Category Archives: Space Travel

Hypothetical travel between galaxies

Intergalactic travel is the hypothetical crewed or uncrewed travel between galaxies. Due to the enormous distances between the Milky Way and even its closest neighborstens of thousands to millions of light-yearsany such venture would be far more technologically demanding than even interstellar travel. Intergalactic distances are roughly a hundred-thousandfold (five orders of magnitude) greater than their interstellar counterparts.[a]

The technology required to travel between galaxies is far beyond humanity's present capabilities, and currently only the subject of speculation, hypothesis, and science fiction.

However, theoretically speaking, there is nothing to conclusively indicate that intergalactic travel is impossible. There are several hypothesized methods of carrying out such a journey, and to date several academics have studied intergalactic travel in a serious manner.[1][2][3]

Theorized in 1988,[4] and observed in 2005,[5] hypervelocity stars move faster than the escape velocity of the Milky Way, and are traveling out into intergalactic space.[6] There are several theories for their existence. One of the mechanisms would be that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way ejects stars from the galaxy at a rate of about one every hundred thousand years. Another theorized mechanism might be a supernova explosion in a binary system.[7] Intergalactic travel using these stars would involve entering into an orbit around them and waiting for them to reach another galaxy.[8][9]

Another proposal is to artificially propel a star in the direction of another galaxy.[10][11]

While it takes light approximately 2.54 million years to traverse the gulf of space between Earth and, for instance, the Andromeda Galaxy, it would take a much shorter amount of time from the point of view of a traveler at close to the speed of light due to the effects of time dilation; the time experienced by the traveler depending both on velocity (anything less than the speed of light) and distance traveled (length contraction). Intergalactic travel for humans is therefore possible, in theory, from the point of view of the traveler.[12] For example, a rocket that accelerated at standard acceleration due to gravity toward the Andromeda Galaxy and started to decelerate halfway through the trip would arrive in about 28 years, from the frame of reference of the observer.[13]

The Alcubierre drive is a hypothetical concept that is able to impulse a spacecraft to speeds faster than light (the spaceship itself would not move faster than light, but the space around it would). This could in theory allow practical intergalactic travel. There is no known way to create the space-distorting wave this concept needs to work, but the metrics of the equations comply with relativity and the limit of light speed.[14]

A wormhole is a hypothetical tunnel through space-time that would allow instantaneous intergalactic travel to the most distant galaxies even billions of light years away. Wormholes are allowed by general relativity.[15]

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Intergalactic travel - Wikipedia

We're not too far away from a future where anyone can travel to outer space. In fact, some space tourism companies will allow you to experience that final frontier right nowfor a cost.

With the rapid growth of space tourism, traveling to outer space could soon be as easy as booking a flight to Europe. Experts even say that in just a matter of years, this industry could change the world, much like other NASA inventions, including real-life robots.

When aviation started [in the mid-1900s] it was for governments and those who could afford it, says Jane Poynter, founder and co-CEO of space tourism company Space Perspective. People then could not imagine the myriad ways air travel would be used to positively impact billions of peoples lives. The same can be said for the future of space tourism, according to Poynter.

Curious to learn more about space tourismand maybe even try it for yourself in real life, not just the metaverse? Heres everything you need to know about how space tourism works, the pros and cons of space travel, and what is expected to come for the space tourism industry.

Space travel is defined as any air travel beyond 50 or 60 miles above sea level. But experts disagree over exactly how far space is from the Earth. While many international organizations consider the Krmn linewhich is 60 miles highto be the edge of the Earths atmosphere, the FAA and NASA define everything above 50 miles to be outer space.

When booking space tours, companies offer either orbital or suborbital flights.

There is one universal reason often cited by people who want to go to space. Seeing the iconic thin blue line of our planets atmosphere against the stark blackness of space affects [astronauts] deeply, Poynter says. This quintessential astronaut experience is why most people want to travel to space. Just imagine all the things you can see from space, including capturing incredible pictures of city lights from above.

Astronauts describe it as personally transformational and say that when they return, they are compelled to get more involved in social and environmental causes, Poynter continues. Imagine thousands of people having that experience. It will have a ripple effect across society. Even if you cant make it on a spacecraft right now, you can still check out one of the best virtual space exhibits in the world without getting off your couch.

Russias Soyuz spacecraft has been ferrying private citizens to the ISS since 2001, at a reported cost of $90 million for a seat. Now, thanks to newly emerging U.S. space tourism companies, it will soon be possible to join the exclusive club of those who have traveled to spacethat is, for anyone who can afford the still very steep ticket price.

For those seeking a less expensivealbeit still very priceyoption, other companies offer zero-pressure balloons that will take tourists to an altitude of up to 20 miles, which is high enough to see the curvature of the Earth. Rides on Space Perspectives balloon, called Spaceship Neptune, cost $125,000 per seat. World View charges $50,000 per seat.

These trips will last for six to eight hours and even include dining services, cocktails and music in a sleek lounge. Heads up: You probably wont be able to eat these foods that are banned from space during the ride.

Both companies have flights scheduled to launch in 2024, but neither has been approved by the FAA yet.

If youre not ready to blast through the Earths upper atmosphere, you can still experience space travel with less risk. Companies like Zero G recreate the feeling of zero gravity on specially modified Boeing 727 flights. These experiences are also easier on the wallet, going for around $8,200.

Taking a flight into space will require some training, but the programs are less rigorous than those faced by real astronauts. To prep for Virgin Galactics three-hour trips, for example, tourists will be required to attend a multi-day training program with pilot briefings and spacesuit fittings. Trips on zero-pressure balloons will require a simple informational and safety course.

Among space enthusiasts and experts alike, space tourism opinions are varied.

However, Poynter argues that not all space travel is environmentally harmful. She notes that Space Perspectives Spaceship Neptune is the only zero-emissions, carbon-neutral spacecraft, and Space Perspective is a carbon-neutral company.

When it comes to the future of space tourism, the skys the limitliterally. We are at the very beginning of space travel, Poynter says. We simply cannot imagine now the ways people will use spaceflight to improve life right here on Earth, close to home at first and increasingly farther out into our solar system.

Experts predict that travelers might want to stay and live in space, and many companies have launched plans to build properties and accommodations for space tourists to spend the night. Some of these space hotels will even have offices and research spaces for rent, opening up the possibility of working from space as well.

Whats more, space tourism programs can also encourage further innovation and exploration of our solar system and beyond. Taking more people into space creates opportunities to invent new space technology, conduct groundbreaking research and establish new frontiers in galaxies beyond our own. And thats just the startin fact, scientists have already made these 12 amazing space discoveries in the last decade.

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How Space Tourism Will Change the Future - Reader's Digest

Arguably one of the very best original creations to come out of the Netflix streaming studio, "Love, Death + Robots" has been given the green light for a fourth season.

Each season is a collection of short stories, ranging from eight minutes to 18 minutes, and each episode is a different style of animation with the occasional live action one thrown in. They usually incorporate technology and/or robots in the plot and often take place in a dystopian future. Many episodes focus on themes related to space exploration and spaceflight.

Netflix made the announcement via Twitter, writing that "Volume IV is a GO! (opens in new tab)" This is the best original sci-fi series Netflix has produced since "Lost in Space." Each story is totally different and while some follow a familiar theme, or perhaps feature some ideas seen before, every episode has a totally unique twist. Some are dark and disturbing, while others exhibit a very dark, but hilarious, sense of humor and every installment is creative, well written and beautifully produced. The first season contains 18 episodes, the second just eight and the third has nine, and quite often there are very subtle nods to well known sci-fi franchises, including "The Terminator" and "Aliens." It captures your imagination and never lets go.

Related: Netflix's 'Love, Death + Robots' season 3 stars alien bugs, giant crabs and an ancient evil

In other sci-fi news, creator of HBO's space travel comedy "Avenue 5" Armando Iannucci confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab) that season 2 of the underrated show will soon be coming to HBO writing, "Done! Season 2 of #Avenue5 is complete. Coming to @HBO soon."

The series is set on a luxury space cruiser called the Avenue 5 while it makes an eight-week flight around Saturn. Everything looks "OK-to-go" at first, but when the ship unexpectedly develops technical difficulties, it's up to Capt. Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie) and his crew to calm the upset passengers and find a way to deal with the unfortunate events unfolding on board.

Season 2 of the space-based side-splitter was confirmed all the way back in February 2020, but the show has suffered more than its share of bad luck; first, Variety reported that a major fire (opens in new tab) all but destroyed the studio sets in Watford, England before the last two episodes of the first season were shot. The COVID pandemic caused additional delays.

Even worse, Deadline reports (opens in new tab) that the show will more than likely be ending after this second season writing, "Given the time that has passed, the options on the cast, led by Hugh Laurie, came up, and the actors were released ... Some of them have moved on, signing as series regulars on new shows."

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'Love, Death + Robots' and 'Avenue 5' will return for new seasons - Space.com

In the coming decade, in 2033, NASA and China intend to send astronauts to Mars for the first time in history. This presents numerous challenges, ranging from logistical and technical issues to ensuring that astronauts can deal with waste and have enough food and water for the months-long transit to and from Mars. But of course, theres also the health and safety of the astronauts, who will be spending months traveling through space where theyll be exposed to cosmic radiation and microgravity. There are even concerns that after months of exposure to microgravity, astronauts will have trouble adapting to Martian gravity.

To determine if these fears have merit, a team of space medicine experts from the Australian National University (ANU) developed a mathematical model to predict whether astronauts can safely travel to Mars and perform their duties once they arrive on the Red Planet. This model could be immensely valuable alongside all the other preparations that need to happen before astronauts set foot on Mars. It could also be used to assess the impact of short- and long-duration missions that take astronauts far beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Earth-Moon system in the future.

The paper that describes their mathematical model and conclusions recently appeared in npj Microgravity, a scientific journal published by Nature. The research team was led by Dr. Lex van Loon, a Research Fellow from the ANU College of Health and Medicine (CHM). As he and his colleagues note in their study, the potential hazards for missions bound for Mars are numerous, but the greatest threat is arguably the time the astronauts will spend in microgravity. Combined with damaging radiation from the Sun and cosmic sources, the experience will cause fundamental changes to their bodies.

Based on extensive research conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS), microgravity is known to cause muscle and bone density loss and affect organ function, eyesight, and the cardiopulmonary system the heart and its ability to pump blood through the bodys system of arteries and veins. As Van Loon described in an ANU news release, their research is not only essential because of proposed missions to Mars, but for the burgeoning commercial space sector as well:

We know it takes about six to seven months to travel to Mars and this could cause the structure of your blood vessels or the strength of your heart to change due to the weightlessness experienced as a result of zero gravity space travel. With the rise of commercial space flight agencies like Space X and Blue Origin, theres more room for rich but not necessarily healthy people to go into space, so we want to use mathematical models to predict whether someone is fit to fly to Mars.

Co-author Dr. Emma Tucker, an astrophysicist and emergency medicine registrar, added that prolonged exposure to zero gravity could cause the heart to become lazy because it doesnt have to work as hard to overcome gravity and pump blood throughout the body.

When youre on Earth, gravity is pulling fluid to the bottom half of our body, which is why some people find their legs begin to swell up toward the end of the day. But when you go into space that gravitational pull disappears, which means the fluid shifts to the top half of your body and that triggers a response that fools the body into thinking theres too much fluid. As a result, you start going to the toilet a lot, you start getting rid of extra fluid, you dont feel thirsty and you dont drink as much, which means you become dehydrated in space.

This, says Tucker, is why astronauts returning from the ISS are seen fainting when they set foot on Earth again or need to be transported using wheelchairs. The longer they stay in space, the more likely they will collapse when they return to Earth, and the more difficult the process of readjusting to Earths gravity. In the case of the NASA Twins Study, Mark Kelly spent over a year in orbit and experienced terrible pain, swelling, and other symptoms upon his return (as he described in his book Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery).

When it comes to missions bound for Mars, theres the added complication imposed by the communications delay between Earth and Mars. Depending on the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Mars, these delays can last as long as 20 minutes, which means astronauts must be able to perform their duties without immediate assistance from mission controllers or support crews (which includes medical emergencies). As Van Loon explained:

If an astronaut faints when they first step out of the spacecraft or if theres a medical emergency, theyll be nobody on Mars to help them. This is why we must be absolutely certain the astronaut is fit to fly and can adapt to Mars gravitational field. They must be able to operate effectively and efficiently with minimal support during those crucial first few minutes.

Their model relies on a machine learning algorithm based on astronaut data collected from past Expeditions aboard the ISS and the Apollo missions to simulate the risks associated with traveling to Mars. Testing showed that it could simulate key cardiovascular hemodynamic changes after prolonged spaceflight and under different gravitational and fluid loading conditions. And the results are encouraging, as they indicate that astronauts can function after months spent in microgravity.

While the current model is informed by data derived from middle-aged and well-trained astronauts, the researchers hope to expand its capabilities to include commercial spaceflight data. Ultimately, their goal is to create a model that can simulate the impact of prolonged space travel on relatively unhealthy individuals with pre-existing heart conditions (in other words, untrained civilians). They hope this model will provide a more holistic picture of what would happen if an everyday person were to travel to space.

Further refinements could be made to incorporate age-related health issues, which would make sense given the number of celebrities that have flown to space recently (Wally Funk, William Shatner, Laura Shepard, Richard Branson, etc.). Who knows? Perhaps it will be possible to simulate the effects of long-term exposure to microgravity on children and fetal development. This research is crucial if we ever want to send humans to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations to live someday.

Further Reading: ANU

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How Weak Will Astronauts Feel When They First set Foot on Mars After Months in Space? - Universe Today

As SpaceX and Blue Origin prepare to launch customers into space, Space Perspective, a luxury space travel company, looks to take the slow but steady route via a glass balloon that offers 360-degree views of Earth and space.

Space Perspective unveiled its Spaceship Neptune capsule in late July 2022. The carbon-neutral capsule will boast of a smooth, spherical vessel designed for comfort. The interior will include a bar, reclining seats, large 360-degree windows, WiFi and more.

Space Perspective, a luxury space travel company, looks to take the slow but steady route via a glass balloon that offers 360-degree views of Earth and space. Photo courtesy of Space Perspective.

The capsule is currently in production at NASAs Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

To protect occupants, the capsule will feature reflective coated windows and a central sector similar to an astronauts helmet. This feature will limit solar gain and keep the interior of the lounger comfortable and cool.

Few details about the overall design of the patent-pending capsule are available. Kyle Sword, business development manager at Pilkington NSG, says the glass protecting the occupants will likely feature multilayer laminates. This is because the glass sandwich provides opportunities to add functionality, strengthen the glass and increase safety.

The space shuttle utilized a tempered alumino-silicate glass lite, which is also called a pressure lite. This allowed the shuttle to easily withstand extreme cabin pressure in the vacuum of space. The International Space Station uses low thermal expansion glass for the external window lites. This glass ensures that the station can withstand the cold of space, which can get down to 3 degrees Kelvin (minus 454.27 degrees Fahrenheit).

According to Space Perspective, the capsule went through meticulous testing in collaboration with Siemens, which provided expertise in the precise engineering of the capsules design. Thanks to the companys software, the capsules unique spherical shape was designed to provide the most robust shape for pressure resistance and splashdown within the numerous environments that Spaceship Neptune will travel through during flight.

Space Perspective expects commercial flights to begin in late 2024. Tickets are priced at $125,000 per person and will offer travelers a six-hour round-trip journey. The capsule will ascend at 12 mph powered by renewable hydrogen and return to Earth following a gradual, two-hour descent with a splashdown in the ocean.

The capsule will feature a special splash cone to reduce the force of splashdown for a gentle landing. The cone will also serve as a stabilizing sea anchor once the capsule touches down in the ocean. The crew, passengers and capsule will be picked up by a ship.

Centuries of balloon and parachute operation and development demonstrate that always flying with the balloon from launch through landing, with traditional parachutes as a reserve backup system, is by far the simplest, safest and most robust solution, says Taber MacCallum, founder, co-CEO and chief technology officer (CTO) of Space Perspective.

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Spaceship Neptunes 360-Degree Windows will Give Passengers an Out-of-this-World Journey - USGlass Metal & Glazing

I grew up near Cape Canaveral, so the space program was always a part of my environment as a kid. The first Space Shuttle launch happened when I was still a little kid, and all up through high school I loved the familiar rumbling sensation that accompanied a launch. Its weird that something as amazing as going into space would ever seem mundane enough that we would walk outside during school, watch until the plume had reached the limits of our vision, and then go back inside to resume classes. To some extent, I took the space program for granted because I was surrounded by it, but at the same time its something that still has its hooks in me, and I gravitate toward stories about How We Went to Space.

Todays stack is about space travela lot of it is fiction, but with some fun connections to the real thing.

This is the second book in the Lady Astronaut series, and I really enjoyed this one as well. Some spoilers here if you havent read the first book! The International Aerospace Coalition has managed to establish a moon colony, and is working on its mission to Mars. Elma Yorkthe Lady Astronaut herselfhas been tapped to join the mission, though its a late-stage replacement in part due to political pressures and fundraising, which causes some tension among the rest of crew.

Another source of tension is the rise of Earth Firstersthose who believe that all this money being spent on space exploration is a waste, when there are so many problems that havent been solved on Earth. For some, theres skepticism that the climate predictions are real; for others, theres a recognition that even if a Mars colony is established, noteveryone on Earth is going to be able to go, and they know who will be left out when resources are limited.

On board the Mars craftstwo ships carrying the human crew and one uncrewed cargo shipthings arent always peachy, either. The copilot of one ship is from South African and refused to serve on a ship that included anyone of color, resulting in a sort of separate but equal situation that is severely strained when the ships encounter a string of disasters. I also appreciated getting to know Parker a bit betterhes the captain of Elmas ship and has been a thorn in her side throughout the first book, but we get a peek behind the curtain to see who he is behind his flashy astronaut smile.

Even though this is fiction, a lot of the challenges of space travel feel very real, both the technical feat of getting people into spaceand the political maneuvering required to keep the program funded. Its easy to read this story and see the prejudices and stereotypes as a thing of the past, but the reality is that a lot of the attitudes held by particular characters in this alternate 1960s timeline are still reflected in our culture here and now.

While reading this series, Ive also started watching the Apple TV+ seriesFor All Mankind, another alternate history space race, and Ive really enjoyed that as well. Both this book series and the TV series touch on a lot of similar topics. I think one of the things that strikes me is how improbable the whole thing seems at timesthe sheer number of problems that had to be overcome, the importance of balancing public sentiment with what was best for the program, the boundaries that are pushed and tested, and the danger of it all.

After finishingThe Fated Sky, I decided to pause for a bit before diving into the third book, The Relentless Moon, not because I dont want more, but because I want to make it last a little longer.

I finally got around to watchingLightyear recentlyI was curious about it because Im a huge fan of theToy Story series but hadnt known exactly how this movie fit into the picture. As it turns out, the premise is that this is the movie Andy would have seen as a kid, the one that kicked off the Buzz Lightyear toy line. So its a sci-fi flick, a mix of action and humor, starring the intrepid Space Ranger Buzz Lightyear.

Now, if you havent seen the movie yet, then you may want to skip this section (and the book as well) because it does include spoilers about the plot, though some of the things Ill mention are things you discover within the first half hour of the movie. The film opens with a colony ship, the crew in hibernation, making a side trip to a small planet that turns out to be hostilebut then they get stuck there, without the needed fuel to get off the planet. Buzz takes on the dangerous mission to test the hyperspace fuel mixture in an experimental spacecraft because he feels responsible for their situation.

This art book delves into the look of the film: characters, environments, vehicles, along with the various robots and weapons, and the evolution of the outfits worn by Buzz and the rest of the characters. One of the key concepts driving the plot is that each time Buzz makes his gravity-slingshot trip around the sun, a lot more time passes on the planet than what he experiences, so what we get is a city that grows and evolves very quickly as we see things from Buzzs perspective. The uniforms change, the Star Command logo changes, the spaceships and the spaceport itself change. Other characters age, while Buzz experiences this all within a very short subjective timeframe.

The Pixar team visited the Johnson Space Center in Houston as part of their research, working with NASA to see how space technology worked. Even though the movie is fiction, they tried to make the space travel feel real. (One fun note: Tom Marshburn and Kjell Lindgren are names that also show up in the acknowledgements forThe Fated Skyseems like theyve got a lot of writers seeking their expertise!) Another note later in the book shows that the diagrams and equations Buzz scribbles on his cockpit window were actually based on real equations provided by a retired mechanical engineer.

There were a few fun facts that I enjoyed learning. For instance, director Angus MacLane often made ship or robot models out of LEGO bricks, some of which are shown in the book, as a starting point for a design concept. Another is that MacLane is from Portland, Oregon, so the growing city was originally patterned after Portland, with a river running alongside a growing downtown area. (That also explains why several of the characterslike Hawthorne and Burnsideare named after Portlands bridges.)

While the book does include some trivia in some of the captions, the bulk of it (after a foreword by Andrew Stanton and an introduction by Angus MacLane) is the art itself, often provided without any commentary. Sometimes it doesnt even include a characters name on the page with their designs, which feels like a strange omission. I personally like having a bit more of the stories behind things: why does Commander Burnside have a robotic arm in this illustration? Whats the deal with these various robots that were never seen in the movie? But if you like concept art, especially futuristic vehicles and spacesuits, this is a fun book to flip through.

As I said before, I grew up watching Space Shuttle launcheseven if we didnt go out to the launch site to see it close-up, I lived close enough that we could step outside into the yard and watch it once it got above the treeline. Id been to Kennedy Space Center enough times to know a lot of trivia about the shuttle, and in particular Ive read a lot over the years about theChallenger disaster and what caused it. Even so, its still amazing to me to delve into the story of how the shuttle came to be and the technological hurdles that engineers had to leap to make it all possible.

This book (published last year) celebrates the Space Shuttle program, which ran for 30 years from 1981 to 2011. It collects a lot of photographs, paired with essays by NASA Chief Historian Roger D. Launius, to paint a portrait of this spaceship that was used for 135 missions and served for a long time as the symbol of American spaceflight. It was not without its setbacks and failures; Launius includes those in his history but ultimately chooses to focus more on the triumphs.

This book lined up well with my current read of the Lady Astronaut series and watchingFor All Mankind, just to serve as another reminder that much of whats happening in those fictional stories is inspired by the real history of the space program.

Tim Peake is a an astronaut from the European Space Agency, and spent over 26 weeks in space in total. He began taking photos of Earth from the International Space Station, documenting both natural landscapes and human-made constructions. This book is a collection of his photos, each paired with a map showing where the ISS was at the time the photo was taken. This book focuses a bit less on the space station itselfin most instances the photo does not include the station or any spacecraft, and is instead focused entirely on Earth as its subject. Its definitely a perspective of the Earth that we dont often get, whether its the northern lights seen from space or a giant bloom of swirling plankton in the ocean

This book is a bit of an oddityIve seen lots of art of books for movies, but this is the first time Ive seen a book like this for a theme park. Of course, its not justany theme parkits a Star Warsthemed park, and the reason theres an art book for it is in part because the park itself was designed to have a story. Unlike most other theme parks, where youll enter the fictional world for the duration of the ride and then exit back into whats obviously Disney World or Universal Studios, Galaxys Edge was conceived as an in-universe location, one in which everything from the rides to the shops to the restaurants was supposed to look like something that could exist within the Star Wars universe. Thats a big challenge, of course, making something that fits Earth-bound building codes while attempting to make you feel like youre at a small outpost on a distant planet.

Because of this, designing this theme park had to take into account things like how it fit into the Star Wars timeline, which characters could potentially be present, and so on. The book includes a lot of concept drawings and sketches, explaining how the Black Spire Outpost came to be and the sorts of characters who populate it. One thing that stands out in some of the concept art is that, in addition to characters who look like theyd belong in a movie, there are often Earth tourists as well, just incorporated in the scenes to show what it may look like once the park opens.

I particularly liked the ways that the shops and restaurantsand, yes, I know, its all there to make money for the Disney Star Wars empireare designed to look like something from that part of the universe. The idea of having a gift shop that doesnot have a bunch of Star Wars or Disney branding on everything seems like a cool change from the usual theme park stores. And even the fact that all of the Coca-Cola products had new, Aurebesh-language logos, is a fun touch.

There are descriptions of the rides and attractions, and some of the challenges in building them. For instance, its one thing to build the Millennium Falcon for a movie where it will only be seen from certain angles and wont be touchedbut if you want people to be able to walk through it and see it up close, then it cant be just plywood and foam anymore.

The book doesnt include photos of the completed park for comparison, so if youlike mehavent yet been to the park, its hard to know exactly which ideas actually made it through to the finished product, but its a lot of fun to see some of the wild concepts that were tossed around. A grill made from a podracer engine, a giant aquatic bartender, a big furry creature that would wander around the park and interact with guests maybe these will make it into a future theme park. At any rate, the book definitely made me want to go visit the park someday!

My current readalso space-relatedis the upcomingStation Eternity by Mur Lafferty, about a woman who has a natural knack for solving murder mysteries, which is an unfortunate necessity because murders seem to take place wherever she finds herself. Now shes onEternity, a sentient alien space station, where she hoped to avoid being tangled up in murders by, well, avoiding humans altogether. But now theres a shuttle full of humans on its way and shes got a bad feeling about it Its a fun ride so far and Im curious to see where it goes! Not as much actual space travel and space tech so far as Id hoped, though.

Disclosure: I received review copies of the books in this column. Affiliate links to Bookshop.org help support my writing and independent bookstores!

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Stack Overflow: To Infinity and Beyond - GeekDad

SHAUN the Sheep, the claymation kids' tv favorite, has secured a seat on a space mission headed for the Moon.

The Artemis 1 mission will debut new launch, communications, and landing technologies for future manned space travel to the Moon and beyond.

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The first major mission of the Artemis playbook will be unmanned, leaving the mischievous sheep to his own devices while in space for up to 42 days.

This is an exciting time for Shaun and for us at ESA," European Space Agency Director for Human and Robotic Exploration David Parker said in a press release.

"Were woolly very happy that hes been selected for the mission and we understand that, although it might be a small step for a human, its a giant leap for lambkind."

A plush doll of Shaun will go off-world in the Nasa Orion spacecraft before doing a flyby of the Moon in the ESA-manufactured European Service Module.

Aardman is excited to be joining ESA in making history by launching the first sheep into space," Marketing Director for Aardman Lucy Wendover said.

Aardman is the studio behind Shaun the Sheep and claymation hit Wallace and Gromit.

"2022 marks the 15th anniversary of Shauns first TV series, so what better way to celebrate than by traveling farther than any sheep has gone before.

The ESA published a set of blogs detailing the nuances of astronaut training featuring Shaun as the series mascot.

In a blog on survival training, Shaun demonstrated some of the situations astronauts are prepared for, like the event the return module crash lands in the ocean or woodlands.

"Astronauts are also introduced to the skills of climbing, descending high cliffs safely, crossing rivers and navigating in the wilderness using only nature and the stars to guide them, something very close to home for Shaun the Sheep!" the blog explained.

In another training exercise, Shaun was strapped to a centrifuge and spun so rapidly that the stress of eight times the gravity on Earth was exerted on the plush doll.

Space.com reported that the four LEGO minifigures and a Snoopy doll will be on board.

The Artemis 1 flight will launch on August 29 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Viewers can tune in to watch Shaun blast off on a free YouTube livestream provided by the Kennedy Space Center.

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Artemis 1 facts: Why is Shaun the Sheep going on Nasas Moon rocket mission?... - The US Sun

The interest in ethical consumption and corporate social responsibility has been gaining traction over the past several decades and companies wishing to cater to altruistic customers have been leveraging third-party certifications for proving their piety.

Social labeling has resulted in the establishment of a diversity of supervisory bodies which have inherently assumed new forms of power and their proliferation and influence are truly impressive. Certification marks associated with ethical sourcing and sustainable initiatives have become common features on the packaging of all types of products, and one of the most recognizable logos comes from the B Lab.

The B Lab is a nonprofit initiative that was established in 2006 as a means for challenging existing marketplace norms. The B Lab asserts that the economic model is broken and greater emphasis must be placed on people and the planet rather than profits.

Sir Richard Branson, a leading figure of the B Team, has called upon businesses to serve a higher calling and be a force for good, essentially discrediting the good derived from an exchange in and of itself.

Essentially, any product that improves human well-being, whether physically or emotionally, is of value and should be regarded as a social good. Take for example how several grocery stores are now selling pre-peeled eggs or pre-sliced fruits, which may seem unnecessary to some but a Godsend to those with a disability associated with fine motor skills.

What is good, and what has a positive impact, is based on the individual and the interaction. And Branson should be aware of this fact given that space travel is also viewed as unnecessary by someyet he is able to charge $450,000 a ticket for a once-in-a-lifetime experience on a Virgin Galactic flight.

Given that such flights are a fleeting use of private funds, have an environmental impact, and the social purpose of space travel has been a hot topic, Bransons own business venture seems contradictory to his B Team connection.

One could argue that space flights should be substituted for more pressing social matters, particularly since the B Lab asserts that our planet is in jeopardy and business has played a problematic role in our overall well being.

There will always be trade-offs in any market-based society, and there will always be varying levels of inequality. But, given that a market is made up of individuals engaged in an exchange process, decentralized human action will always serve as a better determinant for furthering societal progress than a centralized plan and external dictates.

Indeed, without experimentation and education, little advancement can occur. For instance, many criticized the cost of Elon Musks SpaceX launch, but his personal mission is now saving NASA $500 million having succeeded in the creation of reusable rockets.

Nevertheless, the B Lab is not shy about being openly in opposition to traditionally publicly traded firms and the pursuit of profits based on a passion. According to the B Lab, the focus for firms should be on sustainability and societyand the B Team isnt solely promoting its moral mantra to business professionals but also policymakers. In 2010, legislation was passed in Maryland to recognize Benefit Corporations and such recognition has since grown to more than half of all US states.

Moreover, the B Lab is not just focused on the US market. Iit has offices in Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, along with a partnership with Sistema B in Latin America.

The B Lab movement has been able to institute stakeholder governance statutes in 51 jurisdictions across the globe, including Italy, Colombia, France, Peru, Rwanda, Uruguay, Ecuador, British Columbia, and Canada, as well as 44 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, and the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.). And, as declared by the B Lab: By working with other movements, coalitions, policymakers, activists, and organizations, and by catalyzing our stakeholders Certified B Corporations, benefit corporations, and businesses adopting B Labs standards we can achieve our vision.

Notice, however, that the focus is on B Labs vision, not the vision of an entrepreneur, and the emphasis is on adopting B Labs standards, which firms must be assessed on, abide by, and pay for.

To obtain a B Corp seal of approval, and use the B Lab logo, companies must undergo a B Impact Assessment, for a fee of course, and there are 5,000 certified firms. Major players within the B Corp market tend to be high-end sustainable apparel or health and beauty products and one of the most recognized B Corps heralded for its purpose-based dedication is Patagonia. Patagonia is so engrained in this movement that it has even created its own corporate venture fund, Tin Shed Ventures, to promote responsible business ideas.

More and more organizations are championing the stakeholder mindset and recently the Imperative 21 Network was launched to promote business as a social actor, not as a goods producer. Imperative 21 is a business-led network driving economic systems change and represents more than 70,000 businesses, 20 million employees, $6.6 trillion in revenue, and $15 trillion in assets under management.

The prominent players within this network include: The B Lab and B Team, Chief Executives for Corporate Purpose (CECP), Common Future, Conscious Capitalism, The Global Impact Investing Network (GIIN), JUST Capital, and Participant.

What is rather ironic though about Imperative 21 is that despite the common purpose for business to have a social impact, each organization involved has varying means for financing their cause as well as methods for assessment. For instance, B Corps are assessed according to roughly 200 questions, while those connected to John Mackeys Conscious Capitalism must abide by four principles; and for those affiliated with GIIN, ESG metrics are predominantly, and unsurprisingly, adhered to.

The influence of the supposed impact industry is growing given the interest from consumers to support businesses that do good and the pressure from policymakers for firms to improve their ESG ratings, which B Lab assists with.

The B Lab movement and Imperative 21, however, is a worrisome matter as firms should stick to competing according to the value they offer, not the virtue these organizations may espouse.

What is right or wrong tends to be subjective, situationally dependent, and even debatable. For instance, several firms have responded to the Supreme Courts overturning of Roe vs. Wade by offering assistance to those impacted by the new ruling, which is praised by some and has received backlash from others.

Even when it comes to the environment, there is much to debate about what is good for the earth and what is safe for society. Should limits be placed on farming given that it is a primary driver of deforestation? Should wind turbines be reconsidered given the difficulty in recycling the massive blades? Should solar panels be shunned due to contributing to the heat island effect which, according to the EPA, leads to an increase in air pollutants and greenhouse gas emissions?

Because needs change, interests change, and our understanding of how the world works changes, it is best to allow for maximum creativity and flexibility so firms can pivot when needed as well as focus on their core competencies for the markets they serve.

As consumers, we should support firms that provide value and not buy into the social labeling schemes; as investors, we should direct our dollars toward ventures that will ensure a positive return and defend shareholder primacy over ESG ratings. And, as it turns out, the market for anti-ESG investing is actually quite strong, as American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy is discovering.

As for businesses, do what you do best and focus on value creation with a long-term capitalist mindsettreat your employees well, cater to your customers, manage your operations efficiently, reinvest strategically, and aim to make moneyand you will have a positive impact.

Success has a spillover effect and businesses should be praised, not denounced, for their role in society as simply being a business and nothing more.

Continue reading here:

How Richard Branson's Space Flights Reveal the Inherent Problem With 'Business Impact Initiatives' | Kimberlee Josephson - Foundation for Economic...

Scientists were able to determine what space sounds like. (NASA Exoplanets via Twitter)

Estimated read time: 1-2 minutes

A BLACK HOLE It's 2022. Billionaire tourists are flying to space every few months. NASA is getting ready to launch a rocket to the moon. And the new James Webb Space Telescope is sending back mind-blowing images of far away space items.

But maybe space is just a little too scary.

Recently, NASA took previously inaudible sound wave data from the black hole in the Perseus galaxy and raised it up a few octaves (57 and 58 octaves to be exact) to show us what space sounds like.

The misconception that there is no sound in space originates because most space is a ~vacuum, providing no way for sound waves to travel. A galaxy cluster has so much gas that we've picked up actual sound. Here it's amplified, and mixed with other data, to hear a black hole! pic.twitter.com/RobcZs7F9e

It's hard to decide which alternative is better: the spooky, haunting ghost sounds, or eerie, empty space silence. Luckily, I don't think we'll have to decide since it's more likely we would experience silent space, if any of us nonbillionaires get to go to space, at all.

NASA does clarify in an article on its website that most of space is still a vacuum where no sound waves can travel, but some areas, like galaxy clusters, have enough gases to allow sound waves to travel. So if the sounds of this black hole (which, again, humans typically cannot hear due to the sounds actually being 144 quadrillion and 288 quadrillion times lower than the "remix" NASA released), you'll probably be OK going to space and just hearing the ominous silence of the space vacuum!

Lisi Merkley is a news producer for KSL.com. Prior to joining KSL in May 2021, she was editor in chief of The Daily Universe at Brigham Young University, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in communications and Spanish.

Excerpt from:

Have You Seen This? Space might be spookier with sound than without - KSL.com

George Lordos is not your typical graduate student. A degree in economics from Oxford University, an MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management, and a 20-year professional career were not the end of his learning journey. His longtime passion for space, particularly the prospect of making a sustainable society on Mars a reality, drew him back to school yet again, this time to study aeronautics and astronautics at MIT.

Lordos remembers vividly the impetus for this change in his professional trajectory. In 2014, SpaceX started demonstrating reusable rockets. I realized that [developing] rockets that can go to space and come back was like inventing sailing ships that can cross oceans, or trains that can cross continents, for the first time, he says. As human space travel was becoming more feasible, Lordos adds, I was watching all this from the sidelines, and I did not want to be on the sidelines. Now, hes squarely on the front lines, developing technologies to support human life on the Red Planet.

A longtime fascination with space

A native of Cyprus, Lordos has been interested in space, particularly the idea of living on Mars, ever since high school. As president of his high schools astronomy club, he arranged a trip to see Halleys Comet, drawing over 100 students. However, the trip did not go as planned; cloudy conditions precluded any hope of viewing the comet. His classmates didnt seem to mind. Everyone was much more interested in each other than looking for the comet. I think I was one of the few that was more interested in the comet, he recalls. Fortunately, during a camping trip a few days later the night sky cooperated, and there it was in all of its glory.

After considering studies in either engineering or economics, Lordos attended Christ Church College at Oxford University, earning a degree in philosophy, politics, and economics. He appreciates the perspective he gained from his degree. One of the biggest gifts in my life was that I, a computing nerd, had the opportunity to learn how to think about important challenges facing our world, he says.

Lordos worked for a travel business for several years digitizing its operations before going back to school to get his MBA at MIT Sloan. After graduating, he worked for Bain and Company for a couple years and then spent the next 13 years as a serial entrepreneur and self-taught engineer in information technology and energy-efficiency consulting.

All the while, his interest in space never waned. Before his first semester at MIT Sloan, he flew to Denver to attend the founding convention of the Mars Society, a group of engineers and scientists pushing for humankind to go to Mars. I left the convention convinced that someday, humanity would establish a sustainable civilization on Mars, he recalls. The only question in my mind was whether that would actually happen in my lifetime.

In 2015, inspired by SpaceXs reusable rockets, Lordos began seriously considering going back to school for a PhD. Even though he had missed the application deadline for MITs Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, one of his Sloan economics professors encouraged him to apply to the System Design and Management (SDM) program, targeted for midcareer professionals. This program gave me the formal training I needed to fill the gaps, as I was a self-taught engineer for 15 years, he says.

Building a city on the Red Planet

During his first year in SDM, Lordos applied and was accepted to the AeroAstro program, where he has focused on finding ways to support human life on Mars. Given how far away it is, he explains, the only way to live there requires substantial self-sufficiency. In his research, which is largely modeling-based, he has drawn on his background in economics and technology to develop a quantifiable, cost-benefit analysis method that measures effort, cost, and value, which he terms lifetime embodied energy.

Through evolution, biology constantly seeks to optimize the use of energy, he explains. Accordingly, lifetime embodied energy is a metric of the past and future energy that must be expended to obtain value out of any system. This metric helps the system architect to make better-informed trade-off decisions, especially for infrastructure, and to leave more energy available to power sustainable growth over the long term.

Beyond his doctoral research, Lordos also loves prototyping, which he pursues through various NASA competitions, including the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts (RASC-AL) and the Breakthrough, Innovative and Game-Changing (BIG) Idea Challenge. Over the last five years, teams he has led or mentored earned 11 NASA awards for their designs, including prototypes of a tall, lightweight lunar tower and an ice mining system for efficient water retrieval on Mars.

To support his teams, Lordos founded MITs Space Resources Workshop, where he serves as lab supervisor with support and advice from Jeffrey Hoffman, a professor of the practice and former astronaut, and Olivier de Weck, the Apollo Program Professor and a professor of astronautics and engineering systems. The workshop is currently home to three teams with over 40 members, including 10 Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) students.

In June, a team Lordos mentored won first place overall at NASA RASC-AL for designing vehicles which can reliably produce, store, and distribute rocket propellant on Mars. For the next BIG Idea Challenge in November, he is leading a finalist team building a field-reconfigurable robot to traverse extreme lunar terrain, named WORMS (short for Walking Oligomeric Robotic Mobility System).

In addition to the NASA competitions, Lordos and his colleagues have won other notable awards, including from the Mars Society and the AeroAstro department. For example, his team won first place for Star City, their vision for a sustainable city on Mars, in the 2019 Mars Colony Design prize competition.

Finding a beacon of hope

Now in his final year, Lordos admits that despite his success at MIT, being an older student has not been without challenges. There are basic stumbling blocks, like being several decades removed from my last math class, he says. And there are other, more complex issues. When you are an older student, you have other things going on in your life, he says. He has felt this acutely, since his wifes career in Cyprus and their childrens university education have kept the family apart for long stretches of time. He knows that he could not have pursued his degree without their support. Nevertheless, he says, One advantage of being a mature student is that, for me, after a lifetime of experiences, it is natural to see the big picture and also to know which details matter most.

Lordoss biggest challenge appeared suddenly in late 2021, when he was diagnosed with cancer. Thankfully, he received a great deal of support. With his wife, children, and MIT colleagues by his side as he went through treatment, he says, We felt like all of MIT became a part of our family. Now, he has every reason to be hopeful about his future: a few weeks ago, he was declared cancer-free after a scan.

Hes also hopeful about the promise of space. Building a city on Mars is an opportunity for a second branch of human civilization. There are many things that we would like to fix about Earth and our society, but it is difficult because there are so many competing interests. There is an opportunity when starting afresh on a new world to work together for the greater good of all, and to shine a beacon of hope to those of us who are striving to make the Earth a better place.

See the article here:

On the front lines of space innovation | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology - MIT News