Category Archives: Space Travel

Linda Lange and Steve Ahillen| Special to the Knoxville News Sentinel

CARLSBAD, N.M. Alligators. An astrochimp. Space aliens. A horse thief. Geronimo.

We stumbled upon many surprises while visiting southern New Mexico. Call it serendipity.

Beauty was the one constant. Candle-straight highways transported us across untamed deserts. Twisting, curving two-lanes lifted us into the Sacramento Mountains.

After landing at our gateway airport, El Paso, Texas, our stay in the city was brief. We allowed time to visit the historic downtown. Our first surprise was finding sculpted alligators in a fountain at San Jacinto Plaza. Real gators lived in the pond for 80 years and became part of El Pasos cultural identity. The reptiles moved to the El Paso Zoo in 1965, and now the Los Lagartos sculpture by local artist Luis A. Jimenez Jr. honors their place in the citys folklore.

The El Paso Museum of Art highlights the work of regional artists and serves as a cultural hub for West Texas, New Mexico and Northern Mexico. It attracts nearly 100,000 visitors a year. Nearby, the vibrant El Centro district has items for sale in open-air storefronts. The noisy streets stretch toward the Rio Grande, the river separating El Paso from Ciudad Jurez, Mexico.

We left behind the colorful commotion of El Paso and entered into near-nothingness when we crossed into New Mexico. This seemingly endless desert was reminiscent of a moon landscape. Here, rockets that shaped the early U.S. Space Program trace back to the White Sands Missile Range, a U.S. Army military testing area and firing range.

We stood on the moon at the New Mexico Museum of Space History in Alamogordo. The center highlights rocketry experiments that contributed to space exploration. A planetarium and the International Space Hall of Fame are part of the complex. Space junkies will appreciate the artifacts, such as an authentic moon rock, on display inside the museum, and in its outdoor exhibit area. By the flagpole, we paused at the gravesite of Ham, the chimpanzee launched into space in 1961. The astrochimp paved the way for Alan Shepard, the first American to travel into space.

We entered a surreal world of whiteness at White Sands National Park. Winds buffet the shimmering dunes that stretch to the horizon, a brilliance that is visible from the International Space Station. The national parks nearly 148,000 acres protect a portion of the worlds largest gypsum dune field.

Travel to Texas: Discover the rugged beauty of Big Bend National Parks mountains and desert

Many visitors carry snow saucers to the top of dunes for sledding adventures, and others hike the five established trails. The Alkali Flat Trail draws the most attention. With a length of more than four miles, including trudging up and down numerous dunes, it is rated as a moderately challenging route. The views of dunes and the shadows they cast stretching in all directions make the hike worth the effort. By contrast, the Interdune Boardwalk is less than one-half mile, all on an elevated, planked walkway from which creatures of the sand, such as lizards and snakes, are often spotted.

We ascended from the desert of the Tularosa Basin and drove into the Sacramento Mountains, expecting a day of hiking in the fragrant pinyon-juniper forests.

Instead, we encountered snowfall.

Cloudcroft, a village of about 800 people at an elevation of 8,650 feet, keeps an Old West vibe, with saloons and other businesses on Burro Avenue. We left for the resort village of Ruidoso by driving Route 244 through the mountains and ranchland of the Mescalero Apache Indian Reservation. The road winds through Elk Springs. To our astonishment, a herd of elk leaped over a roadside fence and disappeared into a stand of snow-laden trees.

Ruidoso lies in the Smokey Bear District of Lincoln National Forest. As the name suggests, the partially burned bear cub was rescued from a forest fire in 1950 in the adjacent Capitan Mountains. Smokey Bear became the symbol of wildfire prevention and wildlife conservation. Outlaw Billy the Kid (Henry McCarty) hid in these mountains. The gunslinging horse thief was killed at the age of 21, but lives on in movies and western lore.

Closer to home: Great Smoky Mountains National Park is a gem. Here's everything to know for your visit

The Sacramento Mountains dominated the scenery as we meandered through deep forest and passed horse farms and orchards. A sign at a fruit stand read Self serve. Be honest. As we proceeded into the Hondo Valley via U.S. Highway 70, we were once again in a desert landscape of cactus, yucca and rabbitbrush.

People from all over the world come to Roswell to experience the International UFO Museum and Research Center. The sensational attraction satisfies any visitors extraterrestrial hunger. Exhibits describe numerous alien sightings, including the famed Roswell Incident of 1947. A rancher found unusual debris scattered across his property. At first, the U.S. military claimed it had recovered parts of a flying disk at a crash site, but almost immediately retracted the statement.

Residents of Roswell embrace the space alien culture. Gift shops around the museum sell all manner of futuristic and bizarre space travel souvenirs. Advertisements and window displays incorporate UFO imagery. A Mexican restaurant depicts a space creature wearing a sombrero, and a barber shop shows very unearthly clientele. Even the McDonalds restaurant caters to space aliens; silver extraterrestrial statues stand at its entrance.

We followed the Pecos River southward and arrived in Carlsbad, a city of nearly 32,000, founded in 1888. A 3.5-mile walking path along the shady riverbanks connects parks, picnic pavilions, beach areas and marinas. On a mountain above the city, the Living Desert Zoo and Gardens State Park combines a mile-plus walk through a botanical garden of Chihuahuan Desert plants, with visits to habitats featuring indigenous creatures like the javelina, buffalo, mountain lion and American bald eagle.

Carlsbad is the launching point to Carlsbad Caverns and Guadalupe Mountains national parks.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is one of the nations most spectacular natural wonders. Visitors can walk into the cave through a natural entrance or descend 750 feet by elevator. We reached the Big Room, an 8.3-acre space with ceilings as high as 200 feet. Golden light illuminates massive stalactites, stalagmites, great curtains, soda straws and mushroom-shaped rocks. Rangers guide tours to the Kings Palace, the deepest chambers open to the public. Here, an eerie silence enveloped us as we gazed at formations dating back 500,000 years.

Our journey continued to Guadalupe Mountains National Park in Texas, about 35 miles southwest of Carlsbad Caverns National Park. By pure happenstance, we found Geronimo.

These limestone mountains in the Chihuahuan Desert are the sacred home of the Apache people. The native hunters served as guides when Spanish explorers arrived in the mid-1500s. From the Spanish, the Apache men acquired horses and expanded their hunting range for hundreds of miles.

Relations with outsiders deteriorated over the centuries, leading to violent raids and reprisals. In 1849, the U.S. Army began a 30-year campaign to oust the Apache people. Tribal leaders and warriors, including the fearless Geronimo, fought fiercely into the 1880s to maintain a hold on their heartland.

The Mescalero Apache continue to live in parts of Texas, New Mexico and Mexico, and their cultural ties remain strong and meshed with Spanish influences. The massive pinnacle, El Capitan, was a landmark for the early Apache. Later, Spanish explorers visualized the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe on the face of the peak and regarded it as a pilgrimage site.

Guadalupe Mountains National Park holds the four highest peaks in Texas, including imposing Guadalupe Peak. At 8,751 feet, it is the highest natural point in Texas. The iconic El Capitan rises to 8,085 feet. Nearby, the Pine Springs Visitor Center offers several trailheads, including a short trail to the stone and timber remnants of the Pinery Station. The Butterfield Overland Mail operated Pinery Station beginning in 1858. Drivers used El Capitan as a geographical marker to reach Pinery Station.

To get an idea of life for settlers in this rugged country, we visited Frijole Ranch. Set near Manzanita Spring, the ranch house was built in 1876. Over the next decades, the house and additional outbuildings served as a cattle ranch, community center, school and post office. The one-half-mile Manzanita Spring Trail brought us to a small pond surrounded by grasses and Texas madrone trees.

Spring-fed streams also nourish the vegetation along the McKittrick Canyon Trail. The 6.8-mile, out-and- back trail courses through a narrow limestone canyon thick with deciduous trees, such as oaks, Texas walnut, bigtooth maple and velvet ash. This trail contrasts greatly to the desert trails where cholla, cactus, agave and sotol grow.

Linda Lange and Steve Ahillen are travel writers living in Knoxville, Tenn.

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New Mexico has surreal sand dunes, snowy mountains, space alien ... - Knoxville News Sentinel

May 16, 2023 By Carter Sand, Hutch Siegen, and Grace Stumpf, contributing authors

This article was written by students from iLEAD Schools, a network of charter schools in California. Through a partnership between iLEAD Schools and Space Station Explorers partner program DreamUp (an educational spinoff company from ISS National Lab Commercial Service Provider Nanoracks), iLEAD students design experiments that are launched to space to be done onboard the ISS.

Space Station Explorers is a community of educators, learners, and organizations that leverage the unique platform of the ISS National Lab to provide valuable science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) educational experiences. To learn more about DreamUp and other Space Station Explorers partner programs, visit http://www.ISSNationalLab.org/STEM.

The DreamUp to Space Design Challenge is a program run at iLEAD California Charter Schools that offers learners the opportunity to author and conduct a science experiment to be run on the International Space Station (ISS). Learners gain an understanding of the ISS, microgravity, and scientific experimentation and then write proposals for experiments that are reviewed by aerospace experts. We are a group of middle and high school learners that proposed exploring the effects of microgravity on the germination of Yucca glauca seeds, and our proposal was selected from more than 50 submissions!

We chose Yucca glauca (a type of plant with long, narrow leaves) because it can be used in a variety of ways, including making soap from its roots, creating textiles with its leaves, and using it for other medicinal benefitsall possibly valuable for future space travel. After being selected, principal investigators Grace Stumpf and Carter Sand then interviewed and chose six other learners to join Team Yucca Glauca to tackle the challenging work of experiment optimization in preparation for flight.

Preparing Research for Space

Experiment optimization is the process of running simulated experiments on Earth to determine the ideal quantities and configuration of experiment materials. In our case, this included seeds, water, and formalin (a fixative), as our experiment had to start and stop in microgravity. We ran many, many trials during this process.

Our first trial targeted identifying the substrate, which is the medium for seed germination. The substrate is vital in supporting optimal seed germination. We tried paper towels, coffee filters, and EVA foam (which has many uses, for example, in hydroponics or as flooring for a gym). We also had to consider how the germinated roots might interact with the different substrates, which would impact our analysis post flight. After running trials, we concluded that the EVA foam was the best substrate candidate due to its firmness and ability to absorb water while holding its shape. We made small boats out of the EVA foam that fit into the Mixstix, a tube-like hardware used by some microgravity scientists. The design of the boat secured the seeds in place during their flight, unlike other substrates we tested, as small slits were cut into the boat to which seeds were inserted using tweezers.

We next moved to trials that focused on the most effective seed-to-water ratio and finally developed our Mixstix setup: two boats, containing two seeds in one chamber, with two milliliters of water and one milliliter of formalin in the other two chambers (see photo). Once we finalized our experiment setup, we were a go for launch!

Our space and Earth (control) samples were loaded in the science lab at Santa Clarita Valley International Charter School in Castaic, California, and then shipped to Nanoracks for payload integration. Some of our team members traveled to the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to watch our experiment launch and to present our science poster to guests who were visiting the center. It was an experience we will never forget!

Learning and Growing

Once our Mixstix returned to Earth, we traveled to Elkhorn Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve in Moss Landing, California, to unload them. We were hosted by Kenton Parker, Elkhorn Slough Reserve director of education (retired), and Peggy Foletta, Elkhorn Slough Reserve education specialist and GLOBE Program master trainer. There, we worked with scientists who supported an amazing educational experience for us. Our team used microscopes to view our samples and explore the cell structure of roots. Unfortunately, our experiment experienced challenges that yielded inconclusive data.

However, we learned that even inconclusive or no data also offers the chance to ask more questions to try and figure out what did not work as we expected. This has led us to do even more experiment trials so we can understand how to set up future experiments using Mixsitx for success. In fact, four of our Team Yucca Glauca members are now serving as iLEAD DreamUp to Space interns to support the next five student experiments that are targeted to launch in December 2023!

Through this program, we have grown individually and as a teamwe have developed as communicators, public speakers, researchers, and problem-solvers, which all require perseverance, leadership, and teamwork. One of the amazing opportunities our team was given was presenting at the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research Conference in 2022. Our experiences will help us throughout the rest of our academic and professional careers, and it is an honor to take these experiences and accomplishments with us into the rest of our lives.

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To Space and Back: Students Conduct Plant Science Research on ... - ISS National Lab

In a step away from the traditional Wall-E-shaped robots that have been sent to other planets, NASA is planning to send robots resembling snakes to explore the moons of Saturn.

These serpentine robots, named EELS (Exobiology Extant Life Surveyor), are being tested by NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) as a potential explorer of Saturn's icy moon Enceladus.

"It has the capability to go to locations where other robots can't go. Though some robots are better at one particular type of terrain or other, the idea for EELS is the ability to do it all," said JPL's Matthew Robinson, EELS project manager, in a statement.

"When you're going places where you don't know what you'll find, you want to send a versatile, risk-aware robot that's prepared for uncertaintyand can make decisions on its own," Robinson continued

Enceladus is the sixth-largest moon of Saturn, and is comprised of an icy crust over a freezing-cold ocean of liquid water.

Despite these seemingly inhospitable conditions, data gathered by NASA's 2005 Cassini mission found that huge amounts of water and gas spurt out of the planet's surface at immense speedsaround 800 miles per hoursending plumes of its innards into space.

When Cassini analyzed the contents of the geyser-like ejections, it found that they contained silica nanograins, which are only present in places where liquid water and rock interact at temperatures above 90 degrees Centigrade (194 degrees Fahrenheit).

These findings show that below its frigid crust, Enceladus might be bubbling with geothermal activity. This makes the moon a prime candidate for the search for extraterrestrial life, as hydrothermal vents have proved to be a hotspot for strange forms of extreme life on Earth.

It is hoped that an EELS will be a good candidate to explore Enceladus due to its ability to navigate all kinds of terrain, including deep crevasses and underground oceans.

The 220-pound, 13-foot-long robots are also able to move around without human input, which is essential since Saturn and its moon are just under 1.5 light-hours away from Eartha light-hour is how far light travels in one hour.

Any signal from the robot will take an hour and a half to reach Earth, with our response taking the same length of time to return.

NASA engineers have therefore designed the EELS to be able to sense its own environment using cameras and lidara form of laser-based sonar that builds up 3D maps of an environmentand travel according to the risks it has determined, gathering data about the moon as it goes.

"Imagine a car driving autonomously, but there are no stop signs, no traffic signals, not even any roads. The robot has to figure out what the road is and try to follow it," the project's autonomy lead, Rohan Thakker, said in the statement. "Then it needs to go down a 100-foot drop and not fall."

Testing of the EELS has been taking place at NASA for the past few yearsthe first prototype was built in 2019. Scientists took the burgeoning robot technology to Athabasca Glacier in the Canadian Rockies as a proxy for the environment on Enceladus' surface.

They also tested the robots in sandy environments and on an ice rink. The final form is hoped to have 48 tiny motors to allow for finely tuned maneuvering, allowing the EELS to move up rocky and icy surfaces.

The scientific instruments that EELS will be equipped with have not yet been determined, however, as these strangely serpentine robots are a long way from being sent up into space.

"Our focus so far has been on autonomous capability and mobility, but eventually we'll look at what science instruments we can integrate with EELS," Robinson said. "Scientists tell us where they want to go, what they're most excited about, and we'll provide a robot that will get them there. How? Like a startup, we just have to build it."

It is hoped that EELS will be ready to fly into space by the end of 2024, however, there will still be another 12 years of space travel before it reaches Saturn and its moons, around 920 million miles away.

Do you have a tip on a science story that Newsweek should be covering? Do you have a question about NASA robots? Let us know via science@newsweek.com.

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NASA Tests Robot Snakes to Send to Other Planets - Newsweek

No other film explores the questions of life's existence and the evolution of humankind quite like 2001: A Space Odyssey. Portraying the past, present, and future of life in every sense of the word from the perspective of the 1960s, Stanley Kubrick's iconic feature naturally explores the rise of technology and includes one of the most impactful and unsettling portrayals of artificial intelligence in film history. This particular A.I., called HAL (voiced by Douglas Rain), is complex and threatening, not only because of its harmful behavior and actions in the film but also because of how this threat still endures to this day. With a lot of people's lives being affected by the quick and recent rise of A.I., the HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey hits closer to home than ever before.

RELATED: The Cosmic Horror of '2001: A Space Odyssey

2001: A Space Odyssey follows life throughout millions of years, from prehistoric times to the 21st century. Throughout the film, a black monolith appears to seemingly cause or represent a significant point in evolution, whether it be the discovery of weapons or the beginning of space travel. The film moves coherently between different sequences, with the most notable being that of the space mission of Discovery One, a ship of five astronauts set to carry out an undisclosed mission regarding the planet Jupiter. Assisting the astronaut scientists is a sixth member of the crew: the HAL 9000, standing for a "heuristically-programmed algorithmic computer." HAL is an A.I. computer with no physical body, but rather represented by an unwavering, watchful red light emitting from camera lenses placed around the ship.

Despite having no physical form, the computer is programmed to have a personality and can carry out most abilities of the human brain, but he can allegedly carry out these tasks faster and with more accuracy. Throughout his appearance in the film, HAL has regular discussions with the only two astronauts not in suspended animation, David Bowman (Keir Dullea) and Frank Poole (Gary Lockwood). He is even interviewed for a news story, describing his function as "foolproof and incapable of error," which Bowman and Poole learn the hard way is not the case. Even when Bowman is asked by the interviewer whether HAL can actually feel anything, he answers that he acts like he can because he is programmed to do so. However, there is no certainty in if HAL experiences real emotion.

The first hint of havoc arises when HAL questions Discovery One's journey to Jupiter, saying that he notices oddities about their mission. During this conversation, the computer picks up an error in their system, stating that the men have 72 hours to fix the problem before the ship fails. Once Bowman and Poole find no issue with the ship's functions, the scientists begin to question the true accuracy of the HAL 9000 technology. What makes this idea so anxiety-inducing is the fact that HAL is in control of all of Discovery One's major functions. This means that the lives of the five scientists are all in the metaphorical hands of HAL, whether he correctly carries out his duties or not. Mission Control then confirms via a transmission that the A.I. is at fault, while HAL denies this and attributes the mistake to human error.

From here, things only get worse. Bowman and Poole attempt to have a private conversation away from HAL about the potential of disconnecting him, but he can read their lips and foil their plan. Once Poole leaves the ship to execute repairs, HAL takes control of one of the ship's pods and disconnects his space suit from its oxygen supply, killing him. Bowman attempts to retrieve his body and returns to the ship, only to be denied re-entry by HAL after the computer kills the three remaining people aboard the ship. After finally making it inside the ship, Bowman disconnects HAL, despite the computer's attempts to stop him with a last-ditch effort of singing "Daisy Bell" in a slow and distorted voice in one of the most haunting scenes in the film. Once the computer is disengaged, the truth behind the mission to Jupiter is finally revealed to Bowman, now the sole survivor of Discovery One.

What helps to make HAL's appearance in the film so effective are the film's artistic choices. Aside from establishing shots, almost every scene in Discovery One is without the classical music present throughout the film. Additionally, any visual of the HAL 9000 is an up-close, fish-eyed look into his red "eye," staring back at the audience, with only static or white noise playing over it. This only emphasizes the fact that the astronauts (and the audience) are alone with HAL 80 million miles away from everyone else. There is no escaping.

This also reminds viewers that HAL is the one in control of everything as it was programmed, watching the men's every move because he was told to do so. Nothing the men say matters because HAL is the one making the decisions, despite whether the talk of his accuracy is true or false. One scene even alludes to the idea that the perfect track record of the HAL 9000 computer series is really a lie when Bowman reminds Poole that no 9000 computer has ever been disconnected. Poole says to this, "No 9000 computer's ever fouled up before," to which Bowman responds with, "That's not what I mean." With this, Bowman most likely refers to the idea that no 9000 computer has ever let itself be disconnected, planting the seed for the computer's deadly impact on the people aboard the ship. However, this would also imply that the creators of the HAL series, as well as those who employ them, have knowledge of the malfunctions and continue to put the lives of people in A.I.'s hands anyway. HAL did not need a physical form to be the tragic events' driving force.

There is also the portrayal of HAL's emotions. He initially questions the mission, seemingly out of panic. He also emotes a form of fear when he learns that the scientists may resort to disconnecting him, leading him to potentially act out for his own survival. However, there is also the fact that HAL wanted the ship to fail to find out what was causing the malfunction, without realizing that allowing the ship to fail would put everyone's lives at risk. The use of both sides plays at the viewers' own emotions and makes them question the emotional capabilities of HAL, as well as the morality of disconnecting/killing him.

In a film that is notoriously ambiguous and often confusing, 2001: A Space Odyssey's HAL is so terrifying because of the blurred lines surrounding his intentions, if there were any at all. Rather than painting artificial intelligence as pure evil, the film plays with the boundaries of morality and makes the audience think of HAL as a person and not a form of technology. The A.I. does not plead for his life as Bowman is disconnecting him but rather tries to get him to stop by suggesting he thinks rationally. This then descends into HAL repeatedly telling him "stop," then saying that he "feels" his mind coming undone.

While he is the main antagonist of the film, it is not that simple. The computer's actions and words leave much to the imagination when it comes to his motives. While this is the case in the film, Arthur C. Clarke's book of the same name has some more answers. In the novel, the reason HAL malfunctions and begins to act out of violence is because he was programmed to simultaneously relay accurate information to the crew, and also keep confidential information regarding the mission from them. Similar to asking him to be in two places at once, HAL cannot be true to both of these orders, while a human would be able to either choose one or toe the line between the two by their own autonomy. The A.I. is forced to contradict his programmed functions and is led to commit atrocities rather than disobey the orders programmed into his being.

The film, on the other hand, is not that straightforward. The audience is left to speculate on what led HAL to kill almost every member aboard the ship. There is the possibility that since HAL was programmed to view himself as human, he valued his own life and acted out of self-preservation as any living person being targeted would. It could also be that HAL was aware that the next step in human evolution was on Jupiter, making him resentful of the mission and leading him to sabotage it. This theory has some potential because HAL was the thing standing in the way of the film's ending. If HAL had succeeded in killing Bowman, he would not have made it to Jupiter and been reborn as the next-stage human being. The "Starchild" that Bowman becomes is speculated to be either divine or superhuman and would most likely eliminate the need for artificial intelligence. This could mean that if HAL did have that knowledge, he would have seen the mission of Discovery One as a threat.

There is also the idea that while HAL may speak and talk like a human, his preference and willingness to eliminate every human life on Discovery One to carry out the mission successfully is precisely what makes him inhuman. In HAL's final moments, he states in his monotone voice, "I'm afraid." Does he feel or has he been programmed to only say it? Is he evil or did he simply malfunction? Was he pleading for his life out of emotion or manipulation? Can HAL feel emotion or did he just know all the right things to say? Is he made to be human or a copy of one? Ultimately, these questions are what makes HAL so scary. While he is the villain, the existence of the technology makes viewers think philosophically about how far humankind has gone and whether something like the HAL series can be considered truly human. This alone is emphasized by the disturbing nature of HAL's disconnection, as it is reminiscent of murder. While technology like the HAL 9000 can hold an enormous amount of control, it is those who have the power and create this technology that gives A.I. that much control, and who is also responsible for its outcome.

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HAL 9000 Is the Most Terrifying Movie A.I. - Collider

The Space Travel Market 2023 research focuses on a global analysis of the data of the latest market trends. MarketQuest.biz objective is to provide clients with an accurate description of the market and to enable them to establish development strategies.

The Space Travel provides an estimate for 2023-2029 based on an insightful and proficient study. It discusses market drivers, opportunities, constraints, and issues. This research will assist business analysts by helping them in achieving growth in global and regional marketplaces. It gives a thorough analysis of current events and the characterization of high-growth regions, segmentation, and regional analysis, which will help the companies develop strategies.

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The Space Travel market study goes through the detailed segmentation of

The market also covers the segmentation of

It also emphasizes each regional division, particularly

Each aspect, and the income prediction analysis, are extensively discussed in the research. The research provides industry information, such as descriptions, classification, users, goods, and current market developments that may impact market participants. Throughout the market, some of the prominent companies are:

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A qualitative studys objective, on the other hand, is to provide descriptive data to the reports viewers. Porters Five Forces, PESTEL, SWOT, and feasibility analysis are the qualitative methods used in the study. It allows customers to understand the Space Travel markets position by its drivers, restraints, challenges, and opportunities. The research also includes essential information on product offerings and market suppliers and distributors. The report also briefly describes the end-user sectors and demand predictions.

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Space Travel Market 2023 to 2029 Industry Analysis, Growth ... - Cottonwood Holladay Journal

Virgin Galactic: The Future of Commercial Spaceflight

On Friday, SPCE stock opened at $4.06 on the NYSE, with a market capitalization of $1.11 billion and a significant PE ratio of -2.15. Virgin Galactic operates at the forefront of commercial spaceflight technologies and aims to offer affordable trips into space. Despite recent fluctuations in the companys stock price, it is captivating the attention of investors all over Wall Street.

Founded by renowned British entrepreneur Richard Branson, Virgin Galactic has taken a revolutionary step into advancing human technology. The concept behind their idea is genuinely out-of-the-box thinking designed to revolutionize humankinds future frontier space travel.

The company uses state-of-the-art technology to take tourists into outer-space for an experience of their lifetimes through its spaceflight system vehicles. But its not only about tourism; the firm proceeds with flight testing flying commercial research and development payloads into space.

Recently, many Wall Street analysts have issued target prices and ratings on SPCE shares. Four sell and four hold ratings make up the consensus for SPCE stock, which currently has an average rating of Hold on Bloomberg.com, along with a consensus price target of $5.08.

Starting its journey from under five dollars during 2020s global pandemic era, SPCE gave investors ample opportunities to capitalize on its regular swings in valuation range; however, these fluctuating prices afflicted some investors trust in its sustainability as well.

Overall it needs to be noted that Virgin Galactic reported greater revenue than expected this year as well as seeing an increase in net margin despite facing some challenges during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. It remains a highly anticipated contender in making serious grounds towards commercializing space travel accessible globally.

In conclusion, Virgin Galactic represents the future of commercial human spaceflight ventures using cutting-edge technologies that were previously just science fiction concepts. While still struggling with financials including profitability since their IPO in 2019, the industrys growth potential fundamentally rests upon it. Investors will closely watch updates from this company as we move towards settling in space tourism and being able to strengthen global scientific understanding of space delivered by commercial R&D efforts.

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:SPCE) has been receiving increasing attention lately, particularly from equities researchers at KeyCorp who have risen their Q2 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for the company. M. Leshock, an analyst from KeyCorp, now forecasts that Virgin Galactic will post earnings per share of ($0.52) for the quarter, up from their prior prediction of ($0.53). This news is perhaps a glimmer of hope for investors after the recent slump in SPCEs stock value following its failed test flight in December 2020.

Despite this recent setback, a number of large investors have modified their holdings of SPCE in recent months, including Canada Pension Plan Investment Board which increased its position in shares of Virgin Galactic by 177.5% during the first quarter of this year. The firm now owns over two thousand shares worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 1,654 shares during that time. GPS Wealth Strategies Group LLC also acquired a new position in shares of Virgin Galactic during Q1 worth $34,000.

Still, not every investor is taking advantage of this opportunity to buy SPCE stocks at bargain prices Wipfli Financial Advisors LLC and Capital Square LLC both acquired new positions in Virgin Galactic during last years third and fourth quarters respectively but are yet to make any moves so far this year. Nevertheless, financial services provider Mackenzie Financial Corp lifted its position in shares of Virgin Galactic by 18.5% during last years final quarter and now owns over twelve thousand shares worth $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,900 shares in the last few months.

It is clear that despite some investor caution surrounding Virgin Galactics latest stumble where they were unable to reach space altitude like previous successful flights shown back to back on Netflix Space Force TV show with the US flag on their path to being licensed for transporting humans, there is still interest from others in the market looking to make a play of the space-faring enterprise. With increased Q2 2023 earnings per share estimates and large institutional investors on board, SPCE may yet bounce back. Only time will truly be able to tell whether or not this trajectory will hold.

In conclusion, Virgin Galactic has seen some ups and downs in recent months but remains a popular investment opportunity for many experienced traders. The increase in KeyCorps Q2 2023 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for the company suggests that it still has some upward potential despite its recent setback. Additionally, the number of large investors who are modifying their holdings of SPCE emphasizes equity and institutional trusts placed on the company and bodes well for its future prospects. However, as always, it would be up to further testing and trials to accurately assess if these hopes can truly materialize into something tangible over time.

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Virgin Galactic: Revolutionizing Space Travel and the Future of ... - Best Stocks

After several setbacks that delayed the launch of its first commercial passenger flight, Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic announced it is targeting late May for the fifth-ever space-flight of SpaceShipTwo, also known as VVS Unity. If the flight succeeds, the space tourism company hopes to launch its first commercial flight in June. The mission will take off from Spaceport America in New Mexico, where Virgin Galactics recently-opened an operations hub.

Each flight performed by Virgin Galactics VSS Unity has been part of a test campaign. The upcoming flight in May, called Unity 25, is, expected to be the last test flight before the spaceplanes space tourism services go fully operational. If all goes according to plan, it would be the first flight of Virgin Galactics spaceplane since July 2021, when its founder Branson flew to suborbital space with three other crew members. Prior to the first private space trip, Virgin Galactic will send four Virgin Galactic employees Jamila Gilbert, Christopher Huie, Luke Mays, and Beth Moses to space. Mike Masucci and C.J. Sturckow will pilot Unity.

Unity 25 is the final assessment of the full spaceflight system and astronaut experience before commercial service opens in late June.

Virgin Galactic launches people into suborbital space for a brief window of time, so they can experience Earth from space. The space companys primary spacecraft, VVS Unity, is a reusable spaceplane designed to carry passengers and scientific payloads. It is launched from a carrier aircraft called WhiteKnightTwo, which takes it to a high altitude before releasing it. Once released, VVS Unitys rocket engines ignite, propelling it into suborbital space. Passengers on board would experience several minutes of weightlessness and get a view of Earth from space before the spacecraft glides back to Earth for landing.

As it seems, Virgin Galactic could be on the verge of beginning commercial space operations. Its main competitor, Blue Origin, has already flown several commercial crews to suborbital space, but its New Shepard rocket has been grounded since last year after an anomaly triggered its escape capsule system during an uncrewed scientific mission.

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Virgin Galactics first private space tourism flight to take off in June - Travel Tomorrow

NASAs Glenn Research Center will be flying an aircraft at various altitudes over roadways across greaterCleveland,Lodi,Mansfield, andMedinaareas in Ohio while testing aviation communications technologies.

The purpose of the flights, which will commence tomorrow Thursday, May 18, is to provide evaluations which form part of the development of new advanced air mobility (AAM) automated transport systems.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) recently released anupdated blueprintfor airspace and procedure changes to accommodate future air taxis and other Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) operations.

Under the blueprint, AAM operations will begin at a low rate with air taxis flying much as helicopters do today.

NASA researchers are evaluating commercial communications technologies that will allow highly automated transportation systems to operate and move passengers or cargo at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas.

The aerial operations in Cleveland will be conducted by NASAs Pilatus PC-12which is outfitted with monitors to measure cell tower signal strength.

The impending NASA flights across the Cleveland region are scheduled during daylight hours startingThursday, May 18, untilSunday, June 25.

All flights will be conducted at appropriate altitudes to safeguard the public, wildlife, or infrastructure. The aircraft will fly no lower than 500 feet in rural areas, and no lower than 1,000 feet in populated areas.

A Pilatus PC-12 aircraft will take on a key role in the agencys investigation of how to manage the emerging advanced air mobility ecosystem.

After retiring two aging aircraft in the last year, Glenns flight operations experts conducted a detailed study to find the perfect replacement.

The new PC-12 offers the versatility NASA Glenn needed. This 2008 turboprop has a pressurized cabin and can fly at altitudes from 4,000 to 30,000 feet for long flights at a cruising speed of 322 miles per hour. This allows it to go long distances for testing in many environments.

The PC-12 can land on short, unpaved runways if necessary. It is so versatile that the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia uses it in the punishing extremes of the Outback.

NASA have made modifications to the interior to accommodate teams of researchers and their equipment, and the aircraft is used for a variety of aeronautic research missions.

Initially, the aircrafts primary research will evaluate commercial communications technologies that will allow highly automated transportation systems to operate and move passengers or cargo at lower altitudes within urban and suburban areas.

This work supports theNASA Advanced Air Mobility missionsplan to map out a safe, accessible, and affordable new air transportation system alongside industry and community partners and the Federal Aviation Administration.

These new capabilities would allow passengers and cargo to travel on-demand in innovative, automated aircraft across town, between neighboring cities, or to other locations typically accessed today by car.

NASAs Glenn Research Center, located in Cleveland, Ohio, is one of NASAs ten major field centers. It was established in 1941 as the Aircraft Engine Research Laboratory and was later renamed in 1999 to honor astronaut and former director John H. Glenn Jr.

The center focuses on a wide range of research and technology development activities to advance aeronautics and space exploration.

The primary mission of NASAs Glenn Research Center is to develop innovative technologies and conduct cutting-edge research to enhance aviation and space travel.

The centers expertise spans various disciplines, including aerodynamics, propulsion, materials science, microgravity science, and space systems.

Glenns work has contributed significantly to the advancement of aviation and space exploration throughout its history.

Glenn Research Center plays a vital role in NASAs aeronautics research, working on improving aircraft efficiency, reducing environmental impact, and enhancing safety.

The center conducts research in areas such as advanced propulsion systems, including electric and hybrid aircraft propulsion, and explores new concepts for future aviation, such as supersonic and hypersonic flight.

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NASA PC-12 to conduct aerial flights over Cleveland roadways - AviationSource News

There's more to Florida's 'Space Coast' than the space travel scene.

Courtesy of Space Coast Office of Tourism

With 72 miles of scenic shoreline, Florida's Space Coast provides visitors with classic Sunshine State surf and sand. It's all accompanied by one particularly fascinating local industry: space travel.

Since 1962, the region has been a prominent base for NASA operations, with the Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex drawing roughly 1.5 million visitors each year. While the wonders of the cosmos are a major draw for tourists, theres no shortage of incredible attractions and activities here, too, like kayaking, wildlife-watching, and surfing.

Courtesy of Space Coast Office of Tourism

For newcomers looking to discover the activities available across the Space Coast shore, Cocoa Beach offers a wealth of accommodations, dining venues, and attractions all packed into one scenic city. Visitors can stroll along the pier or play a few rounds of mini-golf, while The Dinosaur Store museum features a spectacular collection of prehistoric fossils and statues.

But when it comes to outdoor adventure, its best to head straight to the sparkling shore. Theres no better teacher than the School of Surf. Operating just a few steps away from the sandy shoreline, this local academy provides an array of different courses for visitors to enjoy, with itineraries targeting anyone from first-time participants to seasoned surf aficionados. It offers both one- and two-hour lessons, and even seasonal week-long camps.

Courtesy of Space Coast Office of Tourism

For a more relaxed perspective on the surrounding region, a leisurely paddle along the Cocoa Beach shoreline is the perfect activity a fact that local tour operator Fin Expeditions knows all too well. The excursions invite guests to experience the abundant natural beauty of the Banana River firsthand. The river is home to a variety of native marine creatures, with Fin Expeditions highly educated staff at the ready to point out dolphins, manatees, and all sorts of native birds. While a daylight tour of the areas tangled mangrove forests is an incredible way to spend the afternoon, the company also specializes in evening and night excursions ranging from sunset paddles to bioluminescence tours.

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If youd like to keep the physical activity at a minimum, Canaveral Tours offers excursions ranging from airboat rides to voyages highlighting the regions most iconic lighthouses. And for animal lovers, in particular, the Wildlife Group Tour is the way to go. This six-hour excursion brings guests into the heart of Floridas Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, a sprawling seaside preserve thats renowned for its diverse ecosystems. The parks many marshes serve as a paradise for birders, packed full of eye-catching species like wood ducks, surf scoters, and roseate spoonbills. Alligators and even the occasional bobcat can also be found along the way.

Courtesy of Space Coast Office of Tourism

Once youve enjoyed a successful excursion with Canaveral Tours and maybe a quick stop at Playalinda Brewing Company to toast to the trip visitors can find a particularly idyllic birding destination back in Cocoa Beach in the form of Manatee Sanctuary Park. In spite of its small size, this 10-acre coastal preserve is home to a treasure trove of creatures. During a stroll along the central pond, guests can marvel at great blue herons, cormorants, and the peculiar-looking Florida softshell turtle, while the sparkling waters just past the park are a haven for sea ducks, saltwater fish, and, of course, Floridas native manatees.

Visitors can gain further insight into the states biodiversity with a trip to Brevard Zoo. Opened in 1994, this AZA-accredited attraction is a major force for wildlife conservation in the region, operating breeding and species preservation programs for native Floridian creatures like the Perdido Key beach mouse and the frosted flatwood salamander. While guests can look at the resident African lions, the Brevard Zoo is also known for its kayaking tours that offer visitors a fascinating perspective on the local giraffes, lemurs, and rhinos along the parks river.

Courtesy of Space Coast Office of Tourism

When it comes to dining, Floridas Atlantic shoreline is home to a spectacular seafood scene, and the Space Coast is no exception. For old-school Florida flavors, Fish Camp Grill has catfish bites, fried gator tail, and jambalaya all served inside a massive space complete with taxidermied wildlife and baby alligators on display.

That said, Florida is far from the only state represented across Cocoa Beach. Further south, Jazzys Mainely provides diners with a more New England spin on dining. Think northeast classics like clam chowder, whole-bellied clams, and two different varieties of lobster rolls. And if youre in need of a break from seafood, the family-owned La Catrina has mastered the art of Mexican cuisine, with green chile burritos, Mazatln-style quesadillas, and shrimp fajitas all gracing the menu.

While Space Coast visitors are welcome to explore Floridas rich legacy of spacefaring and even catch a rocket launch in real-time, no trip is complete without discovering the spectacular natural beauty found all across the region.

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Florida's 'Space Coast' Has Incredible Beaches, Food, and Dolphins Here's How to Plan a Trip - Yahoo Life

The sky was the limit in 2021's F9; having seemingly run out of exotic locales to ship the franchise's revolving roster of rev-heads off to you can really cover a lot of ground in 20 years, especially if you've got a souped-up ride F9's co-writer and director, Justin Lin, hazarded a trip to space.

The result was a kind of zero gravity self-parody which raised the question: Where was left for these car-jackers-turned-secret-agents to go?

Fast X is not short on answers: Rio, Naples, Rome, London, Antarctica no Lonely Planet guidebook is safe. No more space travel, admittedly, but even so, this latest and nominally 'last' instalment (in fact merely the first in a tripartite finale) still feels like an overreach.

The mandate to up and up the ante has seen the so-called Fast Saga turn from dumb, hyper-stylish fun into something meaner and more airless.

That there were competing visions for this home stretch is clear from the directorial changeover that took place a week into production: Lin, who had returned for another round at the helm, reportedly clashed with Vin Diesel, aka Dominic Toretto, the devoted patriarch whose steady heartbeat is the metronome of the franchise. Diesel is also one of Fast X's producers. (The scramble to replace Lin culminated in the hiring of Louis Leterrier, most notable for his work on the first two films in the Transporter trilogy, the launchpad for Fast's own Jason Statham.)

For as long as we've known him, Dom has lived by a moral code consisting of a single principle: "Without family, you're nothing," as he puts it in this latest film. Of course, the Toretto clan goes beyond blood: It includes almost anyone who's sat round the table for a barbecue lunch with a Corona in hand, raised in celebration of another triumph in the realm of pedal-to-the-metal hijinks.

This idyll of community is precisely what's at stake in Fast X.

Making his Fast debut, Jason Momoa plays Dante Reyes, a swishy sociopath seeking to avenge the death of his father, Hernan Reyes, the Brazilian drug lord last seen dead on a sun-baked Rio de Janeiro bridge in 2011's Fast Five. Somewhere between Heath Ledger's Joker and Captain Jack Sparrow (no, it's not a good mix) and swathed in lavender silk, Dante also operates according to a succinct moral code: "Never accept death when suffering is owed."

Consequently, he's made it his mission to torment Dom, whom he holds responsible for his father's murder and to that end, to torment his family: Dom's beloved Letty (Michelle Rodriguez) and his siblings Mia and Jakob (Jordana Brewster and John Cena), as well as his impossibly resourceful crew (Tyrese Gibson as Roman Pearce, Chris "Ludacris" Bridges as Tej, Sung Kang as Han Lue, and Nathalie Emmanuel as Ramsey). All are toy mice to Dante's devil-cat. (There are plenty of other familiar faces and names back in play including one or two that shouldn't be spoiled, though no seasoned viewer should really be surprised to see any legacy character crop up in these films, alive or dead.)

Dom's son Brian (Leo Abelo Perry), now an adolescent, is also due to get batted around. Happily, being extremely level-headed runs in the family.

For a film so steadfast in its family values, the departure of Lin the director of five Fast films, including Fast Five, the first film in the series to attract critical appreciation feels perhaps more glaring than it should.

Though he retains a co-writing credit on X and stayed on as a producer, his decision to vacate the driver's seat is a sign that the Fast family is not immune to in-fighting. Diesel, it seems, is committed to his character's mantra only so far.

There's a lot at stake, certainly, both on-screen and off: With a budget of $US340 million ($512 million), Fast X is one of the most expensive movies ever made. To put that in perspective: The jackpot for which Toretto and co are willing to attempt to steal an entire bank vault from a Brazilian prison in Fast Five is a mere $100 million.

That film which, under Lin's guidance, began the series' shift away from racing for pink slips and towards Mission Impossible-style heists is the primary touchstone here. Fast X opens with a retread of the vault-theft escapade, now seen from Dante's perspective though the snazzy mustard suit he's sporting in the flashback, together with the use of a film-grain filter, suggests the 70s more than 2011.

The retroactive shoehorning-in of the Dante character is indicative of a franchise getting tangled in its increasingly cumbersome lore. In two-plus decades, enough siblings have been invented and characters brought back from the dead to suggest that there's more of a resemblance between The Fast and the Furious and The Bold and the Beautiful than merely their titles.

Lin's departure aside, the mandate to leave no family member behind may actually be getting in the way of putting on a good show. (Even Brian O'Conner, the character played by the late Paul Walker, remains alive in the Fast family-verse, and happily married to Mia.)

With so much reverence for its players, these films have started to feel more like a CGI-augmented meet-and-greet; we're shunted from one gorgeous backdrop to another, lingering just long enough to witness our heroes barrel through the cobbled alleyways and ancient piazzas, leaving a simulated, rubble-strewn trail of destruction in their wake.

Fast X is in cinemas now.

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Fast X adds Jason Momoa to the Vin Diesel-driven franchise for the first instalment of a series finale that already feels like its spinning its wheels...