Category Archives: Space Travel

Got an aspiring astronaut or space enthusiast who would give anything to see a real, live rocket blast into space? Get ready to count down and feel the rumble of the engines! Whether youre headed west to California or south to Floridaor somewhere in betweenpack your bags and head to one of these amazing U.S. spaceports to see a rocket launch, up close and personal.

Note: Not all rockets are deemed go for launch. Space flights may be called off even as close to seconds before liftoff. So be flexible, and try to make your plans to allow a few days of a window to see a launch if it is delayed due to weather or mechanical failure.

The It spot for rocket launches, Kennedy Space Center not only has prestigious crewed and unmanned launches every few weeks from its Florida Space Coast complexbut its also one of the worlds best space museums in the country! That means, even if your coveted rocket launch is canceled or delayed (which happens frequently), your space cadets will have a blast learning about aerospace through a ton of hands-on, immersive experiences, including a simulated Space Shuttle launch and scheduled meetups with astronauts.

That said, if youre lucky enough to catch a launch (the launch schedule is listed on the Kennedy Space Center website), the Center offers several exclusive Launch Viewing Packages to get you as close as youre allowed to be when the countdown begins. Packages include admission/transportation to spectator areas as well as live commentary from experts leading up to and during the launch. To reserve your spot, check the Kennedy Space Center website.

Of course, you dont have to be at the Kennedy Center to see the space capsule soaring toward the heavens. If youd rather not pay to see the launchor if seats have already sold out (which they will!)there are many great spots along the coast thatll still give you a great view of the action. Finding a prime spot sometimes takes a little research, as youll want to find a place that offers the best view for whatever rocket youre hoping to see. (As a rule of thumb, find a viewing spot closest to the launch pad the rocket is taking off fromKennedy lists its launch sites on the website.)

For a complete list of viewing spotsincluding a map of Kennedy and Cape Canaveral launch padscheck out Visitspacecoast.com.

Related: Stargazing 101: Your Guide to Mastering Astronomy with Kids

Cape Canaveral Air Force Station is just a few miles from Kennedy Space Center, so launches from both locations can be seen from Kennedys viewing areas. If youve already done Kennedy (or if its sold out) and you want to find your own spot along the seashore to watch the rockets fly, public spots include:

Playalinda Beach (1000 Playalinda Beach Rd., Canaveral National Seashore): This 4-mile stretch of the Canaveral National Seashore offers straight-shot views of Cape Canaveral launches. Note: This location is closed for launches from Complex 39A (its that close!).

Space View Park (17 Orange St., Titusville, FL): This spot is especially good for launches from Complex 39A, with free parking and panoramic views across the water (See what its like with this Youtube video). This location also features various space monuments and the U.S. Space Walk of Fame, which takes visitors through the history of space exploration.

Sand Point Park (10 E Max Brewer Causeway, Titusville, FL): Make it a beach day! This coastal spot offers free parking, restrooms, BBQ grills, and picnic tablesplus a playground and splash pad for the littles.

Jetty Park (400 Jetty Park Rd., Cape Canaveral, FL): This beach offers great views for most launchesespecially from Complex 46and offers umbrella rentals, kayak and paddleboat rentals, and a full-service restaurant.

View a schedule of Cape Canaveral Launches here.

Also known as the Mid-Atlantic Regional Spaceport (MARS), this busy space launch facility on the eastern shore of Virginia hosts large and small rocket launches that can be seen for miles down the coast. For the best views, take your little skywatchers to the Wallops Visitors Center, which offers a free launch viewing area thats one of the only public sites with a clear view of the launch pads. Note: You can only watch a launch from the Visitors Center if the launch happens during its regular hours, Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Large-scale launches, including the liftoff of the Antares rocket that goes to the International Space Station, are super-popular and spots at the Visitors Center fill up quicklyso get there early. (You can watch a Youtube video of an Antares launch here.) Launches of smaller-scale rockets, known as sounding rockets (these contain research tools that take measurements from space) arent as popular, so you can usually get a spot. These rockets apparently take off so fast you might miss them as they dart up into the sky, so keep your eyes open! (Or watch a video of a sounding rocket launch here).

If the Visitors Center is closedor fullviewing locations on the nearby Chincoteague Island include Robert Reed Park on Main Street or Beach Road spanning the area between Chincoteague and Assateague Islands. The Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware Atlantic beaches also provide good viewing locations, though youll only see the rocket streaking through the sky from a distance. Want to make a beach vacation out of it? Book a seaside room at Chincoteague, where reportedly every balcony will give you a view of rockets soaring (if youre lucky enough to catch a launch, of course).

See the Wallops rocket launch schedule here.

If a West Coast launch is more convenient for your space-loving brood, Vandenberg Air Force base is a drivable 2 1/2 hours from LA and 4 1/2 hours from San Francisco and has frequent enough rocket launches that youll likely find one that works for your space-loving tykes. The active base is closed to visitors, but there are plenty of spots around town and on the seashore where you can get a great view of the rockets launching into the skysome of them so close youll feel the vibration of the engines and have to cover your ears to muffle the boom. (Check this super-informative Youtube videoto see what its like to watch a Vandenberg launch).

To find the best spot for whatever launch is happening while youre there, check out this City of Lompoc guide to local viewing spots. In general, youll want to pick a spot thats got the most direct view of the launch pad (there are several launch areas within Vandenberg, but this rocket launch calendar usually lists the specific launch pads for each launch).

Of course, like all flights (space-bound or otherwise!), delays and cancellations are commonso be prepared to entertain your space travelers with, maybe, a trip to nearby Santa Barbara.

Related: 72 Hours in Santa Barbara With Kids

Spaceport America bills itself as the first purpose-built commercial spaceport in the world and its behemoth welcome buildinga flying saucer-esque structure perched in the middle of the desert like a bona fide spaceshiplooks like something straight out of Star Wars. And even though its middle-of-nowhere location doesnt host public viewings of its rocket launches (yet), a visit to this 18,000-square-foot spaceport is a must for any space buff.

Located 45 miles north of Las Cruces and 20 miles southeast of Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, Spaceports main tenant is Virgin Galactic, whose goal (if Sir Richard Branson has his way) is to make cosmic tourism within reach for everyone. Launches arent open to the public (unless youve bought a Virgin Galactic ticket to the stars), but tours of the facility are availableand sound like a dream-come-true for kids (and adults) who want to get an inside look at the elusive location.

Tours include:

There was talk of building a public viewing area at Spaceport for the space-loving sort to gaze skyward, but nothing has been finalized. Until then, the tours are your best bet to get a glimpse of the future of space travel. For more information about Spaceport America, check out Spaceportamerica.com.

If Elon Musk has any say in the matter, Boca Chica, Texas, a desolate swath of land on the southeastern border of Texas and Mexico, will become the next great portal to the stars. The up-and-coming spaceport known as Starbase is Musks grand venture into galactic travel; it being the launch pad for his Starship rocket, a colossal capsule that he hopes will eventually shuttle earthlings to and from Mars. Orbital test flights of the rocket may come as early as this fall, so if youd like to see the monster rocket lifting up, keep an eye on this calendar.

In the meantime, the rocket stands ready on the launch pad, proudly pointed skywardand aspiring space travelers can get up close to (but not inside) the facility to check it out (the nearby road gets you close enough to snap Insta-worthy photos). When the rocket does launch, nearby South Padre Island makes a great stakeout point (with warm waters and sandy beaches, it makes a great vacation spot, too!). Want something even more unique? This quirky Rocket Ranch Airbnb is banking on space tourists, with space-themed rooms and launch viewing spots from its Rio Grande River location just down the road from Starbase.

If you cant make it to southeast Texas, the Starship launch promises to be a big deal, so youll be able to count down with Mission Control by watching the launch online at Space.com. No plans to head to the border? The non-NASA-affiliated website NASASpaceflight.com has live feeds of the spaceport on its Youtube channel If you want to take a peek at whats happening right now.

Want the option to see every major rocket launch that happens, whenever they happen? Theres an app for that! Download Space Launch Now or T-Minus apps to be notified of every rocket launch out there and get live feeds of the rockets as they lift off. Nothing like stepping away from the PTA meeting to watch a space launch!

Even cooler? Put the rocket in your backyard! The Backyard Apollo app uses augmented reality to launch a rocket from wherever you point your camera. Youll be able to plant a rocket in your backyard, school parking lot, or kitchen floorthen walk around and under it to explore what it looks like, up close. The app also includes live audio to narrate the launchas well as on-screen labeling of all the rocket parts as your camera goes over them, so your little Mission Controllers can understand the flight operation in real-time.

*For a calendar listing all upcoming launches throughout the country, head to Space.coms launch calendar or Spacelaunchschedule.com.

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Where to Watch a Rocket Launch - Tinybeans

Are you a lover of all things lunar? Here are three hidden gems from the Destination Moon exhibit you wont want to miss.

Ever wondered how we pictured the Moon before we really knew what it looked like? Look no further than Chesley Bonestells mural Lunar Landscape. Bonestells (1888-1986) paintings provided stunning backgrounds for Hollywood films of the 1930s and '40s, including Citizen Kane. However, he remains best known for his profound influence on a generation of space enthusiasts, whose dreams were fueled by his images, including Lunar Landscape.

Lunar Landscape was originally painted for the Boston Museum of Science. On March 28, 1957six months before Sputnik launchedthe Museum of Science in Boston unveiled the work of art on the lobby wall of the Charles Hayden Planetarium. However, images taken by the first lunar probes shortly after revealed that the surface of the Moon was far less harsh and jagged than Bonestell had imagined.

The Boston Museum of Science officials carefully removed it from the wall in 1970 when it was no longer deemed accurate. They presented the artwork to the National Air and Space Museum six years later, but it wouldnt be until 2022 that the painting was in good enough condition to be put on display.

Lunar Landscape remains a masterful, if outdated, vision from a time when people could only dream of space travel. Learn more about Lunar Landscape.

Upon first glance, visitors might pass over the humble sewing machine in Destination Moonwhich is featured among massive and impressive technology like a Saturn V engine. But this sewing machine has stories to telllike helping put the first people on the Moon!

In 1965, NASA awarded International Latex Company (ILC) in Dover, Delaware, the first Apollo spacesuit contract. ILC, which manufactured gloves, bras, and other support garments, had created its Special Products Division in 1947 to make high-altitude helmets and suits for the U.S. military.

The Singer sewing machine featured in the gallery was among the many that ILC seamstresses used to sew the fabric portions of the Apollo spacesuits. The seamstresses underwent rigorous training and testing. They had to maintain stitch length precision that would challenge the best tailors. They manufactured all the spacesuits worn on the Moon, and without them a lunar landing would ever have been possible. Learn more about the development of spacesuits.

Has a glint of gold caught your eye? You may be headed in the direction of The Lunar Surface Ultraviolet Camera. This isnt your average telescope! It was the first astronomical telescope used on another planet. Astronaut John Young operated the camera on the lunar surface during the Apollo 16 mission.

The telescope in Destination Moon didnt actually fly to the Moon (that one is still on the lunar surface). The object seen on display is the reconstructed engineering model. But thats not all there is to know about this small but mighty piece of technology. The engineering model on display holds the original film cassette brought back from the telescope on the Moon!

Both the telescope on display and the one used during the Apollo 16 mission were built by Astronomer George Carruthers at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC. Carruthers developed an early interest in astronomy and built his first telescope at age 10. After earning an engineering doctorate from the University of Illinois, he joined the Naval Research Laboratory in 1964where he designed and built the first Moon-based observatorythe Lunar Surface Ultraviolet Camera.

In the 1980s, Carruthers created the Science & Engineers Apprentice Program, which brings high school students to work with Naval Research Laboratory scientists. He especially tried to reach out to students of color.Learn more about George Carruthers.

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Calling Lovers of All Things Lunar | National Air and Space Museum - National Air and Space Museum

IN PURSUIT of sending people and objects off-world, Nasa has devised some of the world's finest accidental inventions.

These everyday objects were built for zero gravity activity but serve humanity well on the ground.

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The handheld vacuum, or dust buster, was an accidental invention that came to life during the Apollo missions.

Astronauts needed a small and light motor for operating a hand drill on the Moon.

Black & Decker, the company behind the Moon drill, reconfigured the technology to power the cordless vacuum and other Earthbound appliances.

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Frank Rudy left Nasa after the completion of the Apollo 11 mission to file a patent for a sneaker sole that could be filled with shock absorbent air.

"The basic idea is to inflate the air cushion with something that simulates what's happening in your lungs," Rudy said before his death.

Sneaker History gave Rudy the admirable title of "The Father of Nike Air".

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Astronauts needed to be able to freely use their hands without risk of tangling or unplugging their communication tools.

In the 1960s, wireless headphones were already in limited use by airplane pilots and air traffic controllers.

A Nasa blog explains it only took 11 days to fit the tech into an astronauts' helmet and later innovations cleared the headset for takeoff.

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The soft memory foam mattress was originally invented for a rough landing.

In 1966, scientists at the Ames Research Center developed memory foam as a shock absorber during takeoff and in the event of an impact.

Memory foam never found a seat on the space shuttle but it did spur a new era of mattress manufacturing.

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Nasa doesn't claim to have invented the mouse, but the space agency did provide a grant to the man who did.

Doug Englebart was experimenting with ways to improve human-computer interactivity when Nasa provided the funding for him to explore ideas to make computing more efficient.

Through trial and error, Englebart landed on the computer mouse which he first billed as an "x,y position indicator for a display system" in a patent application.

Englebart never earned any royalties for inventing the computer mouse, according to The Smithsonian.

Nasa's inventions, accidental or intentional, have served not the astronauts but people on Earth looking up at them.

As more of space travel becomes privatized, large companies will hold the intellectual property behind all their inventions and there may be less public reward for breakthroughs.

See more here:

Five Nasa inventions built for space that can be used in everyday life... - The US Sun

Wondering about what bases you might find in the Centennial State? Well, its no surprise that land-locked Colorado doesnt have any installations for the water-based military branches. But what you might not know is that the Colorado is home to a Space Force bases alongside its Air Force and Army installations.Heres an overview of the military bases in Colorado you can expect to find.

The Air Force Academy is located in Colorado Springs and accepted its first class in 1954. However, women couldnt attend until 1976. Air Force cadets go through intense training, just like at other military colleges. Their training includes five weeks of basic cadet training on base. Athletics play an important role at the Academy. The school football and baseball teams, and theres everything from water polo to gymnastics. After graduation, cadets have earned a bachelors degree in science and commission as second lieutenants in the Air Force. During graduation, Thunderbirds fly overhead.

CMAFB is one of the most well-protected military installations. No, really. Its literally located inside a mountain! The DoD definitely wants to make sure whatever is inside stays safe. Very, very safe. Surprisingly, some parts of the installation are open to the public, including a very out of the way and somewhat random petting zoo. All things considered, it might not be the weirdest thing youll ever find on an installation. Either way, if youre wondering whats so secret about the base, heres why the installation is inside the mountain.

Also located in Colorado Springs is Peterson Air Force Base. The installation provides runway support for Colorado Springs Municipal Airport. The installation can trace its history to 1942. Its initial mission was to train pilots for photo recon missions. However, by the end of the war, the mission at Peterson changed. These days, it hosts the 21st Wing, an Air Force Wing thats spread over six counties. The 21st is responsible for space control and missile warnings for the entire country.

Less than 20 kms from Peterson is Schriever Air Force Base. Unlike Peterson, Schriever is relatively young. Construction on the base started in the 1980s but was built without any one mission in mind. Currently the 50th Space WIng calls Schriever home. The 50th is responsible for the careful monitoring of over 170 satellites.

Fort Carson isnt a base, since the Army calls their installations posts. However, it is the Best Hometown in the Army because of its great location. Sometimes its called Mountain Post: because of its location. These days, its home to the 4th Infantry Division. Youll also find the 10th Special Forces Group and others. This installation is often considered one of the premier DoD locations for training Soldiers to win in combat situations. Nearby Colorado Springs and Fountain are excellent places to live and the area provides breathtaking scenery.

The mission at Ft. Carson is to build and maintain combat ready expeditionary forces ready to fight and win in complex environments. Ft. Carson is home to the 4th Infantry Division and the 10th Special Forces Group (Airborne). Youll also find the 71st Ordnance Group. Since 2005, its been home to the Armys 1st Space Brigade. The 1st SBs mission is to provide trained and ready space forces to conduct global space force enhancement.Check out our complete Ft. Carson guide here.

PCD is a storage site in Pueblo, Colorado. Its about 40 miles south of Colorado Springs. The 36-square mile facility is in an arid, out-of-the way section of the state. The storage facility is home base for Americas arsenal of chemical weapons. In fact, its one of nine Army installations tasked with this mission. The facility has more than 900 above-ground earth and concrete igloos for storage purposes. However, its estimated that only about ten percent of the structures contain chemical weapons.

Buckley Space Force Base was an Air Force installation until 2021. But its no stranger to space travel. In fact, its first space mission happened in 1969! Located at the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, Buckley Space Force Base is nestled in a thriving military community that includes service members from all branches and a robust retiree population as well. The 300 sunny days a year mean theres always a reason to get outdoors.

Buckleys host unit is Base Delta 2. Its responsible for day-to-day support to Space Delta 4. Space Delta 4 commands the SFs missile warning forces. Additional units include the Colorado Air National Guards 140th Wing, the Denver Naval Operations Support Center, and the National Reconnaissance Offices Aerospace Data Facility. Buckley is also home to more than 90 tenant units including the Army Aviation Support Facility and the Air Reserve Personnel Center.

How many military bases are in Colorado?

Counting the chemical weapons depot, there are seven installations in Colorado.

How many military bases are in Colorado Springs?

The area around Colorado Springs is home to three military installations.

What is the big Army base in Colorado?

Fort Carson is in Colorado and is considered one of the best Army posts!

Can you be color blind in the military?

Its possible, depending on the job that interests you. Speak with your recruiter for more information.

See more here:

The complete guide to military bases in Colorado - We Are The Mighty

Current as of Dec. 29, 2021

For the latest information on restrictions and requirements related to COVID-19, visit the Air Mobility Command website.

Service members and their families can use Space-Available flights formally known as Military Airlift Command or MAC flights to travel around the country and world at little or no cost. Though sometimes unpredictable, military flights are perfect for families with flexible plans and limited travel budgets. With the right planning and documentation, Space-A travel can be the best way to take a trip with your family.

Learn how to take Space-A flights like a seasoned pro with these seven tips.

These flights are not commercial, but rather military flights with a mission. That means there are certain restrictions to travel, including:

Once you sign up for a Space-A journey, youll be put into a category that determines your priority for a flight. DOD Instruction 4515.13 provides the complete list of eligible passengers by category. For the most recent instruction, search theDOD Directives Divisionwebsite for Air Transportation Eligibility. Categories include:

AMC has atravel pagethat includes the following important information about Space-A travel. You should review this travel page for up-to-date information, including what type of identification is required for you and your family, baggage allowance for checked and hand carried baggage, and prohibited items.

If Space-A travel isnt right for your plans, take advantage ofTSA PreCheckto expedite your time at the airport when flying commercial. Use your Defense Department ID as your known traveler number.

Youll bypass long security lines without removing your shoes or jacket or taking your laptop from your bag. Family members under the age of 12 can pass through expedited screening with you.

Link:

Space-A Travel for Military Families Military OneSource

The eyes of the nation have been on NASAs Artemis I, a shuttle designed largely utilizing 1960s-era technology with the goal to put a human, once-again, on the moon.

The shuttle has had two failed launches following pre-launch issues including a liquid hydrogen leak. The next window available for scientists is now set for late September.

Managing risks has become a major issue for NASA in the wake of incidents like Columbia, Challenger, and Apollo. UNO instructors Dave Pares, from the Department of Geography and Geology, and Kyle Finley, from School of Interdisciplinary Informatics, believe the costs in terms of materials and personnel can largely be avoided by rethinking how we approach space travel by moving from fuel to electromagnetic power.

The current approach used for shuttles, space-based telescopes, the International Space Station, satellites, and launches use chemical propellants, Pares said. Nearly 90 percent of the weight of the rocket is propellant the rest is payload.

Much like the in the same way the world is rethinking its energy consumption due to cost, as well as impact on the environment, Pares and Finley have been exploring options that, until recently, have been only seen as science fiction.

According to Einsteins Theory of General Relativity, matter and energy can bend spacetime, Pares said. If we could induce artificially-generated electromagnetic fields that overlap at certain angles to cause that compression, a craft using that energy could be pushed forward in terrestrial and space environments.

This concept, known as a warp bubble supposes that, much like a conveyer belt physically moves stationary objects forward by carrying them along a path where the space in front of the object vanishes and more space appears behind the object.

By compressing the fabric of space in front of the craft you create a warp bubble around the craft and in the back of the bubble it expands, which allows the bubble to move through spacetime, Pares said.

While warp drives and warp speed have been largely theoretical and depicted in stories out of Star Trek and Star Wars, Pares and Finley have conducted research showing that the concept is measurable, albeit on a small scale, with what they call the VEM (Variable Electro Magnetic Drive). Similarly, late last year, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) scientist accidentally discovered a microscopic, but measurable warp bubble.

With finite natural resources and the massive amounts of it needed to create the proper amount of fuel needed to launch a rocket into space, Pares and Finley said it only makes sense that scientists begin truly investing in experiments that can potentially prove the theoretical to be applicable. Also, in applying Einstein theory, time and space would be able to move faster outside a space-bound craft than inside if it were encased in a warp bubble.

The potential economic gains for a space-faring nation are staggering, Pares said. However, you need efficient means to get from point A to point B. Right now, it takes 10.5 months to get to Mars. A VEM Drive could get us to Mars in 18 days.

Pares said that there is still a big hill to climb in considering alternative energy sources for space travel. Much like other major transformations, change is often resisted because of perceived risks involved; however, he said, existing practices have shown risk as well.

Using technology that creates warp fields is definitely a paradigm shift in our thinking and practice of using chemical or solid fuel-propelled vehicles in space. As more engineers, scientists, and businesses get educated on the benefits and utilizations of warp technology, they will eventually use and advance it for operational use in space.

Science fiction first gave us the idea of traveling to the moon more than a century ago, but it took until 1969 for it to become a reality. Now, more than 50 years since, it seems like only a matter of time before, once again, science fiction becomes science fact.

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UNO Researchers Explore Future of Space Travel | News - University of Nebraska Omaha

Madrid/Marbella - The world space and underwater tourism Summit reiterates its success with the celebration of the third edition of this pioneering event bringing together prestigious institutions and international stakeholders in space and underwater qualifications on 28, 29 and 30 September at Les Roches Marbella.

Last year saw the beginning of a revolution in the history of the cosmos. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, flew his rocket to an altitude of 106 kilometers for ten minutes, ushering in the era of commercial space travel. The search for original and personalized experiences is propelling the future of luxury tourism towards new destinations that cross known borders, reaffirming the entrenchment of premium tourism across the world.

Luxury tourism in Europe is in fact worth between 130,000 and 170,000 million euros a year, 22% of the sector's total income, according to consultancy firm Bain & Company.

Taking place in a hybrid format, with the first day in person and two other virtual days, SUTUS ("Space & Underwater Tourism Universal Summit") has positioned itself as the benchmark forum for the world's main space agencies, last year attracting the American NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese JAXA. They will be joined this year by the International Space University (ISU), the Space Tourism Society (STS) and the Swiss Space Tourism Agency (Swiss Space Tourism).

As far as the business sector is concerned, more than 30 companies will be present to present the progress of their projects. All of these enjoy international recognition and nurture ambitious plans, some of them even already put into practice.

Orbital Assembly, the first hotel with accommodation for tourists in space, Space VIP, is dedicated to space literacy and inspiring the next generation of private astronauts, Axiom Space, which aims to create cities in space, and the Space Tourism Society, focused on commercializing the growing range of space experiences(real spaceflight, movies, games and even virtual worlds), are just a few examples.

A number of women such as Nancy Vermeulen, private astronaut trainer at the Space Training Academy, and retired astronaut commander Susan Kilrain, who will talk about her experience beyond planet Earth, will also be present.

Meanwhile, the still unexplored marine world will be evoked by international speakers such as Fabien Cousteauand his International Ocean Station, which is slated to be operational by 2026; Aaron Olivera, founder and CEO of Earth 300, a global environmental and scientific project created in a futuristic superyacht whose main objective is to combat climate change; and Scott Waters, president of Pisces VI Submarine, who will talk about diving tourism in the Canary Islands.

The creation of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) is the main theme of the Spanish presence at the third edition of this pioneering international summit. lvaro Gimnez Caete, Special Delegate for the Spanish Space Agency, will be responsible for presenting the action plan for the creation of this new organization, whose headquarters a dozen cities including Seville, Tres Cantos (Madrid), Teruel, Len, Puertollano (Ciudad Real) as well as the Canary Islands are vying to host.

In addition, this annual event will welcome renowned speakers such as underwater archaeologist Carlota Prez Reverte, aspiring ESA astronauts Carmen Garca-Roger and Jorge Pla-Garca as well as Spanish companies internationally renowned in the space race. The latter will include Green Moon Project, an undertaking committed to space agriculture as an asset for all humanity; and Zero 2 Infinity, a company that develops high-altitude balloons to provide access to the area around space and the low-Earth orbitusing a capsule and launcher transported by balloons.

Organized by Les Roches Marbella, a leading hotel training school in our country and one of the most important in the world, together with Medina Media Events, the event will host a demonstration area on the Marbella campus where representatives of each company participating will be able to present their tourism-related projects, thus opening up the experience to all those visiting the school's facilities.

Carlos Dez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, says: "We are delighted that we have managed to bring the best agencies and representatives of the most exciting projects in the world to this congress, the most important in the world in the discussion of tourism in the two borders we have over our heads and under our feet".

Virtual attendees and registered companies will be able to follow all sessions via streaming and schedule video meetings with other participants and speakers, as well as visit exclusive online demos. All details, along with the official agenda and registration for the three days are now available through the Medina Media Events platform.

For further information: http://www.sutusummit.com

Sommet Education is the world's leader in hospitality management education. Its global network of prestigious institutions comprises Swiss originated hospitality business schools Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches, together with culinary and pastry arts school cole Ducasse. In April 2021, Sommet Education acquired South African Education leader Invictus Education, adding four new schools to its portfolio: International Hotel School, IHS Gaming dedicated to the gaming industry; SAE Institute specialized in creative media education and Summit focused on B2B training and development. In August 2021, Sommet Education also expanded in India through a majority stake in the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).

These institutions offer 400 undergraduate, graduate and technical training programs to 9,000 students from 100 different nationalities and 10,000 learners. Teaching is offered across four continents on 18 campuses, as well as through state-of-the-art remote learning platforms. Between them, the schools have a network of 60,000 influential alumni in hospitality and beyond.

Sommet Education is the only education group with two in the Top 5 globally-ranked institutions for hospitality education and by employer reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022).

http://www.sommet-education.com

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem.The Ministry sets the Kingdom's tourism sector strategy and is responsible for the development of policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment.

It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry's investment strategy by providing funding for the sector's development.

Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019. Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourism visits by 2030, increasing the sector's contribution to GDP from 3% to 10%.

Anouck WeissChief Communication Officer, Sommet EducationSommet Education

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SUTUS 2022: The first space hotel planned for 2027 and the creation of cities in space are among the projects at the world's largest space and...

At a distance of around 80 million miles from Earth, Earths planetary neighbor Mars has become the latest target for future space missions. While some like Elon Musk hope to terraform the planet and make it suitable for long-term living, others are looking at the prospects of what shorter mission lengths could yield.

The mission is likely to be a year and a half, says Dr. Michael Hecht, the Associate Director at MITs Haystack Observatory and a Project Manager for JPLs Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA). With the challenges presented by exploring the Red Planet, many researchers are trying to find ways to make Mars more habitable, with one of the biggest focuses being to develop a method to produce oxygen there.

In a new paper published in Science Advances, Hecht and other scientists from MIT have announced the development of the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) to create oxygen from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which they say can be done with a device the size of a car battery.

Oxygen is ever present in our atmosphere, and its easy to think it would be easy to either bring along for space travel. However, having enough oxygen to facilitate both air for breathing and fuel calls for tons of Oxgyen, all of which must be loaded and stored. This can quickly add a lot of extra weight to a payload.

Its a lot more than you think, Hecht told The Debriefin an interview.To give you an example, if you were to burn a log that weighs a pound in your fireplace, you would be burning maybe four or five pounds of oxygen. Not surprisingly, the weight of oxygen needed for a rocket to launch is significantly higher.

The rocket, for its five or six minutes of firing, will use more like 27 or 28 tons,Hecht explains. Because of this staggering amount of oxygen needed for successful space travel, many researchers are trying to find ways to minimize this need by producing oxygen right on Mars, using resources that the planet already has.

While Mars atmosphere is very thin, it contains a high percentage of carbon dioxide. Hecht and his colleagues at MIT saw carbon dioxide as a pathway to produce oxygen; taking this idea with them into production, MOXIE was designed to useelectricity to split carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen.

People that think about chemistry, the words carbon dioxide tells you theres carbon and two oxygens in every molecule, Hecht says. So why not take both oxygens? Well, we dont want to make carbon because it gums up the works and makes the instrument stop working. While the current methods employed with MOXIE remove carbon monoxide as a waste product, Hecht hopes in the future that it can be repurposed for fuel production.

MOXIE is currently at work on Mars as part of NASAs Perseverance rover mission, and as its engineering team looks to the future, one of their aims will be to see how MOXIEs capabilities might be useful in a variety of future missions. Hecht believes that the next steps after successfully producing oxygen on the red planet will be to harvest the planets water in the form of ice.

Then you can combine the ability to process carbon dioxide from the air with water, which as you know is dihydrogen oxide, and make more complicated chemicals starting with methane for fuel, Hecht says. But moving on from there to all sorts of useful chemical plants.

Hecht and his colleagues are hopeful that their efforts with MOXIE are just the beginning of a journey that will eventually bring us to the red planet. As for what MOXIE might be capable of producing for prospective Mars colonists of the future, there are a lot of possibilities.

Its hard to envision it, but it could be anything from wax to vodka, Hecht says. I mean, who knows?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is a staff writer at the Debrief and the Science Communicator at JILA (a partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST). Her writing beats include deep tech, the metaverse, and quantum technology. You can find more of her work at her website: https://kennacastleberry.com/

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Could MITs MOXIE Device Be the Future of Oxygen Production on Mars? - The Debrief

For most people, Kathryn D. Sullivan is best known for her years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After all, she was selected as one of the first group of six women astronauts for the U.S. in 1978. She is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions, including the flight where she performed the first extra-vehicular activity (EVA) by an American woman and participated in the mission that launched the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into space.

Beyond her years as an astronaut, Sullivan has also ventured into many other fields of work and study. She is a trained scientist with a Ph.D. in geology. In addition, she has carried out extensive oceanographic research on the floors of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She has also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR) first, as a lieutenant commander and eventually, captain. Her duties with the U.S. Navy included command of a unit of oceanographers and meteorologists based at Naval Air Station Dallas.

Sullivans public service extended beyond NASA and the USNR. In 2011, the Obama administration nominated, and the U.S. Senate confirmed, her as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction and Deputy Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Moreover, starting in early 2013, she served as acting NOAA Administrator. The following year, she was confirmed by the Senate as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and simultaneously, as NOAA Administrator. She remained in these positions until early 2017.

Sullivan also served as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ohios Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Under her leadership, COSI enhanced its impact on science teaching in the classroom, as well as its national reputation as an innovator of hands-on, inquiry-based science learning resources. Moreover, Sullivan was selected for the 2017 Charles A. Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History Fellowship, at the Smithsonian Institutions National Air and Space Museum (NASM). During her time with the museum as a Fellow, she focused her research energies on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Based on this research, Sullivan wrote her book, Handprints on Hubble: An Astronauts Story of Invention, which was released in 2019.

In 2020, she ventured aboard a specially equipped submarine to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first woman to reach the deepest known point of all of Earths oceans. Moreover, she became the first person to travel to both the Challenger Deep and aboard the Space Shuttle, Challenger (and, later, Discovery) into outer space. Also, late that year, Sullivan was named a volunteer member of President-Elect Bidens presidential transition Agency Review team to help facilitate transition efforts connected to the Commerce Department. In 2021, President Biden appointed her to the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. As can be seen from her very busy life and multiple careers, Sullivan is certainly a true renaissance woman.

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Kathryn D. Sullivan: From Outer Space to Under the Sea - National Air and Space Museum

Stratoflight and Expleo will unveil a new sustainable transport project for space travel at the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which takes place in Paris from 18-22 September 2022.Passenger flights by balloon to the stratosphere at an altitude of 35km

Unique ogive-shaped capsule includes extravehicular viewing platform allows passengers to step out into space Green and economical solution uses recycled/recyclable materials, reusable capsule, and no fuel for zero emissions

Stratoflight models on display at the Expleo stand (F3) and CNES stand (F6/G7) of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris

Tying closely to the event theme of Space for @ll, Stratoflight is a new sustainable mode of transport that will allow passengers to reach the stratosphere, 35km above ground level, in a unique capsule complete with an external viewing platform. The French-based company has partnered with Expleo, an engineering, technology and consulting provider with deep expertise in the space industry, for the development of this project.

For its ascent, the spacecraft uses tried-and-tested zero-pressure balloon technology, filled with green hydrogen, like that used for many years by space agencies such as CNES and NASA for scientific flights. To ensure a zero-carbon footprint, hydrogen will be produced locally at the take-off site via renewable energy, including solar and wind.

The vehicle, which measures 8m in length, 4m wide and 3m high, can accommodate up to six people, including two pilots.

Reservations for passengers will open in early 2023, with the first flight scheduled for 2025.

Expleo is designing the flight capsule for Stratoflight, which includes an extra-vehicular viewing platform, or balcony. Passengers wearing a pressurised suit will be able to step out into space to view the Earth from the stratosphere, at an altitude where the planets curvature will be visible and a horizon spanning from Barcelona to Amsterdam is visible, approximately 1239km.

Engineers at Expleos innovation laboratory have had to consider numerous parameters to ensure a safe and immersive experience for passengers in a capsule with large glass areas in its structure, including structural sizing, interior and exterior panels, design of onboard electronics, safety, and aerodynamics.

The cockpit, made of bio-sourced, recycled or recyclable materials, will be able to fly at speeds of up to 140 km/h for the return to land, thanks to its aerodynamic shape with both straight and curved lines. Descent to land is made under a piloted paraglider.

The programme is being developed with several European partners, including Swing for the parachutes and Spartan Space for the pressure suit.

Arnaud Longobardi, airline pilot and co-founder of Stratoflight, commented: Stratoflight provides passengers with multiple exceptional experiences: the ascent to space that feels like a hot-air balloon flight, stepping out on to the viewing balcony, moving into space like an astronaut, and the landing, similar to free flight in a paraglider; all this in a capsule similar to a spacecraft. For me, this mission is not only the realisation of my dreams as a pilot but also a technological innovation respectful of the planet.

Making space accessible to all, while respecting the environment, is at the heart of what we believe in at Expleo. Our teams of space engineers have designed this capsule with this dual objective in mind. And we intend to go further. We are currently investigating the possibility of making the capsule out of new green composite materials based on bamboo, which would further reduce its carbon footprint. We are proud of our work with Stratoflight and of our contribution to this innovation, explains Frdrique Rebout, Head of Space, Expleo.

Stratoflight will also offer, each year, several flights to people involved in the areas of preservation of Earth, science and space, in the world of education, and the charity sector.

Meet the Stratoflight team and see a 1/6 scale reproduction of the capsule at the CNES stand F6/G7 Meet the Expleo team and seethe Stratoflight model in the Aerospace Valley, stand F3 To arrange a meeting or a visit of our stands, please contact Valentine Eman: valentine.eman@expleogroup.com

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Stratoflight And Expleo Join Forces To Take Passengers Into Near Space By Balloon - Space Ref