Category Archives: Space Exploration

Sharada Ghantasala of Brentwood is a finalist for the BreakthroughJunior Challenge, an international competition working to inspire "creative thinking about science."

Alongside hundreds of teens ages 13 to 18 from over 200 countries, Ghantasala submitted an originalvideo on a topic of her choosing within life sciences, physics or mathematics. She chose the topic of bioastronautics, afield of studymany may have never heard of.

"I thought this was the perfect opportunity tolearn why space travel is important," she said to the Tennessean.

Growing up, Ghantasala wasn't quite sure why space was something worth learning about when there was so much that needed to be addressed on earth.

After attending space camp at Tennessee State University as a child, visiting Kennedy Space Center in 2019, and later finding Breakthrough's submission opportunity, the STEM lover decided she'd create a video exploring space exploration's impact on biomedical sciences, a field in which she hopes to find a career.

Bioastronautics studies how space travel impacts the body. Ghantasala was specifically intrigued by how this study isresponsible for much of the world's knowledge on how gravity impacts the body both on space and on earth.

"I justthought this was really interesting and that if I made this video, I could really bring awareness to the fact thatgravity kind of controls our lives and we don't even realize it," Ghantasala said.

The teen's original video, complete with her own hosting and animation, can be found on Facebook alongside 29 other semifinalists from six other geographic regions. To obtain the popular vote and hopefullybecome a finalist,Ghantasala needs her video to win as many likes as possible on Facebook.

The more likes she receives, the closer she is to winning $250,000 in college scholarships, $50,000 for her teacher and a new $100,000 science lab for her school, alltotaling a whopping $400,000.

Although much of her college tuition could be covered with this prize, she's mostly focused on its benefit for others.

"The reason I really wanted to do this is to help my school and my teacher," she said. "And in the future, I really want to help people who may not have the financial situation to get the education they deserve, or to get the health care that they deserve.

"So, just like my video, I want to provide access to educational videos or educational material andcreatively convey information to all kinds of people."

You can watch and vote for Ghantasala's video now through Sept. 20 on Facebook.Finalists will be announced on Sept. 21.

Anika Exum is a reporter for the Tennessean covering Williamson County. Reach her at aexum@tennessean.com or on Twitter at @aniexum.

To stay updated on Williamson County news,sign up for our newsletter.

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Brentwood teen is one of 30 semifinalists in global STEM video competition - Tennessean

(Reuters) - The quartet of private citizens who make up the Inspiration4 team, poised to make history aboard a SpaceX rocket ship as the first all-civilian crew launched into orbit, may appear at first glance to be everyday people, but they are far from ordinary.

They consist of a billionaire internet commerce executive and jet pilot; a geoscientist and onetime finalist in NASA's astronaut candidate program; a physician's assistant at the childhood cancer hospital where she was once a patient; and an aerospace data engineer and U.S. Air Force veteran.

The crew vehicle, dubbed Resilience, is scheduled for liftoff on Wednesday https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/science/spacex-gets-ready-launch-first-all-civilian-crew-orbit-2021-09-12 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.

Following are profiles of the Inspiration4 crew.

JARED ISAACMAN, 38, MISSION COMMANDER

Originator and billionaire benefactor of the Inspiration4 project, Isaacman paid an undisclosed hefty sum - reported by Time magazine to have run roughly $200 million - for all four seats aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

A lifelong aviation enthusiast who flew in the Black Diamond civilian aerobatics jet squad and co-founded a private air force of fighter planes for military training called Draken International, Isaacman earned his fortune in e-commerce.

Isaacman parlayed the business he started as a teenager in the basement of his family's home into one of the leading U.S. financial transaction services, Shift4 Payments Inc

SIAN PROCTOR, 51, MISSION PILOT

A geoscience professor at South Mountain Community College in Phoenix with a doctorate in science education, Proctor's lifelong passion for space exploration is rooted in her father's work on Guam, where she was born, for a NASA tracking station during the Apollo lunar missions.

A licensed pilot and major in Arizona's Civil Air Patrol, she has completed four "analog" astronaut projects involving simulated space activities, including a NASA-funded four-month artificial Mars mission to study food strategies for long-duration spaceflights.

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Proctor also was a 2009 finalist in NASA's astronaut candidate program, and is now poised to become only the fourth African-American woman ever to fly to space. She was chosen through an online business contest conducted by Shift4 Payments as part of the Inspiration4 crew selection.

HAYLEY ARCENEAUX, 29, CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER

A childhood bone cancer survivor, Arceneaux went on to become a physician assistant at St. Jude Children's Research Center in Memphis, Tennessee, the leading pediatric cancer center where she was once a patient. Arceneaux, who lost part of her left thigh and knee to cancer at age 10, boasts that she will become the first person with a prosthetic body part to go into space.

She will also be the youngest American to go to space and the youngest person ever to fly into orbit. According to SpaceX, only 553 humans have ever been to orbit.

St. Jude, where Arceneaux now works with leukemia and lymphoma patients, is the chief beneficiary of the Inspiration4 project, which Isaacman conceived primarily as a fundraising and promotional endeavor for the institute.

Arceneaux has said she was motivated to take part in the spaceflight to show her young patients "what life can look like after cancer."

CHRIS SEMBROSKI, 42, MISSION SPECIALIST

A data engineer at aerospace giant Lockheed Martin Corp in Everett, Washington, Sembroski spent some of his free time in college launching high-powered model rockets and volunteered with ProSpace, a grassroots organization that lobbied on behalf of private space ventures on Capitol Hill.

Sembroski also conducted simulated space shuttle missions as a counselor for U.S. Space Camp, a government-funded science, technology and engineering youth camp in Huntsville, Alabama.

He joined the U.S. Air Force as an electro-mechanical technician, and was deployed to Iraq and also helped maintain a fleet of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles before leaving active duty in 2007.

Sembroski was selected for the Inspiration4 crew through a sweepstakes that drew 72,000 applicants and raised $113 million in St. Jude donations.

(Reporting by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Editing by Will Dunham and Peter Cooney)

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Factbox-Profiles of first all-civilian space crew headed for orbit - Yahoo News

Tesla Inc (NASDAQ: TSLA) CEO Elon Musk'sSpace Exploration Technologies Corp, or SpaceX, is set to launch itsFalcon 9 rocket Wednesday night in what will be the first all-civilian crew to be sentto space.The three-day Inspiration4 mission aims to raise $200million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

How To Invest: Although SpaceX is not yet a publicly-traded company, here are a few ways investors can indirectly invest in the space exploration company.

Google's parent company Alphabet Inc (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) invested in SpaceX in 2015. The tech giant invested $1 billion in a joint venture with Fidelity.

At that time the company was valued at $10 billion. There is no evidence that suggests Alphabet has sold its share of the 10% stake itacquired with Fidelity. Based on a February 2021 private market valuation, SpaceX is currently valued around $74 billion.

The Baillie Gifford US Growth Trust, which trades on the London Stock Exchange, also owns a stake in SpaceX. According to numbers updated on Aug.31, 2021, the Baillie Gifford Trust owns a 2% stake inSpaceX. It also owns a 3.7% stake in Tesla.

Flight Details: The flightwill mark SpaceX's 125th Falcon 9 launch and its23rdlaunch in 2021. The flight will bethe fourth crewed mission for SpaceX, but it'sthe first to carry private citizens to space.

Related Link:Elon Musk's SpaceX To Launch 4 Civilians Into Space Today In Its First-Such Mission And Netflix Is Running A Special Livestream

Liftoff is scheduledfor 8:02 p.m. ET Wednesday night. The eventwill be streamed livehere.

Photo:Steven Straitonfrom Flickr.

2021 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.

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Here's How You Can Invest In Elon Musk's SpaceX Before The Company Goes Public - Benzinga

Taiwan attends a space organization event hosted online by India (CNA, Taiwanese office in India photo). Taiwan attends a space organization event hosted online by India (CNA, Taiwanese office in India photo).

TAIPEI (Taiwan News) The National Space Organization (NSPO) is attending the International Space Conference and Exhibition hosted by India in the hope of establishing a cooperative relationship on space technology with the South Asian country, reports said Wednesday (Sept. 15).

The Sept. 13 to Oct. 4 event is taking place online by video conference because of the COVID-19 pandemic, CNA reported. In addition to Taiwan, seven other countries have their national space organizations participating, with the Australian Space Agency as the major partner, and 14 centers of the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) are represented at the event.

The NSPO said its weather-related photography is useful for disaster prevention around the world, while it can also offer its work on typhoon prediction to other nations. One of the aspirations of the Taiwanese space group is to sign a document of cooperation with its Indian counterpart, the report said.

The NSPO also invited Indian and other groups to attend iCASE 2021, the international conference on astronautics and space exploration it has scheduled for Nov. 16-18.

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Taiwan attends space conference and expo hosted by India - Taiwan News

The Space Exploration Initiative is intentionally structured as a cross-cutting launchpad in direct service of our MIT community. We make opportunities available for researchers across the Institute to deploy cutting- edge research in world class aerospace environmentsfrom simulations of microgravity to prized access inside the International Space Station. Since Ariel Ekblaw founded the Space Exploration Initiative in 2016, the team has grown to support 50+ students, staff, and faculty.

The Space Exploration Initiative takes an iterative approach to testing and deploymentsfrom parabolic flights, to suborbital launches, to the International Space Station and soon, to the surface of the moon. We support a recurring cadence of these flight opportunities and welcome students, staff, and faculty from across MIT (and occasionally collaborators outside MIT) to apply and participate in the program. If your project is accepted for a flight opportunity, SEI covers flight-associated costs and will mentor you through the full process. To hear about all opportunities and open-calls, write in to explorespace@media.mit.edu and ask to be added to the mailing list.

SEI charters an annual ZERO-G parabolic flight for 14-15 projects and 25 researchers across MIT Media Lab, several departments at MIT, and outside collaborators. To help support this flight opportunity, SEI teaches a course each Fall term on project development, prototyping, and deployment readiness for parabolic flights.

Check out past flights here: https://www.media.mit.edu/projects/microgravity-research-flights-with-the-space-exploration-intiative/overview/

How to apply? If youre a student and first-time flyer, we ask you to apply for and take the Zero-Gravity Flight course (more information below); if youre an MIT faculty member or post-doc, or an outside-MIT prospective collaborator, please reach out directly to explorespace@media.mit.edu and indicate interest in the Zero-G Program.

SEI launched six payloads on Blue Origins New Shepard suborbital rocket in May 2019. These payloads crossed the 100km Karman line and tested research during three minutes of sustained microgravity inside the experiment capsule. This mission marked MITs first research launch with Blue Origin, and the Media Labs first suborbital launch. The SEI continues to charter suborbital research flights for the MIT community, including four nanolabs to fly in mid 2021.

How to Apply: Future opportunities are solicited through open-calls, sent to our mailing list.

Check out our past flight here: https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/blue-origin-projects-round-up/

In March 2020, SEI sent five payloads to the ISS on SpaceX CRS-20. The payloads were deployed over a 30 day internal mission, allowing the research teams to study the effects of microgravity, on-station radiation environment, and launch loads on their hardware. For this launch opportunity, the payloads were integrated into the Nanoracks BlackBox platform. A second planned ISS mission is underway for Q4 2021. SEI supports other formats for ISS deployments as well, including astronaut interaction payloads and other apparatus chambers.

How to Apply: Future opportunities are solicited through open-calls, sent to our mailing list.

Check out our past flight here: https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/iss-mission-2020/

The SEI is jointly coordinating lunar payload concepts and near-term lunar surface transport launch opportunities, as part of the MIT To the Moon to Stay mission. Projects are drawn from the SEI Operating in the Lunar Environment graduate course (more info below), and from other active research work across MITs campus.

How to Apply: Email explorespace@media.mit.edu and ask to be added to the lunar payload working group.

Since 2018, the Space Exploration Initiative has offered a course on project development, prototyping, and deployment readiness for parabolic flights. Admitted student teams are offered project-deployment slots on SEIs annually chartered parabolic research flight. This course covers three main topic areas: rapid prototyping and engineering skills to prepare projects for operation in microgravity; logistics, training, and safety pre-approval steps to meet flight readiness requirements and pass a Technical Readiness Review (TRR); and creative and technical lenses for the future of space exploration. SEIs Mission Integrator, Sean Auffinger, is an added support for the students in this class, as they prepare experiments and documentation for the upcoming flight.

Learn more about the course here: zero-gravity.pubpub.org

New for Spring 2021, and expected to be taught again in 2022, Operating in the Lunar Environment is a collaboration between MIT AeroAstro and SEI. This course is a detailed exploration of the design and engineering challenges posed by operating in the lunar environment. Students gain hands-on experience, working in teams, to design a payload to address strategic objectives associated with NASAs Artemis program, aiming to enable near-term sustainable settlements on the lunar surface. Lectures and associated recitations explore varying mission goals and operating environments, from lunar-class launch, to orbiters, landers, rovers, and habitats. Guest lectures include prominent engineers, scientists, industry players and policymakers who have direct experience in lunar mission design and development. Students and project teams that successfully complete a CDR at the end of the class will be supported by SEI towards prospective lunar surface payload opportunities as part of MITs To the Moon to Stay Program.

Learn more about the course here: tothemoon.pubpub.org

The Space Exploration Initiatives dedicated Arts Curator, Xin Liu, finds new creative avenues for SEI supported projects to share their work. Most notably, SEI has participated in Ars Electronica for the past three consecutive years. In addition, SEI supports Visiting Artists through MIT CAST to create artwork for microgravity, democratizes access to space through an International Artists Open Call, and curates a space-focused exhibit at Beyond the Cradle each year to inspire and enable art in space. SEIs Arts Curator specializes in concept development, visual communication, and curation.

Learn more about Sojourner2020 here: media.mit.edu/posts/sojourner-2020

Visit our Virtual Spaceship for Ars Electronica 2020: spaceship.media.mit.edu

The SEI includes a support staff team of 11 membersscientists, engineers, architects, designers, an arts curator, and a mission integrator. This team offers many resources to the MIT community, including but not limited to: mechanical and electrical contract engineering; astronaut ethnography and user research to inform human-factors prototyping; rapid prototyping and fabrication advising; visual communication and arts curation; and direct mission integration support for everything from microgravity research to lunar payloads. SEI also regularly welcomes undergraduate student researchers (UROPs), visiting students, Research Affiliates, and outside research collaborators to join us in our work.

The Space Exploration Initiative facilitates monthly roundtable meetings to engage the MIT community in space based research. This is the best way to meet the group and keep up to speed with all opportunities through SEI. Meeting times and location are announced to the mailing list.

Since its founding in 2016, the Space Exploration Initiative has hosted a series of special talks and workshops on and off campus on topics including: life in space; design for microgravity; space health and well- being; the ethics of space exploration; space law; and democratizing access to space. A recent highlight from the Apollo 11 Landing 50th Anniversary year was an SEI sponsored ML Talks on moonshots past and future: To the Moon to Stay | From the Moon with Love. We were joined by Jessy Kate Schingler, Alex MacDonald, and Cady Coleman in conversation with Dava Newman. Outside of MIT, SEI has hosted talks and workshops at conferences including SXSW and IAC, and with other academic institutions such as Harvard, Yale, NYU, and RISD.

Our annual flagship event, Beyond the Cradle, takes a creative spin on the future of space exploration. Now in its sixth year, Beyond the Cradle brings together over 60 speakersleading space industry chief executives, space science researchers, sci-fi authors and designers, Hollywood visionaries, and NASA and international astronautsto inspire the audience to envision, co-design, hack, and build our space future together. Past speakers have included Nobel Laureate, Rai Weiss; Former Deputy Administrator of NASA, Dava Newman; SpaceX Principal Mars Development Engineer, Paul Wooster; Artist Laurie Anderson; Director, J.J. Abrams; author Neal Stephenson; and Astronauts Cady Coleman, Nicole Stott, Leland Melvin, Jeff Hoffman, Paolo Nespoli and many others!

The Space Exploration Initiatives founding mission is to rigorously, vigorously build out the technologies of our space future while keeping our innovations and team as open and accessible as possible. Beyond the Cradles art gallery and breakout workshop sessions democratize access by inviting and uniting new disciplines and voices in our event.

The event hosts over 350 in-person attendees (via private invitation only) and reaches six continents with several thousand members who tune in via our livestream, Twitter and YouTube channel. Beyond the Cradle is part of MIT Space Week, a broader celebration of space exploration technology and futurist vision at MIT and beyond.

Further details and archived video footage: beyond.media.mit.edu

MIT Space Week: spaceweek.mit.edu

SEI provides seed funding to a few projects each year, typically after engaging with the Zero-Gravity Flight Course, if the project can demonstrate a strong need and rigorous research results towards further flight deployments. We also run grant programs that can fund graduate RAs, whether youre a student in MAS (Media Lab) or another department. If you have already worked with SEI before and are interested in funding to continue or further expand your work, or are an already-admitted/current student looking for RA funding, please reach out directly to SEI Director, Ariel Ekblaw. The SEI can also assist and mentor projects with larger fundraising goals, on a case-by-case basis.

As an example, learn more about our recurring space health program with TRISH: https://www.media.mit.edu/posts/sei-trish-seed-funding/

The SEI facilitates many outreach programs, including our flagship Climate CubeSat Co-Building program (paused due to covid), online learning content through MITs Full Steam Ahead, and international open-calls for youth and adults alike to participate in space technology and arts development. These efforts directly address the Initiatives goals for the democratization of space, bringing space hacking into reach for the next generation and for a broader swath of humanity.

Learn more about SEIs outreach efforts here: sei-engagement.pubpub.org

Learn about an SEI-sponsored global outreach effort in partnership with MIT AeroAstro: humans.mit.edu

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What the Space Exploration Initiative offers our community MIT Media Lab - MIT Media Lab

A team of researchers is developing a swarm of robots for space mining projects. The team, which received $500,000 in funding from NASA, envisions the robots will be able to mine, excavate, and even construct simple structures on the surface of the Moon.

While the robots, which will be built and trained on Earth, will initially need to receive instructions from operators on our homeworld, the team hopes they will eventually be able to function autonomously.

The robots will use a learning model adapted by Jekan Thanga, University of Arizona (UA) associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, called the Human and Explainable Autonomous Robotic System (HEART). HEART will not only train the robots to perform mechanical tasks like mining and construction, but will also gradually teach them to collaborate.

The UA team says that the robots won't take the place of humans on manned space missions, but will free up time for astronauts allowing them to focus on critical mission elements.

"In a sense, we're like farmers. We're breeding talent out of these creatures, or a whole family of creatures, to do certain tasks," Thanga said. "The idea is to have the robots build, set things up and do all the dirty, boring, dangerous stuff, so the astronauts can do the more interesting stuff."

NASA is already planning more manned missions to the Moon, most significantly the Artemis Mission that will see a man and woman of color walk on the lunar surface for the first time. Future lunar missions will look to establish a base of operations on the Moon's surface, which will ultimately lead to the manned exploration of Mars.

The key watchword in this new era of space exploration has become sustainability. Transporting materials into space isn't cheap and it takes up valuable room and weight allocations on rocket journeys. That means there is a natural advantage to collecting any raw materials that you can on the surface of the body you are looking to explore.

"It's really exciting to be at the forefront of a new field," Moe Momayez, interim head of UA's Department of Mining and Geological Engineering, said in a press release. "I remember watching TV shows as a kid, like Space: 1999, which is all about bases on the moon. Here we are in 2021, and we're talking about colonizing the moon."

In one of the most well-supported theories of how the Moon formed, scientists suggest a massive collision with another body ripped material away from the Earth. This material eventually cooled and formed our natural satellite, the Moon. This suggests that the Moon and the Earth have very similar chemical compositions.

That means that elements found here on earth should also be available to mine from the Moon. This includes Earth metals that are used in a range of technologies such as smartphones, and precious metals like silver and gold. The robot swarm could also mine helium-3, an isotope of helium that could be used to fuel further journeys, making the Moon an ideal refueling station for manned Mars exploration.

Because mining on Earth takes a lot of water, something that likely won't be available on the Moon, the robots will have to use new mining procedures to drill on the lunar surface.

"To break rocks, we use a lot of water, and that's something we won't have on the moon," Momayez said. "So, we need new processes, new techniques. The most efficient way to break rocks on Earth is through blasting, and nobody has ever set off a blast on the moon."

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Gangs of Mining Robots Could Do the Dirty Work for Astronauts on the Moon - Newsweek

MIDLAND, Texas Midland ISD will be launching a new space-themed science program for students interested in aerosapce, aeronautics and space exploration.

The 'Go For Launch' program will have three different multi-day sessions. The first session will happen on October 18 and 19 during its first intersession week.

"Especially with the recent news surrounding private space exploration, we feel this is the perfect time to introduce this exciting new program," said Jeff Horner, Executive Director of Learning, Leading, and Innovation for Midland ISD. "This is an amazing opportunity for our students to gain exposure to these cutting-edge technologies, which exist right here in Midland."

Students in grades 8-12 have until September 27 to apply for the program. Students can also be nominated by a parent, teacher or coach for the program by September 24.

"This program, which helps develop the next generation of aerospace engineers, scientists, and STEM leaders, fits perfectly with the Midland Development Corporation's goals to grow Midland's future workforce and strengthen our local economy," said Sara Harris, Executive Director of the Midland Development Corporation.

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MISD starts new space-themed program - NewsWest9.com

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The annual week-long Space Festival will be back in El Paso Sep. 18th through Sep. 25th.

Families attending the festival events will be able to learn about rockets, make space art, learn about current NASA Research, stargaze, make moon craters, and much more!

The festivals will take place in multiple locations throughout El Paso including: El Paso Electric Company, Elks Lodge 187, Sunland Park Mall, Boy Scouts BSA, El Paso Radio Controllers, Alamo Drafthouse, UTEP, and many education organizations.

2021 El Paso Space Festival Schedule

Saturday, September 18th Space & Astronomy Extravaganza at Sunland Park: Noon-5pm

This is the main event at the #EPSpaceFestival. This year there will be new interactive Experience Zones where families can learn about space and astronomy through dozens of hands-on activities, prizes, space art, and makerspace crafts.Guests will be allowed a live virtual tour of the Very Large Array. Hear from regional space industries about the future of commercial space exploration and learn about space careers in El Paso.

Tuesday, September 21st White Sands Full Moon Night at White Sands National park: 7am-10pm

Guests will get the chance to see a full moon rising up from the horizon. Visitors will be able to view the full moon from one of the most beautiful landscapes at the White Sands Full Moon Night. Park closing times will be extended to allow guests to view the full moon from the dunes.

Wednesday, September 22nd Nerd Night at Alamo Drafthouse in East El Paso: 6:30pm-9:30pm

The Alamo Drafthouse will be featuring the blockbuster movie Contact, starring a young Jodie Foster, for a special viewing of this cult classic and a discussion with keynote speaker Dr. Andrew Maynard, Associate Dean, College of Global Futures, Arizona State University. This event will also feature a chat with representatives from the Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico.

Thursday, September 23rd Star Party at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site: 7pm-9:30pm

Insights, the Sun City Astronomers, and Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site will be hosting an evening stargazing and astronomy talks!Visitors are encouraged to bring their own camp chairs, telescopes, and non-alcoholic beverages for a beautiful evening under the stars at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. Free hot chocolate will be available.

Saturday, September 25th Rocket Launch Day at El Paso Radio Controllers Airstrip: 8am-1pm

Build and launch your very own model rocket during the final event of the 2021 #EPSpaceFestival. Tickets include a rocket, rocket decorations, and a launch window. This event will also offer hands-on rocketry activities, local rocket clubs displaying their BIG rockets, and a Space Festival T-shirt Nebula Tie Dye party.

For local and breaking news, sports, weather alerts, video and more, download the FREE KTSM 9 News App from theApple App Storeor theGoogle Play Store.

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El Pasos Third Annual Space Festival Returns - KTSM 9 News

Updated Tue 9:00 AM

EVEN IF YOUVE never read or watched any science fiction, you have an idea of what it looks like.

Its emblematic form is the space opera, which emerged from the pulp magazine explosion of the 1920s, and evolved during the so-called Golden Age of sci-fi (roughly up to the 1960s); its all about action and excitement, galactic empires, weird aliens we can do business with, heroic engineers and mad scientists.

Most modern sci-fi of this type, of course, deconstructs the formula with an ironic eye.

Some silliness notwithstanding, sci-fi has had a measurable impact on space exploration. Jules Verne was feted as an inspiration by astronauts and cosmonauts alike during the Space Race, and were it not for the influence of Vernes work, Edwin Hubble might have become a lawyer instead of an astronomer.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti drank the first espresso in space while wearing a Star Trek uniform; other admitted Trekkies include astronauts Chris Hadfield and Mae Jemison, and the late Stephen Hawking appeared as himself in The Next Generation. The crew of NASAs Expedition 45, meanwhile, dressed up as Jedi Knights for their missions official poster.

Its simple, really: if we want an Irish space programme, we should start cranking out more Irish sci-fi.

So, how does the fiction inspire the reality?

The obvious answer is that cruising through space at faster-than-light speeds to go on holidays to an alien world would be awesome. Aside from the obvious, though, theres the dynamic of the genre itself (warning: academic obtuseness incoming).

Sci-fi works by pretending to be history: that is, it works around the laws of physics instead of breaking them (like fantasy and horror do), and it often shows us a continuation of human history into the distant future. Whoever helps humanity to get going in that direction is part of that glorious future history: as inspirations go, its not a bad one.

There comes a point when certain contrasts become obvious, though: between the nobility and purity of purpose we see in sci-fi, and the billionaire grandstanding of Bezos, Branson and Musk; between the old dreams of galactic empires, and our increasing awareness of the evils of colonialism; between the sci-fi sense of wonder and the fact that real-world science is a different kind of beast from the kind of fictional physics that allow faster-than-light travel.

Perhaps the biggest contrast is between science-fictional visions of our potential, and what we can actually do.

Its been clear for a while now that the kind of sci-fi that had the biggest impact on popular culture is kind of outdated, and its built on slightly wonky expectations of what we can accomplish.

We evolved on Earth; this is where we have the best chance of survival any other planet would be an uncomfortable compromise at best and we have a moral obligation to mind it. And who could be arsed with a galaxy-spanning civilisation anyway, even if such a thing were possible?

We still keep creating and re-creating such things, though, so there has to be something behind their appeal, something that goes beyond the flashy tech that comes with the backdrop. For me, that something is watching smart people figuring out solutions to difficult problems, or at least trying to.

This isnt limited to science and engineering smarts, either: some of the best sci-fi out there takes emotional or linguistic intelligence as its paradigm.

Were probably never going to be able to zip over to another inhabited planet for a quick visit, but thats okay. Human culture is mostly made up of things that arent literally true anyway; they persist because they mean something to the people who dreamed them up.

If humans ever do settle on other planets, theyll still read and write space opera, no matter how removed it is from their reality. This is what makes the growing profile of sci-fi from traditionally underrepresented people so exciting: the standard future-history is being overhauled and expanded by movements such as Africanfuturism and Indigenous Futurism, and increasing amounts of non-Western stories are being translated for the first time.

More mythical material gives us more stars to aim at, and even if we fall short, well discover cool stuff along the way.

Sci-fi doesnt just directly inspire people to do the exploring, though; it also inspires those with no vocation for that kind of thing, who nonetheless form the all-important social foundation that makes it possible: politicians who can make funding decisions, teachers who might encourage students to pursue an interest in astrophysics or parents who might be more inclined to support their own childrens ambition to blast off into the void.

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On top of everything else, it takes a lot of goodwill to get a rocket off the ground, and thats what sci-fi delivers by the bucketload.

Jack Fennell lectures at the University of Limerick. He is the author of Irish Science Fiction, and editor of A Brilliant Void.His bookIt Rose Upwill be published by Tramp Press in November.

This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work is the authors own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, seehere.

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Opinion: To boldly go - how science fiction inspires space exploration - TheJournal.ie

Shouldnt we fix Earth first? This question is like a modified version of Godwins Law. One need only raise the subject of space exploration and humanity becoming a multiplanetary species in the near future, and someone is sure to ask it before long. In fact, its about as popular as how come we can send astronauts to the Moon, but we cant [insert problem here]?

Its not an unfair argument, and it certainly does seem well-intentioned. After all, why spend billions on various enterprises when poverty, hunger, homelessness, war, refugees crises, social injustice, and climate change are all around us? Wouldn't that money be better spent addressing these problems here at home?

But therein lies the problem. Whether its a matter of resources, priorities, or where we should focus our efforts, the assumption is that space-related activities take away from life here on Earth. But in truth, the advent of spaceflight and space-related research and development has benefitted humanity in innumerable ways.

In terms of technological applications, in terms of scientific advancement, in terms of medicine and health care, in terms of knowledge and inspiration, going to space has allowed us to grow as a species. It has taught us to appreciate what we have, and what we could become, and has allowed us to do things previous generations could only dream of.

The argument that going to space and dealing with problems at home is mutually exclusive is an enduring one. In fact, one can find examples of this criticism going all the way back to the dawn of the Space Age. For those who grew up during the "Space Race," the speech delivered by President John F. Kennedy at Rice University in 1962 is sure to be familiar:

"We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win..."

These rousing words were fondly remembered when, just seven years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to ever set foot on another celestial body. There too, famous words were spoken that become an instant source of inspiration:

And let's not forget the words that appear on the Lunar Plaque, which was mounted on the ladders of every Apollo Lunar Module. "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." These words still reside at the Apollo Landing site in the Sea of Tranquility.

But would it surprise you to know that there was actually considerable opposition to the Apollo Program, despite these accomplishments? According to Roger D. Launius, who served as NASA's Chief Historian between 1990 to 2002 and was the Associate Director of the National Air and Space Museum until 2017, the majority of Americans did not support going to the Moon.

As he wrote in a 2003 essay titled "Public opinion polls and perceptions of US human spaceflight":

"[M]any people believe that Project Apollo was popular, probably because it garnered significant media attention, but the polls do not support a contention that Americans embraced the lunar landing mission. Consistently throughout the 1960s a majority of Americans did not believe Apollo was worth the cost, with the one exception to this a poll taken at the time of the Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969. And consistently throughout the decade 45-60 percent of Americans believed that the government was spending too much on space, indicative of a lack of commitment to the spaceight agenda."

Much of the opposition was motivated by the social upheaval taking place in the US during the 1960s. At a time when the Civil Rights Movement was fighting against segregation, and many African-Americans were struggling at the margins of society, many saw the Apollo Program as a glaring example of the federal government's misplaced priorities.

For example, in an editorial in the Los Angeles Sentinel, Brooker Griffin wrote:

"It would appear that the fathers of our nation would allow a few thousand hungry people to die for the lack of a few thousand dollars while they would contaminate the moon and its sterility for the sake of 'progress' and spend billions of dollars in the process, while people are hungry, ill-clothed, poorly educated (if at all)."

In 1971, 200 African-Americans marched on Cape Canaveral to protest during the Apollo 14 launch. Hosea Williams, a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), spoke with a reporter from the Rome News-Tribune, saying: "We are not protesting America's achievements in outer space, we are protesting our country's inability to choose humane priorities."

Musician Gil Scott-Heron also voiced opposition to America's space program with his song, "Whitey on the Moon." The song ironically lauds the accomplishments of the Apollo astronauts while juxtaposing them with the realities of being a Black person living in 1960s America and struggling to get by.

For others, the issue of high spending was the main point of opposition. Somehow, the thought of sending astronauts to the Moon to "collect rocks" didn't justify spending billions in taxpayer dollars. While public perception of the Apollo program has improved with time, opposition to committing public funds to spaceflight has not.

In 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted an opinion poll. When asked if sending astronauts back to the moon was important, only 23% said yes, while 40% said it was not. Of sending crewed missions to Mars, 27% supported the idea, while 38% did not.

On its face, the opposition seems well-founded and well-intentioned. But one must wonder why space exploration is the focal point of anger over high spending and problematic priorities? Is it simply because spaceflight is high profile, is it because the benefits of space exploration are undervalued and/or misunderstood, or a little from Column A and a little from Column B?

Regardless, it is clear that spaceflight suffers from an image problem. As famed science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein once expressed, "[I]n one respect, NASA has fallen flat on its face. Its publicity is terrible, and has been right along." With that in mind, a careful review of the arguments against going to space appears to be in order.

That's certainly a fair question, and it makes a good point. We have to do more to address the myriad of problems we face here on Earth. But why is it assumed that going to space steals focus from them, or that it's an either/or situation? Its not unlike saying, We should fix the economy first, then worry about the environment. Where is it written that we can't do both?

More importantly, there is the inherent (and rather obvious) assumption that space exploration doesn't benefit people here on Earth. This assumption is pervasive, which is why in 1976 NASA decided to create a publication that shared with the public all of the commercial and industrial applications resulting from their research.

This publication is known as NASA Spinoff, which is responsible for highlighting all of the technologies the administration has made available to the public through the NASA Technology Transfer Program (TTP).

In 1979, in a bid to raise awareness about the spinoffs, Heinlein delivered a speech during a series of joint hearings before Congress. In this speech, he explained why the name "spinoff" was chosen and how NASA-funded research has benefited countless people who just didn't know it:

"'Spinoffs' is a fancy way of saying serendipitous results, which simply means look for one thing and find something else. This happens all the time in science, particularly in pure research... A thing that [NASA has] failed to do with this matter of the spinoffs, the serendipitous results, is to make the hookup so that people know about it.

"In fact, the most ironical thing I know of about our space program is that there are thousands of people alive today who would be dead if it were not for spinoffs from the space program and who have not the slightest idea that such is the case, and they complain about all that money being spent on silly stunts, and often they make that complaint by long distance with a satellite bounce."

Heinlein went on to outline four important technologies that were made possible thanks to NASA-funded research - computer-assisted tomography (CAT), image-enhancement technology, catheters, and the Doppler ultrasound stethoscope. These technologies, Heinlein explained, were what allowed him to undergo the vascular bypass operation a year before that saved his life.

In fact, NASA-funded research has led to more than2,000 spinoffs since 1976 that have had applications for medicine, biotechnology, communications, home appliances, consumer products, robotics, clean energy, heat-resistant materials, and industrial processes.

Some of the better-known examples include solar panels, communication satellites, Earth observation satellites, microwaves, memory foam, freeze-dried food, firefighting equipment, thermal blankets, DustBusters, cochlear implants, active-pixel image sensors, air filtration systems, water filtration systems, and many, many more!

For a full run-down on how NASA research has led to tangible benefits (possibly in your area), check out the Spinoffwebsite here.

Another common argument is that space exploration diverts not just resources but expertise and attention away from problems here at home. For some reason, it is assumed that going to space makes us appreciate Earth less, when in truth, there are numerous examples of how it encourages us to appreciate Earth more.

This is perfectly illustrated by theOverview Effect, which refers to the shift in consciousness that comes with seeing the Earth from space. Noted author and philosopher Frank White coined this term to describe the experience every astronaut in the history of spaceflight has reported during their time in space and/or upon their return to Earth.

Astronaut Michael Collins described this experience when talking about piloting the Apollo 11 Command Module: "The thing that really surprised me was that it [Earth] projected an air of fragility. And why, I dont know. I dont know to this day. I had a feeling its tiny, its shiny, its beautiful, its home, and its fragile."

This same feeling has been described by noted astronauts and cosmonauts from all over the world, including Sally Ride, Scott Kelly, Chris Hadfield, Anne McClain, Mike Massimino, Tom Jones, and Yuri Gagarin, the first man to ever go to space. Upon returning to Earth, Gagarin related how the most profound part of the mission was not looking into the depths of space, but upon planet Earth:

"Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship, I marveled at the beauty of our planet," he said. "People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty, and not destroy it."

Also, consider theGaia Hypothesis, the scientific theory that posits that the Earth is a single, interdependent system, where every organism, feedback-loop, and chemical cycle work together to maintain the conditions that are favorable to life. The hypothesis owes its existence to NASA scientist Dr. James E. Lovelock and biologist Lynn Margulis.

Lovelock's inspiration came from his work with NASA, which consisted of developing scientific instruments that could model the atmospheres and climates of Mars and other planets. In comparing the environments of other planets to Earth, they realized how complex and precious Earth's environment is.

In addition, the climatological research conducted by NASA since the 1960s is what led scientists to conclude that humanity is having a severe impact on the environment. For instance, Earth observations satellites (using the very instruments Lovelock designed) were responsible for the discovery of ozone depletion caused by CFCs.

These same satellites and climate models led scientists to realize that the growing consumption of fossil fuels and the resulting carbon emissions led to a Greenhouse Effect. Since then, the NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) and its Earth science initiatives have provided regular updates on the effects of climate change and helped support calls for action.

Here is a rather popular variant, where it's argued that the billions spent on spaceflight would be better spent alleviating poverty and other problems here at home. On its face, it certainly seems like a valid point. We could always use more money combatting want, scarcity, poverty, and misery. It's outrageous how common and persistent these things are!

But it begins to show cracks the moment you dig into it or examine it from other angles. Once again, why is it assumed that money not directed towards spaceflight would otherwise be spent on economic, social, and environmental problems? And if all space programs today were shelved, are we really to believe that money saved would be put towards humanitarian causes?

Second, youd be hard-pressed to find an investment with the same amount of returns as space exploration. According to one estimate, every dollar spent during the Apollo Era resulted in a $7$8 return on investment (ROI) thanks to the spinoffs and commercial applications that resulted. Today, that ROI has climbed to $40 for every dollar spent. Shop around. You cant beat that!

Third, if were going to talk about money better spent elsewhere, why are we singling out space exploration, which costs less and comes with far more payoffs than other expenditures? In truth, there's plenty of examples of wasteful spending that yield comparatively little (or nothing) by comparison.

For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the healthcare costs and loss of productivity caused by cigarettes account for $300 billion a year. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2015 the world's richest nations spent $21 billion on health care and lost 1.2 billion workdays due to illnesses caused by air pollution.

By 2060, that's projected to increase to 3.7 billion lost workdays, which will result in a global loss of $2.6 trillion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually. Even worse than that is the fact that an estimated 6-9 million people are likely to die annually between now and then because of worsening air quality associated with urban growth.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the world spends roughly $5 trillion USD a year subsidizing the oil and coal industries, which constitutes about 85% of all annual global subsidies. Meanwhile, renewable energy sources like solar and wind have become price-competitive with oil and coal without the same level of financial assistance!

There are two ways to look at this. At best, we are spending trillions of dollars to ensure that gas prices remain within a certain threshold for the good of the consumer. At worst, we are financing the very industries driving climate change, and when we need to be transitioning to clean energies, that will actually cost less!

All told, the US government spent a total of around$25.4 billion on the Apollo Program over the course of 11 years. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to around$175 billion today and an average of around $16 billion adjusted dollars a year. Add to that the costs of the Mercury (1958-1963) and Gemini Program (1961-1966), and you get an adjusted total of around $179 billion.

In terms of the national budget, these expenditures constituted about 0.1% of the nation's GDP in 1958, 4.5% in 1966 (at its peak), and less than 1% again by 1975. Now compare that to military spending during the same period, especially between 1955-1975 when the US became embroiled in the Vietnam War.

The expense of deploying American forces in Vietnam cost a total of $168 billion, or $1 trillion today. In addition to that, the draft fell disproportionately on the poor and working-class, who could not afford school deferments. In total, military expenditures during this entire period accounted for 10-13% of GDP from 1955 to 1966 and 11%-17% of GDP from 1967 to 1975.

In 2018, the US government allocated a total of $890.8 billion for the sake of defense spending, which represented a 9 to 21% increase over the previous ten years. In that same year, the entire world spent an estimated $72.34 billion USD on space. What did that get us?

In summary, if we are going to discuss where money should be spent, perhaps we should a cost-benefit analysis should be conducted first. Because once that is complete, we're likely to notice that as a species, we spend far more money on far less noble endeavors.

This appears to be a common sentiment these days, which is generally raised in response to big names in the commercial space industry (aka. NewSpace) making headlines - e.g., Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, et al. Much like saying that space exploration takes away from Earth, there are many who doubt that New Space ventures are anything other than a billionaires ego trip.

At best, the criticisms tend to assert that commercial space is something that will only ever benefit the super-rich. At worst, there are those who actually accuse Musk, Bezos, and others of plotting to leave Earth before climate change or some other cataclysm causes civilization to collapse - abandoning anyone who can't afford to go with them in the process.

Granted, space tourism is an industry that only people with a lot of disposable income will be able to afford in the coming years. But the ultimate purpose is to bring the associated costs of going to space down so that more and more people can enjoy it. In addition, it would be foolish to conflate all commercial space ventures with this one aspect of it.

Since 2001, Elon Musk has spearheaded the development of reusable rockets and space systems through his company SpaceX, with impressive results. Between 1970 and 2000, the average cost of sending payloads to space was about~$8,400 per lbs ($18,500 per kilogram). Thanks in part to the development of rockets like the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, that cost is now$1,235 and $640 per lbs ($2,719 and $1,410 per kg), respectively.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos has also indicated that his long-term aim is to use paid flights with the New Shepard launch vehicle to fund the development of heavy rockets - like the New Glenn and the New Armstrong - and the necessary infrastructure for regular trips to space. The ultimate goal, he said, is to ensure humanity's future in space and ensure that Earth is safeguarded:

"Were going to build a road to space so that our kids and their kids can build the future. We need to do that. We need to do that to solve the problems here on earth. This is not about escaping Earth... The whole point is this is the only good planet in this solar system. Weve sent robotic probes to all of them. This is the only good one. I promise you, and we have to take care of it"

Critics of Bransons space-related venture, Virgin Galactic, claim that suborbital commercial flights will benefit no one but the super-rich. With an advertised price tag of $450,000, this is certainly understandable. But as spaceflights become a common occurrence, prices will drop, and accessibility will increase (what guys like Branson have been saying all along).

In the meantime, Branson has created Space for Humanity to allow people other than the super-rich to fly. Through their Sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program, this nonprofit will train citizens and leaders to become citizen astronauts, a program that culminates with a ride to space aboard a Virgin Galactic spaceplane.

The company has also partnered with Omaze, a fundraising company that partners with charities, to launch a giveaway where those who pledge support for Space For Humanity can win free trips with Virgin Galactic.

In addition, NASA and other space agencies have a very long history of partnering with commercial entities to develop the tools and equipment they need. At its peak, the Apollo Program employed over 400,000 people and required the support of over 20,000 industrial firms. Today, that tradition continues, albeit to a lesser extent.

In the past few decades, multiple commercial space companies have partnered with NASA and other space agencies to provide technological, logistical, and launch services to the International Space Station (ISS). Many of these same companies are Artemis Partners and are currently building the necessary elements that will take astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since 1972.

Given the way humanity is poised to make the next great leap into space, it is good to ask questions about budgets, priorities, and what our goals for the future should be. But once a full and fair assessment of spaceflight is considered, it seems pretty clear that the kind of future we want for our children cannot happen without space exploration.

During the last Space Age, the desire to go to space and put a "man on the Moon" resulted in hundreds of technological spinoffs that have benefited countless people here on Earth. It also led to widespread job creation, particularly in skilled trades. And let's not forget how decades later, the Moon Landing still manages to inspire and remind us of what we can accomplish.

In the age of renewed space exploration that we now find ourselves in, the focus has shifted dramatically. Rather than simply getting there or "getting there first," the purpose is to create what we need to conduct long-duration missions to locations in deep space. In other words, our goal now is to "go back to the Moon to stay" and then use our presence there to reach beyond.

For this, space agencies and the commercial space industry are researching spacecraft that can sustain crews for long-duration flights, but also the technology for habitats and life support systems that can ensure astronaut survival in a hostile environment for extended periods of time.

This means creating closed-loop systems that can provide steady supplies of food, water, and air while producing zero waste. This technology is based entirely on the study of Earth's natural systems, which are themselves part of a massive closed-loop system that is regenerative, waste-free, and has maintained Earth's habitability for billions of years.

The technologies and spinoffs that this research will lead to include facilities that can grow plants in hostile environments, water reclamators, air filtration, carbon capture systems, and environmental engineering. Each and every one of these technologies will have endless applications here on Earth, where solutions for sustainable living will also be a matter of survival.

As Dr. Sian Proctor, a geology professor, commercial astronaut, and famous science communicator would say: Solving for space solves for Earth. Dr. Proctor will be the mission pilot on the upcoming three-day Inspiration4 flight, where the first all-civilian flight in history will fly to space aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Like the Olympic Games, space exploration has always been a great unifier, bringing people and nations together in the spirit of exploitation and discovery. Even during the height of the Cold War, people all around the world were united in celebration as cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova became the first man and first woman to go to space.

On July 20th, 1969, people on both sides of the "Iron Curtain" celebrated as humans took their first steps on the Moon. Decades later, we still remember what was accomplished during those heady days and draw inspiration from it. We're also reaping the benefits of all the commercial, medical, industrial, and scientific breakthroughs it produced (whether we realize it or not).

Today, space exploration is no longer a competition between two superpowers but has broadened to become a much more cooperative enterprise between many state and private actors. If we hope to tackle the growing problems caused by climate change, as well as the enduring problems of poverty, injustice, war, and petty rivalries, we will need to come together like never before.

The benefits and knowledge that we stand to reap from going to space to stay will help ensure that by promoting sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and resource utilization. Having access to the abundant resources of space could also help usher in an age where scarcity (the very basis of wealth and poverty) has been eliminated.

As Kennedy intimated in his famous speech at Rice University, going to space is and always will be hard. But the payoffs for doing so are monumental, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it lasts for generations. By putting humans on the Moon before the decade was out, a generation of people showed themselves what they were capable of.

Since the Apollo Era, we've gone even further, establishing space stations in orbit like the Salyuts, Mir, Skylab, and the ISS. We've developed reusable rockets and spaceplanes that have reduced launch costs substantially. We've also sent robotic probes to every corner of the Solar System, and a few have even made it into interstellar space.

But more important than the rockets, spacecraft, and various technological spinoffs, the greatest thing to come from the Space Age was arguably the inspiration it still provides decades later. After all, there's a reason why sayings like "shoot for the Moon," "Moonshot," and "reach for the stars" endure.

Originally posted here:

Why We Need to Keep Going to Space and Shouldn't 'Fix Earth First' - Interesting Engineering