks right rear tire was unable to be changed because the pit crew could not get the tire off the car. The tire stayed on the car and ran for all 500 miles of the famed race.

Thats another one of those crazy things, Boles said. Its unbelievable, right? So those are the things that make the story even better. Over the life of 500 miles, the tires change. The grip levels change, and all those things change so Mario is constantly having to adapt as the race is going on to different driving situations and the way the car was handling based on the tires that were on the car and in particular a tire that was on the car the whole time.

Once a driver takes the checkered flag and finds their way to victory lane, it is tradition at the Speedway that the Indianapolis 500 Queen kisses the winner. It looked a little different for Mario Andretti, Of course, theres the kiss on the cheek that Andy gave Mario in Victory Lane which is one of those iconic moments at the Speedway, Boles said. Just so many things came together at the speedway in 1969 to make it one of the most historic races.

The abundance of interesting stories that originate from May of 1969 do not stop there. Among IndyCar fans it became lore that it wasnt Mario in the front row qualifying picture taken the Monday after qualifying, which Boles confirmed. Marios face was still burned from the accident, so he asked his twin brother, Aldo, to stand in for him in the photo. So, when you see those historical photos of that Brawner Hawk right there in the middle of the front row, its not Mario, its his twin brother Aldo standing in for him because of the burns Mario had on his face.

Doug Boles was not done reminiscing of the magic that was 1969. You asked me earlier, what makes that year special... All of these little stories, that makes that 69 win with Mario, Andy Granatelli, and the Brawner Hawk so special, Boles said.

The Andrettis have become a family dynasty in racing, but not a single one of them has found victory in the drivers seat at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway since 1969. Some have come to believe that there is a curse on the family to never win there again.

One of the things in racing, especially 50 years ago, when Mario Andretti was in his heyday, superstitions were a big thing in sports, Boles said. I think its less so now, but there was a period of time when there was that streak of Andretti bad luck. Since 1969 there have been five Andrettis who have raced at the 500. Mario competed at the Speedway 29 times with one victory. His son Michael attempted 16 times at the speedway and his grandson Marco has entered 17 times, most recently in 2022. Marios other son Jeff drove in the 500 three times and failed to qualify twice. John Andretti, the son of Marios twin brother Aldo, had 12 starts.

Despite the string of Andretti losses at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Boles believes that one day the tide will change: I think therell be a day when an Andretti wins the 500 again. I dont think its necessarily a curse thats keeping them from victory lane again since 1969.

Andretti is still a very prominent face in the world of racing today.

One of the things that makes Mario so special is the longevity of his racing career, but the longevity of his involvement in our sport, and when I say our sport, I mean globally in particular IndyCar racing but other places like F1 he is still so involved, Boles said. He is one of the best ambassadors our sport has so to be able to have Mario Andretti here continuing to promote and advocate for racing [is] really special.

Over 50 years later, Andrettis iconic Brawner Hawk is making its debut at the National Air and Space Museum in the Nation of Speed exhibition, on loan from the Smithsonian's National Museum of American History.Nation of Speed explores Americas thirst for speed. It examines speed in the sky, on land, and on the water. In addition to Andrettis Brawner Hawk, it features many new objects that have never been on display at the National Air and Space Museum, like Richard Pettys famous NASCAR racecar that he drove to his 200th victory.

There are more connections between IndyCar and the race to the Moon than you might think. During the Apollo 10 mission in 1969, the astronauts were informed that AJ Foyt had won the pole [in qualifying] and its funny that now over 50 years later, were sitting here talking about Mario Andretti and that car and its connection to space, Boles said. In 1969 we were talking a lot about the similarities between motor sports and aerospace and even today our cars use aerospace technologies. The aerodynamic components that are in there are things that have been tested through NASA and many of the experiments and many of the missions that NASA has done has made our sport better. So, we love the connection and I think the fact that that car lives inside the Air and Space Museum is pretty special. Its probably exactly where it belongs.

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Mario Andretti's Against-All-Odds Indy 500 Win - National Air and Space Museum

What happened

Rocketing higher on Cathie Wood's buy list, shares ofRocket Lab (RKLB -5.63%) have grown to occupy increasingly larger positions in two ARK funds this week. Consequently, the stock has reversed course from its 18.4% decline during the last week of trading in September, gaining altitude over the past few days. As of 12:21 p.m. ET, shares of Rocket Lab are up 8.6% this week, having retreated from an earlier climb of 12%, according to data from S&P Global Market Intelligence.

After shares of Rocket Lab came down to Earth last week, Cathie Wood recognized an opportunity to pick up shares at a discount -- and it wasn't on just one day. The ARK Space Exploration ETF and ARK Industrial Innovation ETF have each bought shares of Rocket Lab every day from Monday through Thursday. As a result of the shopping spree, the ARK Space Exploration ETF and ARK Industrial Innovation ETF have added 92,446 shares and 330,001 shares, respectively.

Rocket Lab announced this week that it's currently making preparations for the 31st launch of its Electron rocket and 151st satellite, which is scheduled for Oct. 7. The satellite will carry the Argos-4 Advanced Data Collection System, which the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration will use to help collect data regarding a variety of Earth systems, including weather and climate, biodiversity and ecosystems, maritime security, offshore pollution, and humanitarian assistance.

While Cathie Wood has clear enthusiasm for Rocket Lab's stock, it's important for growth investors to recognize that blindly following the moves of famous investors is a strategy fraught with risk. Therefore, those who are interested in flying with Rocket Lab should do their due diligence before starting positions.

Scott Levine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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Why Shares of Rocket Lab Soared This Week - The Motley Fool