Category Archives: Space Travel

In Sir Walter Scotts library at Abbotsford, theres a tiny door in the corner of the mezzanine level that runs around the book-lined room.

Its not open to the public but features a winding staircase that leads to his dressing chamber.

According to our audio guide on the tour, Scott would sometimes use this to avoid unwanted guests. How great, I thought, to be able to scuttle off through an escape hatch.

In a way, The Railway Carriage, which is a brand new property on the books of luxury self-catering providers, Crabtree & Crabtree, is a temporary version of owning that room. We can scoot away from our city responsibilities for one weekend.

This place is just five minutes drive from Abbotsford and is situated on a private estate of over 500 acres, which youre free to explore and includes a couple of lochs and plenty of foot paths. Apparently, there are a few other holiday properties on this land, but none were within sight, so it felt very secluded. However, were near endless Scottish Borders attractions, including top restaurant, The Hoebridge at Gattonside, Thirlestane Castle and Melrose, where we spent ages admiring the autumn apples in Priorwood Garden orchard.

It turned out that there was to be no rustic glamping on our holiday.

Whenever I told people I was staying in a former railway carriage, they asked, Was it tiny?.

Nope. This is much fancier (and bigger) than you might anticipate. Were its first guests ever, so try not to leave any fingerprints on the pristine interior. Its only the heart of the property - the living and kitchen space - thats made from an old Waverley Line train carriage, which had a second life as a shepherds hut. Its been polished up so much that you wouldnt really know, but for the curved and beamed wooden ceiling. This isnt a ScotRail carriage.

As with all the properties on Crabtree & Crabtrees books, it is a stylish space. You will find no dog-eared Danielle Steels or jigsaws with missing pieces. Just lovely coffee table books, dried flowers and textural cushions.

Theyve gone for a decor that they describe as Scandi-minimalist, and its neutral enough not to distract from the floor-to-ceiling windows, with a comfy sofa thats perfectly positioned to take advantage of the soft hillside view and all those long clouds. There seems to be more of them in the Borders - cumulus and stratus - we watched them drift and disperse. One looked like a hare, another was The Luck Dragon from A Never Ending Story.

Beyond the main living area, the space has been extended, so theres a central annex with sheepskin strewn window seats, a small dining table, and a stove. Through pocket doors, this leads to a bedroom with a telly, hanging space and a very smart en-suite, which includes a freestanding bamboo-clad bath. This room also has folding doors and extends onto the wraparound deck, where theres a Kamado oven and seating areas, but also a semi-enclosed rain shower, should you want to brave the cold sprint from carriage to hot water. I do, one morning, and understand the endorphin boost experienced by wild swimmers. Invigorating.

Then, for those with a first class ticket only, theres the piece de resistance of a Norwegian-style wood-burning hot tub.

However, there would be no skinny dipping on our stay, even if theres no other creature around for miles, apart from the roe deer that we watched leap over a fence. We didnt want to traumatize the birds and squirrels, who we could hear rustling in the nearby woodland, with its silver birches and firs.

Good things come to those who wait, and the hot tub takes about four to five hours to fill and heat up. You keep chucking a log into the stove, then check the rubber ducky, which has a thermometer attached, to see how youre getting on.

We ate cheese to kill time, as well as the pear frangipane tart wed procured from cafe, Apples for Jam, in Melrose.

As soon as the water reached 100F, we were straight in there, and there was the scent of wood smoke and the cool breeze on our shoulders.

It seems that escape can be found in a very stationary railway carriage.

Seven nights at The Railway Carriage, Faldonside, available through Crabtree & Crabtree costs from 925. To book call 01573 2267111 or visit http://www.crabtreeandcrabtree.com

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Travel: The Railway Carriage near Melrose offers a peaceful weekend escape, and a wood-fired hot tub - The Scotsman

Photo: Claudio Cruz (Getty Images)

The stories we tell ourselves become the histories we live. What stories are we telling ourselves about women?

Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon founded Stemettes in 2013, a British social enterprise that recruits young women into science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). She was awarded the British honor of a Most Excellent Order of the British Empire after passing A-level computing exams at age 11 and going on to devote herself to supporting women in STEM. She was voted most influential woman in tech in the U.K. in 2020 by Computer Weekly.

In her new book, Shes In Ctrl: How Women Can Take Back Tech, Imafidon explores how women have been cut from the tech story, and how the space of tech should not be considered exclusive or unchangeable. Below is an excerpt from Chapter 5, A Womans Work, about the power of science fiction to sculpt the future of technology. Other chapters of the book focus on gatekeeping within the industry and holding power players accountable.

Ultimately, imagination is about new and unreal things; technology is about making the unreal real. Taking control of technology doesnt always mean creating the new from scratch it can also mean adding something new to what already exists. Ideas can be planted in the imagination from all kinds of sources, but your experiences are a key component of what you imagine your upbringing, your formative experiences and your day-to-day reality combine with your values and priorities. The existing social constructs around being a woman also feed into what goes on in your imagination. The same is true of any gender.

Its also important to consider the effect science fiction has on the imagination. So many of the folks that are super excited to be technologists credit sci-fi, games, and films and TV shows they enjoyed during their formative years with influencing how they see the world and what they think should happen in it next.

Do you remember Knight Rider, the 1980s TV series? Michael Knight would fight crime with his car, KITT. He talked to his vehicle, it would understand what he was saying, and some- times it would talk back. Its quite funny to think the premise was so futuristic, so novel and exciting back then, but these days we talk to inanimate objects all the time. We talk to our phones, and they answer us. We ask a robot to turn off the lights, or tell us the weather forecast. Science fiction becoming science reality is something weve seen time and time again.

Just as someone dreamed up Knight Rider, its possible to dream up all kinds of scenarios that could become a reality. Youre probably already imagining things that could make your life easier, or solve problems. You might also already be dreaming about alternate universes and what 200 years into the future might look like. What do you see? What is life like for the equivalent you in 2222? Take some time to daydream. Dont do any research, just imagine. Maybe a drawing will help. Maybe a poem.

Is it dystopian? Is it like any of the sci-fi movies youve seen? Are there aliens? We make a lot of TV shows like Black Mirror and films such as The Terminator that point to a fearful future and showcase the dark side of science fiction. However, for every Terminator there should be a saviour, an enabler, a creator we just have to imagine them. Read widely and think differently to take in the picture of humanity around you. Ask yourself: What do people need? How can I help them? What problems can we solve?

Some years ago I was excited to be a part of an alternate sci-fi project by the organization/responsible-technology think tank Doteveryone. They asked: How many times have we heard about the female perspective in science fiction a womans experience of being an astronaut or how a woman would find living on Mars? What would it mean if babies could gestate outside a womans body? Or if you had to choose between bearing children and exploring deep space? What if it turns out that womens bodies are more suited to space travel than mens?

So many of the stories of our history are male-centred. What if we had a positive, female-centred view of the future? Why does it need to be the terrifying Handmaids Tale? We should explore more positive outcomes, and use them as motivation for why women should be engaging with tech, and aiming to be in the room.

We are part of the future too, yet so much of the current forecasting doesnt include us. This is in spite of the fact that there are times when only we, as women, with the journeys weve had, can be the ones to suggest an idea, or dare to dream. Its a negative that we can turn into a positive. Much bad tech is the result of a lack of perspective or experience, which limits the imagination of the person creating the tech. Often, whichever of the dreamers secured the most funding at the time becomes the person most likely to turn those dreams into something tangible. We recognize these innovators as mainly men, who can speak to only a narrow interpretation of progress.

Take, for example, Elon Musk. As well as running his own space program, he founded The Boring Company. Imagine being rich enough to realize your dreams, and deciding that boring traffic tunnels into the Earth is a good use of your money? I can think of many more worthwhile and life-enhancing projects!

Science fiction has inspired so much of Musks work that it makes us wonder what our world might look like if hed read different books when he was younger. What if hed read sci-fi about a post-cancer world? Or if hed read more about the legions of people affected by endometriosis? Or even sci-fi based around a cohort of exclusively female astronauts?

Tech should be about serving the needs of the many, not just the few dreamers who have enough money to turn their visions into machines. I appreciate that it can sometimes feel as if there are too many choices to make, so its also important to choose your problem like a billionaire philanthropist trying to decide which good cause their money should go towards. How about the eradication of a terrible disease, like the Gates Foundation aiming to get rid of polio by funding vaccinations worldwide? Or funding the development of a new vaccine, in the way that Dolly Parton did by donating $1 million towards Moderna Covid-19 vaccine research?

You might prefer to fund the school or university that you went to, or the arts, or a museum. Between 2007 and 2017, British millionaires gave nearly 5 billion to higher education (mostly Oxford and Cambridge universities), 1 billion to the arts, but just over 2 million to alleviating poverty. Similarly, in the US, barely one dollar in five donated by philanthropists goes to the poor. No wonder philanthropy doesnt improve inequality.

Maybe youd be inspired to make choices more along the lines of those of Julian Richer, who owns home entertainment chain Richer Sounds. He gave his employees 60 per cent of shares in the company, through a trust,2 and handed them a total of 3.5 million 1,000 each for every year of service. Rather than keeping their wages down and then donating his wealth to help the poor, he decided to pay his employees properly and gave them some control over the company too.

If were talking about power and money, and the role those things play in the tech thats built, it becomes clear that were not very good at choosing the right kind of problems to solve, let alone solving them very well. Lots of projects have been funded that probably shouldnt have. Its an issue that plays out in a big way for tech. However, rather than feel downhearted, as a woman trying to take CTRL, Id argue that its an exciting prospect to consider. The types of problems that you see and want to solve, and the types of choices you want to make in how you solve those problems, can be a great tool for holding yourself accountable, as well as holding others accountable.

This article originally appeared in Shes In Ctrl: How Women Can Take Back Tech by Dr. Anne-Marie Imafidon.

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Want More Women in Tech? Read Better Sci-Fi - Gizmodo

Danny Warlick remembers the stories his uncle would tell him of space inventions and monkey food.

There was a giant right there in Shelby, Warlick said. He was a treasure to our nation.

Daniel Boryta was a chemist who helped invent a lithium hydroxide filter system used in space travel, and there was one story in particular that immortalized him.

One night the phone rang really late, and it was NASA. The astronauts had spilled Tang, Warlick recounted. It had gotten pulled into the air circulator, and they didn't know how it would react. NASA was worried, how is this going to react with the lithium hydroxide? He had to sit down with a pencil and paper, and I remember this fondly, a wooden, old school slide ruler. He did all the mathematical calculations and determined it would be safe.

Daniel Alfred Boryta, 85, died earlier this month. Born in Schenectady, New York, he eventually made his home in Shelby.

At one time, Boryta was a manager of base chemical research at Cypress Foote Mineral Company and while employed by Foote, he helped develop the lithium hydroxide filter life support system used by NASA in their space missions.

Lithium hydroxide is on the space station right now, Warlick said. Not one launch is without lithium hydroxide. If you watched the movie Apollo 13, they make a big deal about it.

In an old newspaper article, it recounts the Tang disaster that occurred during an Apollo moon mission in the late 1960s. According to the article, the Tang was spilled while orbiting the moon and just before the moon landing.

At Borytas funeral, a display table held photos of a smiling Boryta, articles and certificates recognizing his achievements, and the original wooden ruler he used to make his calculations.

Warlick said at the funeral, relatives shared memories of his inventions. He said his uncle figured out a process for finding leaks on pool covers and liners, an invention he developed while working in Chile to extract lithium from the brine underneath salt flats.

Also when they sent the monkeys into space, he worked on the food for the monkeys and his daughters were telling how he had brought home some of the food and gave it to them to try, Warlick said.

A space buff himself, Warlick enjoyed talking space missions with his uncle but never felt inferior.

He was a genius, he said. If you met him, you would ask him how are you? And he would say fantastic. You didn't feel less if you were around him because of his intelligence. You felt taken back by his smile.

Warlick remembers when he was younger and was pouring a Diet Coke into a glass. He stuck his finger in the liquid to keep the fizz down.

He noticed me doing it and said, Do you know why that's happening? I said no, I don't have a clue. The ridges on your finger are like a million bitty surfaces, carbonation needs surface reaction, when you put your finger in, it's the surface reaction. He was tickled to explain that. He loved what he did. He was historically good at it.

Warlick said Boryta will be recognized by the United States Congress.

Audrey Bishop, district director for congresswoman Virginia Foxx, said the communications team is working with Foxx to memorialize Borytas accomplishments.

Boryta, who also enjoyed sailing and camping, is survived by his wife, Pam Brackett Boryta, four daughters, one son and several grandchildren.

Rebecca Sitzes can be reached at rsitzes@gannett.com

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Local man remembered for inventions used in space travel - Shelby Star

In 2020, the billionaire space race was in full swing. Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, and Elon Musk were vying to send everyday astronauts into low orbit for the first time. Each of the billionaires successfully launched at least once, and Bezos and Branson were even passengers aboard their own businesses rocket ships. Comercial space travel was reaching new heights, and the momentum appeared unstoppable, at least for a time.

Since then, the aftereffects of the global coronavirus pandemic have had noticeably dampened our outlook on space travel: many are less interested in hearing about Blue Origins latest design features, and instead are more concerned with domestic events unfolding here on earth. Among these, the war in Ukraine and, as a byproduct, the recent news that Russia has pulled out of the international space station, would seem to further distance us from the final frontier.

However, in recent days, NASAs ambitions to land on the moon once again with its Artemis mission have recaptured the public imagination for space travel. Although NASAs initial SLS rocket test recently failed to launch, a second attempt has now been announced for September 27.

If commercial space travel into Earths orbitor even to the moon and beyonddoes eventually become a possibility there will still be significant challenges for individuals looking to buy their ticket to the final frontier. Here are just a few of the kinds of issues we will be looking at in the decades ahead.

Its easy to get swept up in the fervor for space travel and believe that well all be living the Jetson lifestyle by the end of the decade. But space travel still requires massive amounts of money, planning, and resources. Even the ever-optimistic Elon Musk puts the minimum cost of space travel at $10 million per flight.

In an interview, Musk stated that the cost efficiency of SpaceX is the best in history, and it is designed to be fully reusable. This means that, according to Musks quick math, the cost of SpaceX is around 5-10% of the Saturn V project (the last rocket to send humans to the moon).

Musk also revealed that significant planning and administrative approval are needed to send rocket ships into and beyond low orbit. The Federal Aviation Administration will need to review SpaceXs request for space travel and will account for environmental factors and human interests.

The organization has already caught some flack for causing damage to local ecosystems and displacing residents when SpaceX obtained Boca Chica beach in Texas. As resident Mary McConnaughey explained, Theyre here to stay and they want us to leave. Dealing with disgruntled locals may seem like a trivial matter compared to the boundless cosmos above our heads. But, failing to work collaboratively with the folks here on earth is a genuine hurdle with which all space travelers must contend.

A few years ago, space travel seemed to be a beacon of hope for everyone who wanted to see nations work more on collaborative efforts than divisive ones. However, recent news that Russia has pulled out of the space station projecthas dampened optimism and thrown a wrench in collaborative plans.

Of course, global collaboration for space travel isnt completely necessary. Independent governmental organizations and billionaires may thrust us into the future. However, a lack of international collaboration will likely slow the space race down rather than speed it up as scientists will have to guard space-related secrets rather than work in open transparency.

The International Space Station does look set to wind down post-2024. In the meantime, it continues to prove that collaboration is necessary for the kinds of tests and experiments needed to solve the realities of space travel. Even Russia, which positions itself as a global powerhouse, doesnt have the means to create a space station of its own.

Former ISS commander, Dr. Leroy Chaio, explains, They [Russia] dont have the money to build their own station and will be left with no access to a space station without the ISS. This will further compound collaborative space travel issues, as the European Space Agency has already ended collaboration with the Russian Roskosmos project.

Things could, theoretically, get worse if collaboration turned into a competition. Space travel could be susceptible to cyber war as Nation State Actors exploit vulnerabilities. Governmental agencies and corporations will have to use AI to detect hackers and malicious activities in real-time. AI-led behavior detection may have to prevent bad actors from gaining access to rocketships and ensure that passengers have a safe living and working environment in space.

When we think of space travel, most people imagine floating through hallways, eating dehydrated dinners, and staring into the void for hours on end. All of these activities underline a less-thought-of reality: life in space would be lonely.

Almost all astronauts describe their first journey into space as a life-altering experience. However, that doesnt mean that the folks who live and work beyond the earths surface wont fall foul of burnout. The myth that, in 1972, astronauts at SkyLab went on strike due to ignored requests to lighten their workload has now been proven false. But, the story is an important reminder that burnout is real and can affect us all.

Offering professional social support can prevent loneliness and burnout in space. Social care specialists will be able to help passengers and staff avoid excessive stress and illness by listening to the human issues that folks in space experience. A little pre-planned compassion may go a long way for folks who encounter the enigmatic cosmos for the first time.

Of course, while mental stressors like isolation and confinement might necessitate solutions such as prescribed social time, there are also physical effects that come with living in space and some of them are downright harmful. Space radiation means suits and structures need sufficient shielding to mitigate cancer risks, while prolonged exposure to low-gravity and weightlessness can lead to muscle and bone density deterioration as well as kidney stones. Fortunately, modern technology helps astronauts monitor and solve these issues with relative ease.

Significant hurdles still stand in the way of frequent, accessible space travel. As recent world events have shown, costs associated with spaceflight can quickly become an issue, and international politics may stifle progress. If the general public ever reaches space, theyll need professional social support, and sophisticated software to ensure their travels into the final frontier are managed as safely as possible.

All this taken into consideration, space travel for the rest of us is nonetheless slowly becoming a reality even if that reality is reserved, for now, for billionaire producers of 21st century space technologies, and the similarly wealthy passengers willing to pay the steep prices to tag along. In any case, SpaceX, Blue Origin, and Virgin Galactic have given us hope that many more of us could one day be given an opportunity to take a flight into low orbit, or perhaps even to further distant locales beyond our planet.

Adrian Johansen is a freelance writer whose work focuses on business, tech and marketing. She is especially passionate about issues related to accessibility and sustainability. You can read more of her work at her website.

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To the Moon, and Beyond: The Realities of Commercial Space Travel - The Debrief

With a surface hot enough to melt lead, crushing atmospheric pressure and clouds of sulphuric acid, Venus might not sound like the most enticing destination for human exploration.

But a group of experts are advocating that our other nearest neighbour, rather than Mars, should be the initial target for a crewed mission to another planet.

There are notable downsides. Walking on the surface would be an unsurvivable experience, so astronauts would have to gaze down at the planet from the safety of their spacecraft in a flyby mission.

In its favour, however, Venus is significantly closer, making a return mission doable in a year, compared with a potentially three-year roundtrip to Mars. A flyby would be scientifically valuable and could provide crucial experience of a lengthy deep-space mission as a precursor to visiting Mars, according to a report presented at the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris last week.

Venus gets a bad rap because its got such a difficult surface environment, said Dr Noam Izenberg of the Johns Hopkins University applied physics laboratory and one of the proponents of the Venus flyby.

The current Nasa paradigm is moon-to-Mars. Were trying to make the case for Venus as an additional target on that pathway, he said.

Izenberg said there were practical arguments for incorporating a Venus flyby into the crewed Mars landing that Nasa hopes to achieve by the late 2030s. Although the planet is in the wrong direction, performing a slingshot around Venus known as a gravity assist - could reduce the travel time and the fuel required to get to the red planet. That would make a crewed flyby trip to Venus a natural stepping stone towards Nasas ultimate goal.

Youd be learning about how people work in deep space, without committing yourself to a full Mars mission, he said. And its not just going out into the middle of nowhere it would have a bit of cachet as youd be visiting another planet for the first time.

We need to understand how we can get out of the cradle and move into the universe, he added.

There is also renewed scientific interest in Venus. The discovery of thousands of exoplanets raises the question of how many might be habitable, and scientists want to understand how and why Venus, a planet so similar to our own in size, mass and distance from the sun, ended up with infernal surface conditions.

Izenberg said a Venus flyby doesnt yet have traction in the broader space travel community, although there are advocates within Nasa, including its chief economist, Alexander Macdonald, who led the IAC session.

The pair recently co-authored a report entitled Meeting with the Goddess that makes the case for the hypothetical mission, suggesting that astronauts could deploy tele-operated rovers, drones and balloons to observe Venuss active volcanoes and search for signs of past water and ancient life.

There is every reason to believe that Venus will be an endless wonderland of beguiling and mysterious vistas and formations, the report says.

Not everyone, however, is convinced by the concept. Its really not a nice place to go. Its a hellish environment and the thermal challenges for a human mission would be quite considerable, said Prof Andrew Coates, a space scientist at UCLs Mullard space science laboratory.

He said Venus was rightly a focus of scientific exploration, but that a human flyby really wouldnt add very much.

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Target Venus not Mars for first crewed mission to another planet, experts say - The Guardian

For those who want to combine a breathtaking drive across the rolling hills of Kansasand a visit to one of Sunflowers States much fancied Eight Wonders, a drive down to the Kansas Cosmosphere looks like a trip planned in heaven. Of course, Kansas is not a boring state. There are certain things one can only find in Kansas. Yet the beauty of Kansas isnt that kind that strikes a person at once. Just like people who at first look plain and flat but with time prove to be rare jewels, beautiful souls that appear untouched by human faults and foibles. Thats Kansas.

And no one will know this until he steps a little off the interstate. Its then that Kansas will prove to be more than the majesty of her famous prairies. In this article, we talk about one of the states gems whose setting would make for a dream road trip.

For those who love cruising on roads that open up to views that extend as far as the eye can go, Kansas is just the state. Of course, not the whole state is flat. And were not saying that flat terrains are boring. Theres usually something attractive about the unending nothingness thats so charming and alluring. Driving with the whole world literally stretched down before the eyes, and well into the dim horizon, is quite an experience. That said, the part of Kansas that everyone will agree is flat is the western half. However, when it comes to the eastern portion, the terrain takes a new look. Its a look thats punctuated with rolling hills and gentle slopes.

For those whove done it, driving through the Midwest; and right through Kansas is quite enjoyable. The roads are almost completely deserted. Its the blue clouds, the wind-swept prairies, and the revving of the engine as it coasts along roads that are without sudden bends or perilous curves. With the cars stereo playing a favorite hit, driving was never more delightful. But its Hutchinson, the location of the Kansas Cosmosphere, that seems to be in the middle of nowhere. Of course, Hutchinson is a small cityand one cannot really expect the same vibe as, say, Chicagoor Vegas. But Hutchinson seems to be small and getting smaller. This picture is even more pronounced in light of being the location of such a huge attraction as the Cosmosphere.

Related: Space Tourism Is Becoming A Real Thing, Now Even Captain Kirk Is Going To Space.

Even if there were no other reasons, the fact that the Kansas Cosmosphere has the largest collection of Russian space artifacts outside of Moscowalone makes it a place worth visiting. Heres where visitors will get to learn the fascinating history of the Space Race and the geopolitical intrigues that defined that period. And while one can learn about space history at a dozen other places in the country, Kansas Cosmosphere boasts such an impressive quantity of space artifactsthats unmatched by any facility in the United Statessave only the Smithsonians National Air and Space Museum in Washington DC. Therefore, learning space history while observing such monumental artifacts as the Apollo 13 command module makes the lesson come alive in a way that will not fail to impress.

Visitors to this gem of a museum will learn the history of space travel all the way from the initial faltering startsmarked by rocket experiments during World War Iall through to the launching of Sputnik, the Cold War years, and the advent of the commercial space industry.

Related: Space Travel: What Its Like To Travel To Mars.

Lets start with the number of hours that one needs to spend here. In our opinion, not less than five hours. Thats what will do this place justice. Of course, one can spend two or three hours here as well. In the end, it all boils down to interest. That said, the museum itself recommends four hours.

As weve said, the Kansas Cosmosphere is located in Hutchinson. Hutchinson is about 52 miles from Wichita, the largest city in the Sunflower State. Thats a drive of just under an hour. While the whole facility has something to interest visitors, some of the top attractions here include the planetarium, the Carey Digital Dome Theater, Dr. Godards Lab, and of course, the Hall of Space. Visitors shouldnt also miss the flight simulator, an experience that mimics real travel to space. It takes just about six minutes.

Thats it. A journey to spacethrough a road tripdefinitely looks odd. Yet its not only possible but will also be memorably enjoyable.

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So Much Of Space History Is Located Along This Dream Roadtripper Route - TheTravel

Don't have a rocket, but want to launch some astronauts into space?Sounds Expensive

Don't have a rocket, but want to get some astronauts to the ISS? Don't stress. As long as you've got some serious millions in the bank, you can apparently buy your space explorers two seats onboard an ISS-bound SpaceX Crew Dragon. That's what Saudi Arabia reportedly just did, at least.

Per Reuters, Saudi Arabia inked a deal with private spaceflight company Axiom Space earlier this year to fly two of the country astronauts to the orbital outpost aboard a SpaceX passenger craft. While it's unclear exactly how much they paid, previous Axiom spacecraft seats have sold for around $55 million a pop.

That puts SpaceX in a potentially challenging position, because the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the US,where it's based, has been tense in recent years. The Gulf nation's deep pockets and oil reserves, however, have long helped to smooth over any international controversy while NASA has reportedly yet to approve the Saudi's astronauts for takeoff, sources told Reuters that it's likely to happen.

And given those deep pockets, it's not terribly surprising to see Saudi Arabia, as a nation, engage with this version of ridiculously expensive privatized space travel. And really, this seems like the ideal next step for commercial spaceflight ventures sure, you can rake in some cash by sending the William Shatners and Jeff Bezoses of the world to the edges of the atmosphere, but providing nations with the vehicles and resources they need to throw their hat in the space exploration ring? That's an incredibly lucrative opportunity.

Saudi Arabia isn't the only country that's signed an exploration deal with Axiom. On Monday, the company announced that in late 2023, it'll be launching the first Turkish astronauts.

"This mission is a part of Turkey's ambitious 10-year space road map," Turkish politician Serdar Hseyin Yldrm said in a press release, "which includes missions to the low-Earth orbit and the Moon as well as developing internationally viable satellite systems."

As Reuters points out, these contracts all fit into Turkey's broader plan to launch a private space station, which they hope will be operational in the next few years. And ultimately, these missions are good for NASA, too the agency has been eager to pursue their own goals of working with commercial space operations to develop a "robust low-Earth orbit economy." That's certainly a bet on the commercial future of space travel, but looking at the evidence? Probably a good bet to make.

READ MORE: Exclusive: Saudi Arabia buys pair of SpaceX astronaut seats from Axiom -sources [Reuters]

More on Axiom: Nasa Now Requiring Real Astronaut to Babysit Space Tourists on Way to ISS

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Saudi Arabia Just Bought Two SpaceX Tickets to the International Space Station - Futurism

While Elon Musks SpaceX is attempting to make humans multi-planetary, a number of publicly traded space stocks are forging ahead with plans to deliver massive payloads to space, provide access to high speed internet across the globe, and even create a space tourism industry.

Analysts at Citigroup are predicting that the space industry could reach $1 trillion in revenue by 2040. This comes as the space industry has already grown more than 70% since 2010.

With sky high growth expectations, a flurry of space companies have gone public over the last few years, the majority of them through SPAC listings that allowed them to raise billions of dollars.With huge capital influxes and a rapidly growing market, here are five space stocks to watch in 2023:

1. Aerojet Rocketdyne (NYSE:AJRD)

Aerojet Rocketdyne is an aerospace and defense focused space company that provides propulsion systems and energetics to space, missile defense and tactical systems to customers around the globe.

The companys Camden, Arkansas facilitywas recently expanded to integrate its solid rocket motor manufacturing activities. Aerojet says the investment will improve operational efficiency while increasing production capacity and reducing costs.

The 51,000 square foot facility consolidates multiple manufacturing activities under one roof. The company says the upgrades add advanced equipment, including modern tool-up bays, dedicated propellant casting and oven areas. Aerojet plans to begin production in the new manufacturing facility with a propulsion system program for its PAC-3 missile segment.

Shares of Aerojet Rocketdyne trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbolAJRD.

2. Rocket Lab (NASDAQ:RKLB)

Founded in 2006, Rocket Lab is an end-to-end space launch and system support company that provides launch services, satellite manufacturing, and on-orbit management solutions.

Headquartered in Long Beach, California, the company manufactures small orbital launch vehicles and satellite platforms for customers. Rock Lab has completed30 successful launches of its Electron Rocketand delivered more than 150 satellites to space. Additionally, the companys Photon spacecraft platform was selected to support NASA missions to the Moon and Mars.

The company currently operates two launch pads at a private orbital site in New Zealand. A second launch site located in Virginia is expected to become operational this year.

Shares of Rocket Lab trade on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbolRKLB.

3. Planet Labs (NYSE:PL)

Planet Labs is a leading provider of global satellite imagery and geospatial solutions. Founded by three NASA scientists, the company operates the largest Earth observation fleet of imaging satellites, where it captures over 30 terabytes of data each day.

The company recently released new details of itscommercial hyperspectralconstellation offering, which it says will help customers identify social, environmental and climate risks while also providing methane and CO2 signature data. The company plans to launch its first two Tanager satellites in 2023.

Shares of Planet Labs trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbolPL.

4. Maxar Technologies (NYSE:MAXR)

Maxar Technologies, a provider of comprehensive space solutions and secure geospatial intelligence. The company has beenselected by L3Harris Technologiesto design and produce 14 spacecraft platforms as part of the Space Development Agencys Tranche 1 Tracking Layer satellite program.

Designed, engineered and built in-house, Maxars modular satellite platforms will provide low Earth orbit monitoring as part of the programs goal to create a global warning and tracking system of conventional and advanced missile threats, including hypersonic missiles.

Maxr will also provide related ground, operations and sustainment support to the program. The company plans to manufacture the platforms at its factories in Palo Alto and San Jose, California. Delivery is planned in 2024 and launches are scheduled to begin in 2025.

Shares of Maxar Technologies trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbolMAXR.

5. Virgin Galactic (NYSE:SPCE)

Virgin Galactic is a space travel company. The companys goal is to pioneer human spaceflight and open space up to private individuals and researchers. Virgin Galactic is developing a spaceflight system designed to connect the world and offer customers a transformative experience.

The company recently announced astrategic partnership with Virtuoso, the leading global network specializing in luxury and experiential travel, to make a limited number of seats for Virgin Galactics space flight experience available to Virtuosos global client base.

The companys distinct flight system takes off and lands on a runway, allowing passengers to experience weightlessness and breathtaking views of Earth in comfort.

Virtuosos prominence as the world leader in the luxury experiential travel category makes them the ideal strategic partner to expand our reach in this valuable sector, said Blair Rich, Virgin Galactic President & Chief Business Officer, Commercial and Consumer Operations. We are excited to offer this limited quantity of tickets to Virtuoso clients and to connect with those who are searching for meaningful, deeply transformational travel experiences.

Shares of Virgin Galactic trade on the NYSE under the ticker symbolSPCE.

With the total addressable market of the space industry growing at such a rapid pace, investors are keeping a keen eye on space stocks that will capture controlling market shares. Other space-focused stocks that investors should keep their eyes on include:

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5 Space Stocks Rocketing Humanity Towards The Final Frontier: Rocket Lab, Virgin Galactic, Plus 3 More St - Benzinga

AstroAccess, an organization dedicated to promoting disability inclusion in space exploration, announced its second cohort of Disabled Ambassadors who will fly on AA2, the second AstroAccess parabolic flight with Zero Gravity Corporation. The flight will take place in Houston, TX on December 14, 2022, the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 17 lunar liftoff, the last time humans were on the Moon.

AstroAccess is inspired by the history-defining work of the Apollo Program. The team is excited to have the next flight take place in the city of Houston with the opportunity to contribute to the citys rich history of human spaceflight by reimagining accessible spaceflight design and redefining who can be an astronaut. The AA2 flight will continue the important accessibility research that was conducted on the inaugural AstroAccess flight in October of 2021, as well as work on two additional parabolic flights conducted by MIT and the Aurelia Institute, which flew AstroAccess Ambassadors in May of this year.

The AstroAccess AA2 flight crew is a mix of four returning flyers and twelve new flyers. This combination of new and returning flyers, in addition to the work done by the AstroAccess ground crew and the mentorship of the AA1 Ambassadors, has launched AstroAccess into the next phase of its mission to make space more accessible. For the first time, the flight will have international Ambassadors from four countries and three continents (Australia, Brazil, Germany, and Spain) as part of the programs global expansion. The full list of AA2 flyers can be found at the end of this release and on the AstroAccess.org website.

AstroAccess co-founder and Executive Director Anna Voelker stated, This is a vital next step for advancing not only access to space, but the quality of space science itself, by ensuring that 15% of the worlds population is not excluded. Anna added, We are honored to be working with a phenomenal and passionate team of nearly 100 individuals who are driving this mission forward, and welcome anyone who is interested in contributing to join our growing team.

Returning flyer Mary Cooper, a Stanford masters student in Aeronautics and Astronautics with a lower leg prosthesis, will fly in zero-g for her second time and plans to continue her work as an AstroAccess Ambassador. Mary described her feelings about the experience: This second flight will enable us to build upon the important demonstrations we began in our first flight to show that space can be made accessible with simple changes that improve safety for everyone.

Joining Mary and the other returning flyers on AA2 is a fresh group of new flyers. One of the new Ambassadors is Lindsay Yazzolino. As a blind person and science enthusiast, Lindsay is prepared to fulfill her lifelong dream of experiencing microgravity from a purely nonvisual perspective. Lindsay notes, There currently exists a grand total of zero blind astronauts. Im looking forward to collaboratively developing much-needed design practices for implementing nonvisual accessibility in all aspects of space travel.

The flight research conducted by the AstroAccess Ambassadors would not be possible without the strong support from the AstroAccess ground crew. The ground and flight crew are collaborating to design experiments that will help AstroAccess demonstrate ways to make spaceflight more accessible in the future. Flight Ops Research Lead Corey McClelland puts it best, The work that were doing at AstroAccess is laying the foundation for the future of human spaceflight. To democratize space, were expanding the notion of the right stuff and doing the necessary research for inclusion to enable a wide range of people to fly.

The AstroAccess 2022 flight costs have been generously sponsored through a philanthropic donation from Dylan Taylor, and the organization continues to be supported by ongoing funding from the Whitesides Foundation. AstroAccess is funded entirely by charitable donations, which can be made via the website: https://astroaccess.org/donate/.

To learn more about becoming an AstroAccess sponsor, please contact donate@astroaccess.org.

More details about AstroAccess, including how to join the crew, can be found at https://astroaccess.org/. Information can also be found by following AstroAccess on your favorite social media site.

AstroAccess AA2 Flight Crew

New Flyers

Lindsay Yazzolino (she/her) is a totally blind nonvisual designer with backgrounds in cognitive neuroscience research and public transit accessibility. She graduated from Brown University and spent several years as a cognitive neuroscience researcher investigating how blindness shapes cognitive abilities such as Braille reading, language, and touch and sound perception. Lindsay currently works as a user experience designer at CVS Health and is also a tactile technology specialist, collaborating with scientists, museums, and product developers to create multisensory, hands-on experiences.

Lucas Radaelli (he/him) is blind and was born in Brazil. He works as a senior software engineer at Google in San Francisco, California. Lucas is a tech lead in a team that develops accessibility solutions for people with disabilities. He wants to advance STEM accessibility for blind people so they can pursue careers in engineering and mathematics.

Denna Lambert (she/her) is currently serving as the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility Lead for NASAs Early Stage Innovations & Partnerships (ESIP) portfolio within the Agency Space Technology Mission Directorate located at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. Denna received her Masters in Public Administration from the George Washington University and her bachelors in business administration from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville.

Dr. Carlos Archilla-Cady (he/him) currently works as a Pediatric Anesthesiologist in Orlando, Florida and is a Veteran of the United States Navy. Carlos is a bilateral cornea transplant recipient. He has conducted visual physiology experiments examining the effects of microgravity on eye health and would like to advance research on visual physiologic changes experienced in space travel. After executive education at the Harvard and Wharton Schools of Business, he recently obtained a Global Executive Masters in Business Administration from the IESE Business School.

Victoria Garcia (she/her) works at NASAs Marshall Space Flight Center as a launch vehicle systems engineer. Her work includes several projects that further technology for human space exploration. Victoria was born Deaf and often serves as a guest speaker for students of all ages. She received her Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and her Master of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Sheila Xu (she/her) is currently pursuing dual MPP and MBA degrees at Harvard University and the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Sheila earned her Bachelor of Science in Humanities and Science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She is the first Deaf Asian female pilot and has interned at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Sheila is interested in developing and investing in accessible space technology and advocating for policy changes to open up aerospace and aviation traditionally closed to people with disabilities.

Dr. K Renee Horton (she/her) is a hard of hearing advocate for diversity and inclusion in STEM and the founder of Unapologetically Being, Inc. She is from Baton Rouge, Louisiana and is a graduate of Louisiana State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Renee is also the first African American to receive a Ph.D. in Material Science with a concentration in Physics from the University of Alabama. She currently works as a NASA Airworthiness Deputy on the Electric Powertrain Flight Demonstrator project.

Jose Luis de Augusto (he/him) is an aerospace engineer,commercial pilot, flight instructor, and a wheelchair user. Jose has worked at Airbus as a certification engineer and a flight test engineer. In 2019, he founded Newwings, a pilot school for persons with disabilities. Jose was among the pre-selected candidates for the European Space Agencys Parastronaut Project.

Michi Benthaus (she/her) earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechatronics Engineering and is pursuing a masters degree in Aerospace Engineering with a focus on space and astrophysics at the Technical University of Munich. She is currently doing an internship at the German Aerospace Center (DLR). Michi is a sports enthusiast who loves to play wheelchair tennis and go-karting.

Dwayne Fernandes (he/him) is an Indian-Born Australian and a double amputee. He works as a New South Wales (NSW) Accessible Delivery manager for the state government. Dwayne also co-founded Minds at Play, a national social gaming company that builds essential social and communication skills for players through games like Dungeons and Dragons and Minecraft. He works on engaging and expanding peoples understanding of disability inclusion when it comes to infrastructure, service delivery, and employment.

John D. Kemp (he/him) is a person with a disability and a graduate of Georgetown University and Washburn University School of Law. John co-founded the American Association of People with Disabilities, serves as President & CEO of Lakeshore Foundation and chairs Delta Air Lines Advisory Board on Disability. John has been awarded the Henry B. Betts Award, regarded as Americas highest honor for disability leadership and service, and the Dole Leadership Prize, which includes Nelson Mandela and two former U.S. presidents as past honorees.

Caeley Looney (she/her) is neurodivergent and a Space Mission Analyst at L3Harris Technologies. She graduated from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University with a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering and earned a masters degree in Space Systems Engineering at Johns Hopkins University. Caeley is the founder and CEO of Reinvented Inc., a nonprofit focused on empowering young girls to pursue STEM fields.

Returning Flyers

Dr. Sheri Wells-Jensen (she/her) is an associate professor at Bowling Green State University. She earned her PhD from the State University of New York at Buffalo in linguistics. Sheris research interests are in social aspects of astrobiology, disability studies, and how body shape and sensory input might affect language structure of any extraterrestrial intelligence we may someday find. She is the 2022-2023 Baruch S. Blumberg NASA Library of Congress Chair in Astrobiology, Exploration, and Scientific Innovation. Sheri flew as part of the Blind Crew on AA1.

Eric Ingram (he/him) is the Founder and CEO of SCOUT Inc., a U.S.-based company developing orbital products and services to enable a new era of space safety and transparency. He is also a Board Member at the Space Frontier Foundation. Previous to SCOUT, Eric served as an Aerospace Engineer for the Licensing and Evaluation Division of the FAAs Office of Commercial Space Transportation. Eric flew as part of the Mobility Crew on AA1.

Eric Shear (he/him) is a graduate student at the University of Florida, where he is studying chemical engineering with the goal of working in the space industry on life support and in-situ resource utilization. Eric currently works as a research assistant at the University of North Florida on novel hydrogen production techniques. He previously earned degrees in physics and planetary science at York University in Toronto. Eric flew as part of the Deaf Crew on AA1.

Mary Cooper (she/her) is a student pursuing a Master of Science in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering at Stanford University, where she recently graduated with an undergraduate degree in Aerospace Engineering & Computer Science. Mary is a champion athlete and a below-the-knee amputee. She is also a 2020 Brooke Owens Fellow, 2020 Lime Connect Fellow, and a 2021 Matthew Isakowtiz Fellow. Mary worked at SpaceX on the astronaut training team to help prepare Polaris Dawn, NASA Crew-5 and Crew-6 for spaceflight. Mary flew as part of the Mobility Crew on AA1.

About AstroAccess

AstroAccess is dedicated to advancing disability inclusion in space exploration for the benefit of humankind. The first mission successfully flew 12 individuals with disabilities on October 17, 2021 with the ultimate goal of flying one or more team members to space in the coming years. The project is supported through the Whitesides Foundation and is part of SciAccess, Inc., an international non-profit dedicated to advancing disability inclusion in STEM. The fiscal sponsor of the project is the Spacekind Foundation, a non-profit space advocacy organization.

For general inquiries: info@astroaccess.orgFor press and media Inquires: press@astroaccess.org

About Zero Gravity Corporation

Zero Gravity Corporation is a privately held space entertainment and tourism company whose mission is to make the excitement and adventure of space accessible to the public. The experience offered by Zero-G gives individuals the opportunity to experience true weightlessness without going to space. Zero-Gs attention to detail, excellent service and quality of experience combined with its exciting history has set the foundation for exhilarating adventure-based tourism. You can learn more by visiting the Zero-G website at http://www.gozerog.com.

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AstroAccess announces Ambassadors and flight crew for Next Weightless Flight - Space Ref

NASA has released its list of objectives as a part of its Moon to Mars planning for the future. Heres what the future holds for the space agency.

NASA on Tuesday released its revised Moon to Mars objectives which will serve as a roadmap for future missions. The space agency is beginning with the Artemis I mission which is set to launch at the end of this month after two failed launch attempts. According to the NASA blog, the space agency is calling for inputs from industry, experts, academia, stakeholders and international communities to further improve its objectives for deep space travel.

NASA's Artemis missions will provide a way for the space agency to prepare astronauts for future Mars missions. The Artemis programme is NASA's attempt to go back to the Moon for the first time since the Apollo 17 mission in 1972. NASA has finally prepared 63 revised objectives which cover four broad topics science, transportation & habitation, Lunar & Martian infrastructure and operations.

NASA Deputy Administrator Pam Melroy said in the blog, We need a roadmap with staying power, and through a collaborative process, we've identified a core set of defined objectives to achieve our exploration goals with our partners. These objectives are both practical and aspirational, and we were gratified by the thoughtful contributions of our workforce, industry, and international partners who will join us in shaping our future together.

The preparation for these objectives began in November last year with the help of Agency Cross-Directorate Federated Board. According to NASA, these objectives will help the space agency in working better with the other nations and might even open up opportunities for future collaboration during deep space missions.

Jim Free, NASA's associate administrator for the Exploration Systems Development Mission Directorate said, We're helping to steward humanity's global movement to deep space.

The objectives will help ensure a long-term strategy for solar system exploration can retain constancy of purpose and weather political and funding changes. They help provide clear direction as new technologies, vehicles, and elements are developed in the coming years and are designed to be realistically achievable, he added further.

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From Artemis I to Mars missions; NASAs roadmap for the future - HT Tech