Category Archives: Space Exploration

A recently completed project saw Greenland stand in for the Moon. Another is using Iceland as a substitute for Mars.

If you want to get an idea of what Mars looks like, a good place to start, ironically, is Google Earth.

The service provides highly detailed, first-person views of parts of Devon Island, in Nunavut, a place that the U.S. space agency NASA, among others, has described as providing earth-bound scientists with the closest thing they can get to Mars without leaving home.

While no humans have been to Mars yet, there were 14 missions to the Flashline Mars Arctic Research Station (FMARS) between 2001 and 2017, when the Mars Society, a non-profit that promotes space exploration, stopped running the facility.

A big benefit of using the Arctic as a stand-in for an extraterrestrial environment is that it adds a sense of realism and fidelity when preparing for space exploration: it is challenging to get to and far removed from human settlements, while specific locations, such as the area around FMARS, provide scientists with conditions similar to what would be experienced on Mars.

But, unlike other parts of the Earth that are more remote Antarctica, for example Arctic sites tend to be close enough to civilization to allow scientists to have a safe place to retreat to in the event of a medical emergency or some other mishap. The Devon Island site is a one-hour flight from the nearest settlement, Resolute. A site on Svalbard is also reassuringly close to Longyearbyen, the largest settlement in the archipelago.

Architects Karl-Johan Srensen (right) and Sebastian Aristotelis stand next to a folded Lunark habitat. (Saga Space Architects)

This was part of thinking behind the choice of Moriusaq, in northwestern Greenland, for the site of the Lunark project, which, in December, completed testing of a habitat that its creators, Saga Space Architects, hope could serve as a model the housing used by future lunar explorers.

Moriusaq is located close to Thule Air Base, a U.S. Air Force base that served as the staging point for the expedition. When looking for a location test the habitat, Saga Space Architects says it also considered sites near Station Nord, a Danish military facility in northeastern Greenland, which could also have served as a staging point.

Its important for the project to take place in an environment that looks and behaves like the Moons surface. Northern Greenland has some unique features that make it an ideal Lunar test-bed, the firm wrote of its search for a suitable location.

When shipped, the two-person pop-up structure is folded, origami-style, reducing its size by a factor of eight and allowing it to fit in a standard shipping container. Weighing 1,700 kilograms, the habitat is designed to stand up to temperatures of minus 45 degrees Celsius and winds of up to 90 km/h.

Some assembly is required, when erecting Lunark, but the habitat, according to Saga Space Architects, is designed to arrive completely equipped with furniture, food and other resources. Karl-Johan Srensen and Sebastian Aristotelis, two Danish architects, and the founders of Saga Space Architects, who lived in the habitat in Greenland, needed a day to expand the structure. It took them a month to set up camp, and they eventually spent 60 days living in Lunark, rather than the planned 90.

The shorter period was due to a delay deploying the habitat. The challenge of working in an Arctic environment was something Srensen and Aristotelis touched on in one of their brief updates, which were sent using a satellite phone to imitate the limited communication with Earth that future space travellers will experience.

Hab (the habitat, ed.) is almost finished! Why is it taking so long? We didnt manage to finish all the details in time for shipment. Fixing sh*t here is slow and hard, the two wrote in a post dated September 21.

When it comes to the second project, which is currently underway, the appeal of the location the lava fields of Icelands highlands has less to do with its remoteness than it does how, and when, it was formed.

The lava field, known as Holuhraun, is devoid of vegetation or topsoil, making it similar to what some Martian landscapes look like, according to Christopher Hamilton, a University of Arizona scientists who heads a protect studying whether drones can be used to provide eyes in the sky for Mars rovers.

When earth-bound sites such as Devon Island and Holuhraun are shaped by similar geologic processes as their extraterrestrial counterparts, they can be used as mock environments, or analogs, to prepare explorers to safely navigate the real thing.

In the case of Holuhraun, the will be the second time it stands in for a non-Earth environment. In the 1960s, NASA turned to the area as a lunar analog when looking to give Apollo astronauts a taste of what they might experience on the Moon.

This time around, the RoverAerial Vehicle Exploration Networks, or RAVEN, project, which recently received $3.1 million from NASA, is designed to give scientists and idea of how to explore terrain that was created by a volcanic eruption in 2019, and is similar to those observed on Mars.

As far as technology goes, RAVEN, takes its cue from existing drones, including Ingenuity, a helicopter-like drone that that is arrive on Mars together with NASAs Perseverance rover on February 18. In addition to giving scientists an idea of what it takes to fly in the thin Martian atmosphere, Ingenuitys job will be act as a scout that identifies sites that might be of interest for future missions. The results of the RAVEN project, on the other hand, will be help future Martian drones work in tandem with rovers on the ground, and that requires knowing what to look for ahead of time.

Volcanic terrains offer exciting targets for exploration because of their potential to generate habitable hydrothermal systems, which could support or preserve microbial life, Hamilton said. RAVEN would make such locations accessible for the first time.

Similarly, young lava of the likes found on Mars and at Holuhraun can be too rugged for rovers to traverse, which can limit their usefulness, or, worse, put them out of action. Having a drone accompanying them can help by scouting a path forward for them, or, if they are equipped with prospecting equipment, by carrying samples back to the rover.

Pascal Lee, the co-founder of the Mars Society, has suggested that Mars astronauts would get their first taste of life off Earth in the Arctic. The same, it would seem, is true for the machines as well.

This article originally appeared at Arctic Today and is republished with permission.

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How two space-exploration projects are using the Arctic to stand in for extraterrestrial environments - Nunatsiaq News

Shift4 Payments, the integrated payment processing and technology solutions company, will air a Super Bowl commercial promoting its partnership in the first all-civilian mission to space.

The companys founder and CEO, Jared Isaacman, will command the mission and will use the Super Bowl to introduce it and its purpose to the public, to support St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital.

The 30-second ad will air in the first quarter of the game and invite viewers to support and be part of the mission through St. Jude and Shift4Shop programs. The commercial and entire campaign was created by Known.

"This is a pivotal moment for human space exploration and for the important role Shift4s turnkey ecommerce solution, Shift4Shop, will play in the mission Isaacman said in a statement.We looked for a partner that could help bring this inspiring event to life in the most riveting way possible. Known has helped us tie together our strategy, media and creative efforts around the worlds first all-civilian mission to space and we are very proud to share it with the world.

Isaacman is donating the three mission seats alongside him to crew members who will be selected to represent the mission based on the pillars of leadership, hope, generosity and prosperity. The first seat will be filled by a St. Jude ambassador.

Another seat will go to the member of the public who can enter for a chance to join the flight to space by supporting the mission of St. Jude.

Isaacman has committed to give $100 million to St. Jude and is looking to raise upwardof $200 million from the mission.

A fourth seat will go to an entrepreneur who utilizes the new Shift4Shop e-commerce platform. Current and new Shift4Shop customers will have an opportunity to enter an online competition showcasing them and their business.

The crew members will be trained by SpaceX.

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Super Bowl LV will see commercial for the first civilian space mission - AdAge.com

By Robert Ross

Im sure all of you have heard of ARK Invest founder, CEO, and CIO Catherine Wood.

She is a crowd favorite at Mauldin Economics annual Strategic Investment Conference. (Mark your calendar for May 514, 2021, and stay tuned to your email for details about this years virtual event.)

Catherine is also one of the worlds greatest investors. Her flagship fund, theARK Innovation ETF (ARKK), was the best-performing actively managed ETF in the world last year.

Two things make this fund unique

First, you wont find many actively run ETFs like this in the market, especially one with a triple-digit gain like the 148% ARKK returned in 2020.

Second, youre not going to find the same kind of staid, safe stocks that anchor traditional investorsand a lot of fund managersportfolios.

Catherine focuses her research on companies that are disruptive. This includes companies that are making a name for themselves with electric vehicles, digital payments, and genetic sequencing.

With such strong performance, its no surprise her assets under management grew tenfold to become the largest active ETF in the worldjust six years after she launched it.

ARKK is already up 18% in 2021. And withtechnology set to be 2021s top-performing sector, theres likely a lot more upside in store.

But if you want real moonshot potential, well, theres about to be an ETF for that, too.

This month, ARK Invest filed paperwork for a new space exploration fund.

TheARK Space Exploration ETF (Pending: ARKX)will hold companies at the forefront of one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet.

A lot has changed in the half-century since Neil Armstrong first stepped on the moon.

The government is still in the game, but the private sector is breaking into the space race in a big way.

A massive $415 billion was spent on the space industry just in 2019. Thats up 79% since 2009:

Some 80% of this spending came from private industry. That is, the companies that build everything from satellite systems to deep-space rocket technology to specialty suits designed for astronauts in flight.

This growth has been explosive, and it shows no signs of slowing down.

Morgan Stanley expects the global space industry to generate over $1 trillion in revenues by 2040.

Thats up from $350 billion today.

A large chunk of this growth will come from US military spending.

Military spending is expected to reach $738 billion next year. Thats 20% of theentirefederal budget.

Not even the current coronavirus recession should cause the US government to scale back on defense spending. It has actuallygrownduring the last six recessions:

And while broader defense spending looks to be rising steadily

The Trump administration was one of the most pro-space administrations in modern history.

It established a new, uniformed branch of the military known as Space Force. And it earmarked $23 billion for space-related projects in the current budget.

That was up 63% from the previous year:

And because 100% of this money will be spent on US companies, owning space-related stocks and ETFs is the ultimate way to buy American.

One segment of the space market that benefits heavily from US government spending is the satellite industry.

According to the Satellite Industry Association, satellite manufacturing is a $20 billion marketplace on its own. Its dominated by large aerospace conglomerates likeBoeing (BA):

Boeing is an obvious beneficiary. Yet it only generates a small part of its sales from space technology.

There are better ways to profit from the new space race

In addition to satellite manufacturers, you also have companies that operate and service these satellites once theyve gone into space.

One such company isIridium Communications (IRDM).

Iridium is responsible for 66 satellites used for worldwide voice and data communication. It provides critical services for pagers, satellite phones, and air traffic control systems.

These are mission-critical systems that need real-time access 24/7. The US government is a reliable client; so are other governments, businesses, and individuals around the globe.

IRDM doesnt pay a dividend. But there are plenty of companies in this stock universe that do

Most pure-play space stocks are small, fast-growing companies. That means they just dont have extra cash left over each quarter to reward their investors.

However, Ive found a duo of dividend payers that benefit directly from space technology

The first is the worlds largest telecom company,AT&T (T).

AT&T is ingrained in the space industry. It is even working with NASA to improve the Deep Space Network, which supports communications during interplanetary space missions.

When it comes to dividend payers, its hard to top AT&T. The company is a Dividend Aristocrat, meaning it has increased its dividend for more than 25 years in a row. In AT&Ts case, it has raised its payout for 35 years in a row.

Then theresGarmin (GRMN), which you might remember for its bulky GPS consoles.

That was lightyears ago. Since then, the company has picked up significant exposure to the space industry. Last year, 20% of its sales were from aerospace.

And with a 2.7% dividend yield, the company is a solid dividend option for income investors.

But its not my top option. MyYield Sharksubscribers know theres one aerospace and defense company that rises above the rest. With a dividend yield thats twice that of the 10-year Treasury bill, its a great option for any income investors portfolio.Click here to unlock this stocktoday.

Originally published by Mauldin Economics, 1/27/21

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These Space Stocks Are Going to the Moon - ETF Trends

Dr. Michaela Musilova is the director of Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation (HI-SEAS) program, which conducts analog missions to the moon and Mars for scientific research at a habitat on the volcano Mauna Loa. Currently, she is in command of the two-week Valoria 1 mission and contributed this report to Space.com's Expert Voices: Op-Ed & Insights.

Bang. Smash. Flap. Over and over again. Those were the noises that woke the whole crew up in the middle of last night. The storm that was howling outside our analog Martian habitat suddenly reached new levels. When the hurricane-like winds started hitting our small dome, everything that could flap and rattle started flapping and rattling. At 3 a.m., I found myself standing outside our six tiny bedroom doors, ready to evacuate the crew into our storm shelter.

The storm shelter is a container that's attached to the HI-SEAS habitat. We normally refer to it as the engineering bay, as that's where we perform most of our engineering work and maintenance. We also keep our analog spacesuits and get dressed there for our Marswalks. During an emergency, it can serve as a shelter for the crew, as it can withstand extreme storms. It also contains a stock of food and other materials necessary for extreme scenarios.

With the whole habitat shaking around me, I started assessing every part of the structure to make sure that everything was OK and that the crew was safe. This is not the first time that I had experienced such a storm while on mission. I knew that the habitat could handle it, but I wanted to be sure. Fortunately, there was no damage sustained anywhere in the habitat, so I went back to sleep. However, the loud noises continued throughout the night, and I anticipated that the whole crew would be sleep-deprived in the morning.

Related: New crew arrives in Hawaii for mock Mars mission Commander's report: sol 2

Even though we were all a bit grouchy this morning, we still made an optimistic, warm batch of oatmeal for breakfast. It was meant both to raise our spirits and serve as a dose of hope for better weather later in the day. With hindsight, I now smile at how nave we were. This massive dust storm outside was not planning to move anytime soon. Not only did the storm ruin our plans to go on the second lava cave Marswalk of this mission today, it also forced us to go into low-power mode.

The habitat runs primarily on solar power, which is stored in batteries inside the habitat. These batteries can't charge fully during bad weather, which means that the crew has to exist on Mars with the power that's left in the batteries until the weather clears. To save power, the crew normally unplugs all devices that aren't absolutely necessary for our survival, and we go into so-called low-power mode. We only keep our heating, CO2 vent and communication systems on in the most difficult situations. Even then, we usually lower our heat down to below 60 degrees Fahrenheit (15 degrees Celsius) if necessary.

A running joke with previous crews is that we want to have 70% of the full charge in our batteries by 7 p.m., or "70by7" as we analog astronauts say. If our charge is less than 70%, then we have to start going into low-power mode to survive the night. No one wants to wake up to no power, followed by emergency procedures to turn on a backup power supply until the sun will recharge the batteries again. The backup solution is a generator. In the worst-case scenario, we have to go on a Marswalk to turn it on. It is not good for the environment and it is risky to go on a Marswalk in bad weather, so we only resort to that measure if we have no choice.

Sadly, today we only peaked at 40% of maximum battery power, and then our batteries just kept discharging. By lunchtime, we knew that we would have to go into ultra-low-power mode. That essentially means eating only cold food and working in the dark and cold. We were very grateful that Engineering Officer Kevin Pratt baked a big batch of bread the previous day, so we could at least eat that with some cold oatmeal and rehydrated applesauce from breakfast. In the afternoon, the crew decided to compensate for the cold temperatures in the habitat by over-exercising. We definitely bumped up the temperature in the habitat by one whole degree through our workouts!

While we humans could make some sacrifices to survive in low-power mode, other lifeforms on our mission could not do that. I'm talking about the lettuce seedlings that we're attempting to grow in a LettuceGrow hydroponics system at the habitat. To conserve power, we had to turn off its mini greenhouse lighting and water pump systems. Instead, we moved the LettuceGrow "tree" to the window so the plants could get some light, and we had to water the plants manually to keep them alive.

Instead of "70by7", we got to 31% by 7 p.m. today. Clearly, we were not going to last the night with this little power. Kevin and I thus had to go on an emergency Marswalk to our backup generator to turn it on. Engineering Officer Michael Barton assisted us from inside the engineering bay to flip the switch between solar-based energy and the generator. The rest of the crew covered us in plastic bags to save the space suits from being damaged in the storm. They were not made for spacewalks in this kind of weather.

Our efforts were in vain, though. The generator had a malfunctioning battery, so we were not able to start it up. We thus had to message the mission support team on Earth to send us drones from a nearby Martian station for help (aka engineers from the HI-SEAS staff team). While we were waiting for help to come, we made enough soup to last us for two days with our remaining power in case we have a power blackout tomorrow.

Huddled together, sipping on soup, we reminisced about the first lava cave exploration Marswalk we conducted yesterday. It was our first all-female spacewalk. I continued to train Officers Hillary Coe, MaryLiz Bender and Karin Metzgar in geology and volcanology as we hiked to the Caradhras lava tube system. Lava tubes are lava tunnels and caves that form during volcanic eruptions. Hillary and MaryLiz buried a "Lava Library" time capsule in the lava tube. It is an indestructible Arch Mission Foundation disc containing thoughts from modern-day thinkers and our own crew. Written like a Voyager Golden Record for future beings to uncover, we hope this provides a window into what Earthlings were thinking about just before they leapt off the planet permanently for the first time.

Commander Musilova signing off, hoping we'll make it through the night without a power outage but ready to do what it takes to proceed with our mission on Mars.

Follow Michaela Musilova on Twitter @astro_Michaela. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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The Valoria 1 crew is fighting to survive the night Commander's Report: sol 8 - Space.com

Boeing, too, hopes to launch a second attempt on March 29 this year after addressing the software issues that prevented Starliner from reaching its destination the first time.

In 2021, the first Indian will be carried by our own rocket to space. The Chandrayaan-3 demonstrator mission will attempt a lunar landing again after the Vikram lander of the Chandrayaan-2 mission crashed in July 2019. The new mission is slated to launch in March this year and would consist of a lunar rover and a stationary lander approved by the Indian government.

K Sivan, the chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), revealed the estimated cost for Chandrayaan-3 to be Rs 6.15 billion (about $91.2 million), a much lower figure in comparison with Chandrayaan-2, which cost Rs 9.7 billion, as per news reports.

Chandrayaan-1, launched in 2008, was one of the first major missions in the Indian space programme. Comprising an orbiter and a surface penetrator probe, it was one of the first missions to confirm evidence of lunar water. Chandrayaan-3 will touch down in the lunar south poles Aitken basin, a vital component for future sustainable lunar habitation.

The agency has also identified four astronauts for Gaganyaan, the countrys first human space flight set for launch in 2021. In 1984, Rakesh Sharma flew in a Russian module, but this time, the Indian astronauts will fly in an Indian module. Sharma, the first Indian to travel to space, was part of the Soviet Unions Soyuz T-11 expedition, launched in April 1984 as part of the Intercosmos programme.

Clearly, 2021 promises to be an exciting one for space missions, and not just because of Indias space plans. There are other major countries as well planning their space missions in the near future. Russia, for one, has reinvigorated its Luna programme to launch the moon mission in 2021 with nine instruments onboard, according to news and space discovery website Space.com. The country is setting the stage to put cosmonauts on the moon under its Russian lander Luna-25, the first Russian craft to reach the moons surface since it was part of the Soviet Union.

Chinas ambitious Tianwen-1 mission will be the first Mars mission with an orbiter, lander and rover to explore the red planet. Tianwen-1, which blasted into space in July 2020, is now more than 15 million km from earth en route the red planet.

South Korea and Japan are also building lunar landers. South Korea, with its first launch of a lunar orbiter slated for the second half of 2022, has been working on a lunar orbiter programme since 2016, Yonhap news agency reported. The spacecraft is expected to reach the moon by December 2022 and conduct a year-long mission that could even be extended, according to the state-run Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI).

Japans first moon rover called Yaoki will take flight aboard the rookie mission for United Launch Alliances new Vulcan Centaur rocket in 2021. The US Artemis project, which includes the goal of sending the first woman and next man to the moon in 2024, is the most ambitious mission. Subsequent missions will explore more of the moon and test the technologies and procedures needed for human exploration of Mars. In this regard, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is seeking new partners to help the agency tell the story of human exploration of the moon with the Artemis programme in ways that engage, excite and inspire audiences.

Boeing, too, hopes to launch a second attempt on March 29 this year after addressing the software issues that prevented Starliner from reaching its destination the first time.

Washington-based company Blue Origin will send its first orbital rocket aloft in 2021. Named New Glenn after the NASA Mercury astronaut John Glenn, the rocket can send up to 14 tons to geostationary orbit and 50 tons to low earth orbit.

An ambitious new NASA mission called Lucy is expected to launch in November this year to study eight space rocks over nearly a decade. With boosts from earths gravity, it will complete a 12-year journey to eight different asteroidsa Main Belt asteroid and seven Trojan asteroids. The swarms of Trojan asteroids associated with Jupiter are thought to be remnants of the primordial material that formed the outer planets. The Trojans orbit the sun in two loose groups, with one group leading ahead of Jupiter in its path, the other trailing behind. The Jupiter trojans, commonly called Trojan asteroids or simply Trojans, are a large group of asteroids that share the planet Jupiters orbit around the sun. These primitive bodies hold vital clues to deciphering the history of the solar system, and perhaps even the origins of organic material on earth.

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A space odyssey: 2021 promises to be an exciting one for space exploration - The Financial Express

Photo courtesy of Dakota State University

MADISON, S.D., February 2, 2021 I love space, said Gabe Lamb, a Dakota State senior majoring in cyber operations.

The Rapid City, S.D. native said he has always been obsessed with space, watching rocket launches and space exploration videos. When he learned that applications for the United States Space Force (USSF) Cyber Warfare Operations division were being accepted from members of the Air Force ROTC, he knew this was a significant opportunity.

A cadet lieutenant colonel in the DSU/SDSU Air Force ROTC, he applied for one of the seven slots available nationally. When he got the call that he had been chosen, I had no words.

Lamb will graduate in May, and commission as a 2nd Lieutenant. He will do some training this summer before starting with the USSF.

Established on December 20, 2019, the Space Force is the newest branch of the Armed Forces. Its mission is to organize, train, and equip space forces in order to protect U.S. and allied interests in space, and to provide space capabilities to the joint force. The USSF website points out that Space affects almost every part of our daily lives and is fundamental to our economic system.

As an example of that statement, Lamb noted the number of satellites in use around the planet. We depend on them for GPS, weather, internet, he stated. If they go down, they cause major problems on Earth.

By serving in the USSF, I can be part of the solution, and be part of the efforts creating building blocks for this newest branch of the Armed Forces.

He is also excited by the opportunities in the USSF. It promises to be a really exciting decade for space lovers, Lamb said, citing discussions to create a base on the Moon, and travel to Mars. The chance to be a part of that is so awesome, he said. If given the opportunity, I would 100% go to the Moon.

Lamb said coming to DSU as a transfer student was the best decision I ever made.

Austin Slaughter, veteran affairs coordinator at DSU, and a member of the South Dakota Army National Guard, said, Dakota State has always done a great job of molding and training many students into future leaders who will make a big impact.

Not only does this reflect well on DSU, but Slaughter also credits Lamb, saying Gabe has put in the work to learn and become the person he is today. The opportunity with USSF will likely open many doors for him in the career of cyber operations, and even more so with his military career, said Slaughter.

DSU partners with SDSU to offer both Air Force and Army ROTC, Slaughter said, and DSU students are eligible for ROTC scholarships. Cadets take a class each semester specific to their level for the ROTC program; some travel to the SDSU campus is involved for some of the lab portions of those classes.

Link:

DSU student one of 7 Air Force ROTC cadets in the nation chosen for Space Force - KNBN NewsCenter1 - Newscenter1.tv

America and China should cooperate in space. Although the United States can no longer take its extraterrestrial dominance for granted, it remains the leading player, while Chinas space capabilities are growing fast. Most important, both countries, along with the rest of the world, would benefit from a set of clear rules governing the exploration and commercialisation of space.

China made history in 2019 by becoming the first country to land a probe on the far side of the moon. It continues to notch up impressive achievements, most recently its Change-5 mission to retrieve lunar samples. Former US President Donald Trump also took an active interest in space, announcing that America would return astronauts to the moon by 2024 and creating the Space Force as the newest branch of the US military.

The next phase of competition in space will be to establish a mining base on the moon. Lunar mining is important for two reasons. First, ice on the moons surface can be converted into hydrogen and oxygen and used as rocket fuel, which is crucial for deep-space missions.

The second reason is closer to home: the moons surface contains highly valuable rare-earth metals that are used in technologies like mobile phones, batteries and military equipment. China currently produces approximately 90% of the worlds rare-earth metals, giving it significant leverage over other countries, including the US. By sourcing these metals from the moon, countries could reduce their dependence on China.

Historically, mining and any other claims to objects in space were considered to be prohibited by Article II of the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty (OST), which states that outer space [] is not subject to national appropriation by claim of sovereignty, by means of use or occupation, or by any other means.

This agreement resulted from collaboration between the US and the Soviet Union, the two leading space powers at the time. Despite their rivalry, they were able to establish a framework for space exploration that prevented militarisation and, inspiringly, regarded astronauts as envoys of mankind. The hotly contested space race continuedas did the larger Cold Warbut with norms in place to protect the common good.

This regime began to fracture after the adoption of the 1979 UN Moon Agreement, which sought to place private commercial claims to space resources under the purview of an international body. No major spacefaring power ratified the accord, and the legality of private claims in space remained murky. Then, in 2015, the US Congress granted US citizens the right to own any materials they extract in space, opening the door for commercial space exploration.

In October, Trump took matters even further by initiating the Artemis Accordsa set of bilateral agreements between the US and Australia, Canada, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom that set out principles for future civil space exploration. The accords claim to affirm the OST, but actually expand the US interpretation of commercial space law by stating that mining does not inherently constitute national appropriation under Article II of the treaty.

With these accords, the US and the other signatories are bilaterallyand dubiouslyinterpreting an international treaty, and attempting to determine future commercial interests in space without a multilateral agreement. Absent international standards, countries could engage in a race to the bottom in order to gain a competitive advantage. Unregulated commercial activity could cause a host of problems, from orbital pollution that jeopardises spacecraft to biological contamination of scientifically valuable sites.

Moreover, the Artemis Accords deliberately circumvent the UN to avoid having to include China, thus souring international space relations just when cooperation is needed to tackle common challenges. China has historically been excluded from the US-led international order in space. It is not a partner in the International Space Station program, and a US legislative provision has limited NASAs ability to cooperate with it in space since 2011.

If the US managed to coordinate with the Soviet Union on space policy during the Cold War, it can find a way to cooperate with China now. The two countries will likely remain at odds on many issues, including trade, cybersecurity, internet governance, democracy and human rights. But President Joe Bidens administration must also recognise those areas where cooperation is in Americas best interest. Global threats like pandemics and climate change are obvious examples; setting norms for commercial activities in space is another.

As a first step, the new administration should distance itself from Trumps accords and instead pursue a new course within the UN Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space. Biden can restore some of Americas global legitimacy by working to establish a multilateral framework, negotiated with all relevant parties, that protects areas of common interest while granting internationally accepted commercial opportunities.

This will not be an easy task, given that USChina relations are at their lowest point in decades. But the alternative is bleak. Without an international framework that includes all major spacefaring countries, the moon could become the next Wild West. China is unlikely to be a responsible partner in a space order that does not afford it a position. Isolating China could even lead to a territorial clash with the US over prime real estate at the moons south pole, where precious ice reservoirs are thought to be located.

The wonder of space inspired rival powers to work together in the interest of mankind once before. With effective leadership in the US and China, it can happen again.

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The US and China must cooperate in space | The Strategist - The Strategist

Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.

NYSE

Here are the stocks making headlines in after hours trading.

Virgin Galactic Shares of the space exploration company rose 7% in extended trading, building off a 21.5% gain during market hours after Virgin Galactic announced that it could redo a spaceflight test as early as Feb. 13. Fellow space industry company SpaceX also announced Monday that it plans to launch an all-civilian crew into space later this year.

GameStop The video game retailer extended its slide after the bell, falling 9%. The stock lost more than 30% during Monday's market hours after jumping 400% last week.

Cirrus Logic Shares of the semiconductor company fell 6.5% in extended trading despite Cirrus posting better-then-expected results for its fiscal third quarter. Earnings and revenue were both higher than analysts were anticipating, according to Refinitiv, and forward revenue guidance was roughly in line.

NXP Semiconductors The chipmaker's stock slipped more than 2% after hours despite NXP reporting better than expected revenue for the fourth quarter. The company's forward guidance was also higher than expected, according to FactSet.

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Stocks making the biggest moves after hours: Virgin Galactic, GameStop, Cirrus Logic and more - CNBC

Its time to check in with our super-successful asteroid explorer OSIRIS-REx. Its been relatively quiet around our long distance traveling friend lately, so lets recap for a moment.

Launched in September 2016 the spacecraft took a very circuitous approach, taking advantage of gravity assists to reach the mysterious asteroid Bennu. It arrived about two years later and then proceeded to map the asteroid in extreme detail. Bennu proved to have one surprise after another in store. Very little was known about the faraway little alien world, except that it had a very dark surface and was very hard to see with a telescope, and we knew its orbit and size.

All this time we had imagined Bennu as a solid dust-covered rock with a bunch of craters of varying sizes. Maybe a little like the Moon, or like the other asteroids of which we have close-up photos. So the equipment aboard OSIRIS-Rex reflected those expectations. However, Bennu surprised us literally at every turn!

While we anticipated the spinning top shape, which is pretty popular in the asteroid world, everyone was utterly surprised at how rough that little world turned out to be. Instead of dust there were rocks. Rocks of all sizes from pea gravel to giant boulders, and every size in between. In fact, the entire asteroid seemed to be a spinning top-shaped pile of, well, rubble.

One particular science instrument, riding on OSIRIS-REx in duplicate, is a laser. It was designed to shoot beams at Bennus surface and analyze the echoing reflection for mapping purposes, to make it easier to determine where to sample its surface material. However, the incredibly rough surface made this pretty much impossible as the beam would have been reflected every-which-a-way, and so the OSIRIS-REx team had to rely on a lot of image analysis, using a small army of volunteers to narrow down sampling sites where it was safe for the spacecraft to get this close to the asteroid, and where the pebbles were reasonably small so they could be picked up by the touch-and-go sampling device.

You can plan all you want in space exploration there is always a scenario you didnt see coming, and you have to make do with what you have. The good thing is that some awfully smart people are working those missions, and their scientifically creative minds can usually come up with some solution. And so, last October, OSIRIS-REx collected a whole basket full of Bennu goodie-rocks, and they were quickly stowed in the sample-return capsule aboard the spacecraft. The hermetically sealed container will be the only part of the craft actually returning to Earth. And what will happen to OSIRIS-REx?

Well, thats what the mission team is currently debating, and of course the mission needs an official extension, and a budget increase to accommodate the additional time. If that happens, OSIRIS-REx has a chance of going after the infamous asteroid Apophis, after it drops off its precious cargo for landing on Earth. Asteroid Apophis was discovered in 2004 and instantly became a supervillain when preliminary analysis indicated it might crash into Earth in 2029. We now know that Apophis will make a very close approach but will not collide with our fair planet. And because of that OSIRIS-REx has an opportunity to study Apophis, similar to how it was able to explore Bennu. Scientists are particularly excited about learning whether Earths gravity field would actually disturb the surface on Apophis landslides are an easy-to-spot sign of such an interaction.

And of course we want to know as much as we possibly can about this asteroid. Even though its going to miss us this time, its going to be just too close for comfort, and we need to know all we can about it. So lets keep our fingers crossed for that mission extension. It would be a terrible waste otherwise, since OSIRIS-REx is in terrific health, and wed finally get a chance to use those lasers on something and do some awesome science that way.

Mission extensions give us the biggest bang for our buck: the spacecraft is already out there, so no expenses for a rocket, no million chances of things going wrong during a launch, all instruments are tested and working and ready to go it just makes sense. Meanwhile, OSIRIS-REx is going to get ready to leave Bennu in a few months and head back towards Earth, dropping off the sample capsule in 2023 for eagerly waiting researchers. This journey is far from over!

Beate Czogalla is the Professor of Theater Design in the Department of Theatre and Dance at Georgia College & State University. She has had a lifelong interest in space exploration and has been a Solar System Ambassador for the Jet Propulsion Laboratory/ NASA for many years. She can be reached at our_space2@yahoo.com

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OUR SPACE: Looking ahead with OSIRIS-REx | Opinion | unionrecorder.com - The Union-Recorder

[This unedited press release is made available courtesy of Gamasutra and its partnership with notable game PR-related resource Games Press.]

Roam through endless space, manage your space fleet, and fight an alien race for resources in Star Exodus an RTS game coming to PC that has just been announced.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 2nd, Warsaw, Poland.

The reinstatement of national space programs in the twenty-first century and the emergence of competing, privately-owned companies were only the starting point for the cosmic exploration of humanitys dreams. However, it took us several more centuries to reach a point where the visions our ancestors fantasized about in then-popular TV series and games like Battlestar Galactica and Homeworld became our reality. Roaming through endless space and fighting an alien race for resources was no longer something from a science fiction comic book but an everyday challenge for which we were well-prepared. The one thing we werent ready to face was the truth about our own species.

Watch the Star Exodus announcement trailer HERE to prepare for your first space mission.

Add the game to your Steam Wishlist (https://store.steampowered.com/app/1252070/Star_Exodus/) to stay up to date with its development.

ABOUT STAR EXODUS

Star Exodus is a single-player, real-time strategy game defined by exploration and player choice that will allow gamers to wander throughout endless space. Fight for and manage resources while taking care of your crew. Embark on the journey of a lifetime and put your survival skills to the test. Modify your fleet, face an intelligent alien race, and try to find your place in the universe.

STAR EXODUS MAIN FEATURES

Extract valuable resources from across the galaxy. Control and manage them wisely. Remember not to run out of food or fuel, and adjust your ships to your crews needs. Remember that if you lose a ship, all associated resources associated are gone.

Keep your crews morale high. In the end, your team is the most important resource you have, and youre only as strong as your fleet. Think carefully before making every decision and try to be a responsible and conscious leader not to be abandoned due to poor management decisions.

Let your decisions shape the plot. Decide about the lives of not only your enemies but, more importantly, your crew. Be ready for the varied consequences your choices will bring. Remember that no two games will be the same, so try to discover all alternative endings and create your own story.

Be ready for close encounters of the third kind. Space is endless, and so are the possibilities of meeting various alien spaceships during exploration. Usually, their crews will attempt to brutally remove you from their path. It will be your job as captain to decide whether to protect your crew and escape or face the enemy fleet. Use environmental elements to trick your opponents or hide. Send battleships or ambush hostile aliens by lurking behind asteroids to protect your team. Dont be too reckless, as the aliens may be smarter than you think.

Build the strongest space fleet around. Assign utilities to specific ships and customize your fleet as you develop. Choose the right tools to upgrade and modify your ships according to your needs. Meet and recruit friendly ships. See if youve got what it takes to build a powerful, truly unstoppable space fleet.

Decide what to do with the resources at your disposal. You choose to what extent youll take your space exploration. You can even create an entire society within your fleet. One thing is certain you have possibilities no one on earth could ever imagine. The only question is what will you do with them?

Star Exodus is being developed for PC by DreamStorm Studios and will be published by Games Operators.

More information about the game can be found on Steam, the publishers Facebook, and Twitter.

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About Games Operators

Games Operators is a publishing company that invests in, releases, and promotes video games. The company helps develop innovative and unique video games like 911 Operator and Radio Commander by getting involved in projects at various levels of progress from the conceptual phase to nearly-finished products. http://www.gameops.pl/

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About DreamStorm Studio

DreamStorm Studio is a young, determined team of developers based in Gliwice, Poland, and ready to take on any challenge. Their passion guides them in creating unique games, applications, and VR/AR solutions. With over two years of experience, they are always aiming for perfection in their projects. https://dreamstormstudios.com/

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Embark on a space odyssey in Star Exodus a single-player, real-time strategy game sharing the vibes of Battlestar Galactica and Homeworld . -...