Category Archives: Space Travel

Dr. Jayan Nagendran, co-founder and chief medical officer of Tevosol, at the Mazankowski Heart Institute with an organ perfusion machine prototype on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020.Shaughn Butts / Postmedia

Two Edmonton-based tech companies are hoping to prove their inventions are out of this world and ready for lift-off into space with NASA.

Local startups Tevosol and ez enRoute were shortlisted by the space technology giant in an international search to find the next great innovation to make life easier in space. They will pitch their ideas at NASA iTechs Ignite the Night event on Feb. 11, the only two Canadian companies selected, for a shot at advancing to a final round of competition in May.

Neither Edmonton-made company started with a quest to travel outside Earth. Rather, both were founded off issues and needs that kept appearing in day-to-day life.

For Dr. Jayan Nagendran, the surgical director of lung transplantation at the University of Alberta Hospital, Tevosol was formed in an effort to increase the number of successful organ donations by providing a lifelike machine to store the organs in an environment as if they were still inside a human, as they are being transported for transplantation.

More than three-quarters of organs that get offered arent being utilized for transplantation despite having large waitlists, said Nagendran, co-founder and chief medical officer of Tevosol. The goal was to develop medical devices to replicate a normal environment for the organ, like a robot chest for the organ.

The company was formed in 2015 out of a garage before finding a home with TEC Edmonton.

Starting with lungs and then finding solutions for hearts, livers, kidneys and limbs, Tevosol has created a portable warm perfusion machine about the size of an ice cooler that has completed a successful clinical trial with plans to pilot commercially in Canada toward the end of 2020.

But its not an organ shortage in outer space prompting Tevosol to pitch its device to NASA. Areas of their research, such as on hibernation and radiation, can be of use in space, Nagendran said.

Space scientists are studying the idea of hibernation for astronauts during deep space travel and Tevosols research for long-term hibernation of organs could be a way forward. Astronauts are also exposed to high levels of radiation and the technology can be used to store limbs or live tissue.

This opportunity for a company like us being based out of Edmonton is significant, said Nagendran, with Tevosol also now having opened an office in Houston, Texas. The exposure itself is really the victory at this point.

Similar to Tevosol, ez enRoute was created by Edmontonian Amit Anand trying to solve an issue he noticed around safety. Using his technology background, he began developing an autonomous security platform that can track movement or incidents such as falling without GPS or Internet.

The International Space Station is growing massively with tons of equipment. This can help access equipment faster and all asset monitoring in outer space, he said.

Anand said they were supported by Edmonton company Aris MD in pitching their idea to NASA and hope to experience the same success Aris MD won the top overall prize last year.

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Two Edmonton-based startups selected by NASA to showcase their space-ready innovations - Edmonton Journal

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Scientists have discovered that a longtime fungal resident of the Chernobyl complex could actually eat radiation. In an upcoming paper, scientists will share the results of growing the fungus on the International Space Station.

Scientists have known about this fungus, and similar extremophile organisms that can thrive on radiation, since at least 2007. The variety found in Chernobyl can decompose radioactive material such as the hot graphite in the remains of the Chernobyl reactor, Nature said in 2007. The fungus grows toward the hottest and most radioactive places, like phototropism but for deadly toxins.

How can this fungus process radiation in this way? Because it has tons of very dark melanin pigment that absorbs radiation and processes it in a harmless way to produce energy. Scientists believe this mechanism could be used to make biomimicking substances that both block radiation from penetrating and turn it into a renewable energy source.

Chernobyl is a special case where extreme ambient radiation is a huge danger to anyone who enters, and having a radiation blocker to treat protective suits or even the entire inside of the plant to reduce ambient radiation could be a huge boon. Besides reducing danger, though, the world is filled with machinery and devices that safely use radiation, from medicine to manufacturing. Even low levels of contained radiation could be used to make energy that could reduce the energy burden of those devices.

Kasthuri Venkateswaran, a NASA biotechnologists with over 40 years of research experience, has helmed NASAs research on the radiation extremophile fungus. His publications from over the years include dozens of papers about organisms aboard the International Space Station (ISS), and thats where he plans to take the radiation-eating fungus next.

The ambient radiation aboard the space station is low compared to other parts of space, but its high compared to the Earths surface. Growing the fungus there could reveal new sides of its nature, and may confirm that the fungus can still absorb and process radiation in the much more immersed environment of space. This has great potential for future space travel, where deadly amounts of cosmic radiation are one of the big obstacles scientists must navigate in order to safely send people into outer space.

Its not just fungus that eats radiation in this way. The overall family of extremophiles that live on or despite radiation includes both fungi and bacteria, and different species have different mechanisms for absorbing or tolerating radiation. The NIH explains, [S]ome populations of microorganisms thrive under different types of radiation due to defensive mechanisms provided by primary and secondary metabolic products, i.e., extremolytes and extremozymes.

Each different metabolic product has potential uses in medicine, safety, and manufacturing. Indeed, the general ability of these organisms to thrive in conditions where most organisms break down, mutate, or develop cancers warrants further study across a variety of disciplines.

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You Should Know About This Chernobyl Fungus That Eats Radiation - Popular Mechanics

As the remote workforce becomes the norm, workers are now able to travel and work from virtually wherever they want as long as there is internet access. Now, much of the workforce is choosing to take business trips, without a client visit or meeting.

Remote workers are able to continue working while traveling, meaning they can stay at their destination longer than expected. Extended stays have led travel agents like AirBnB and Expedia to take notice of remote workers and cater to their demands.

This also means that retirement age is extending because workers are able to enjoy traveling to new destinations and continue working.

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Furthermore, some nomadic travel programs will pay for workers to go on trips in order to prevent burnout and provide access to virtual skill training. Its a win-win situation for both employers and employees because offerings like this boost workers retention rates as well as productivity.

Additionally, traveling as a group can not only combat isolation, it can provide professionals the opportunity to build culture and collaborate in new ways. For example, lifestyle brand Unsettled recently acquired digital nomad platform Wanderbrief in order to combine corporate offsite experiences with remote working.

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Remote Working's Impact On The Travel Industry - Allwork.Space

Thanks to NASAs quest to explore Mars, your car has better radials. Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company worked with NASA to develop a special fibrous material which was used on parachute shrouds to soft-land Viking space probes on the surface of Mars. The fibre contains a chain-like molecular structure which makes it five times stronger than steel without added weight. Goodyear realized that the increased strength and durability of this material would have useful applications on the road, and, in 1976, developed a new radial which lasted 10,000 miles longer than others. Viking was not the only collaboration between Goodyear and NASA.

In 2009, a dedicated team of Goodyear engineers and NASA researchers at the NASA John H. Glenn Research Center collaborated on the development of a new airless Spring Tire which uses 800 load bearing springs which provides improved traction on rocky surfaces and can bear weight in extreme temperatures without deflating, as pneumatic tires might. While originally developed to fit the needs of NASAs Lunar Electric rover, Goodyear also saw applications for off-road vehicles here on Earth.

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From Cordless Vacuums to In-flight WiFi, These Innovations From NASA Changed Life on Earth - Travel+Leisure

The recent catastrophic bush fires in Australia were so immensely destructive that they could be seen from space. Now, a new animation from NASA shows the impact of those fires and other extreme disasters around the world from the past year.

In addition to the Australian fires, which began in 2019 and extended into January 2020, this animation shows the impacts of Hurricane Dorian, which took place from August to September 2019, and a series of major fires that took place in South America and Indonesia during the same period. Climate change, which researchers continue to study and monitor using space-based satellites, causes an increase in extreme weather events like those shown in the animation above.

Smoke from the Australian bush fires, which astronauts could see from aboard the International Space Station, has interacted with global weather. Smoke plumes have traveled around the globe, accelerating into the upper troposphere (the lowest region of Earth's atmosphere) and even as high up as the lowermost region of the stratosphere (the second layer of Earth's atmosphere, it sits above the troposphere and below the mesosphere).Photos: Australia's deadly wildfires in photos: The view from spaceRelated: The reality of climate change: 10 myths busted

The long-range transport of the bushfire smoke will travel all the way across the Southern Ocean, completing a full circumnavigation of the planet to return to Australia. It is especially prominent across the southern Pacific Ocean and toward South America, according to a NASA statement.

While astronauts spotted the growing, billowing smoke from the Australian bush fires, satellites from NASA and the European Space Agency continue to monitor the effects of the fires. Data from these satellites have shown just how deadly the bush fires were to both the people and wildlife of Australia. Satellite imagery has provided evidence for where the fires spread.

The blazes have so far killed at least 25 people. Additionally, satellites have shown that the fires burned about one-third of Kangaroo Island, which is home to a variety of protected species. Devastation from the fires has also been spotted in a number of other areas where protected wildlife previously flourished.

Follow Chelsea Gohd on Twitter @chelsea_gohd. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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NASA animation shows global effects of Australia wildfires, hurricanes and more - Space.com

HILO, Hawaii - Hundreds honored the legacy of Hawaii's first astronaut at the 20th Annual Ellison Onizuka Science Day at UH Hilo.On Saturday, students from across the state learned about space travel and science through interactive workshops, a robotics competition and exhibits from the Maunakea Observatories.

Tuesday marks 34 years since the NASA space shuttle Challenger's deadly explosion that killed seven crew members, including Kona native Ellison Onizuka. He was born and raised in Kealakekua, and graduated from Konawaena High School. He served as a Colonel in the United States Air Force, and went on to become the first Asian American to travel in space.

Ellison's younger brother Claude says the annual event keeps the memories of the Challenger crew alive."Ellison's legacy is to don't be afraid to dream. Reach for the stars. If you study hard, work hard, you know those dreams can be accomplished," he said.

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Hundreds honored the legacy of astronaut Ellison Onizuka - KITV Honolulu

Ever dreamed of becoming an astronaut? It seems like a robot may have beaten us to it. Meet Vyomitra, India's first female humanoid astronaut.

Vyomitra was recently developed by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) to be sent into space multiple times, as part of Indias ambitious Gaganyaan mission. The project ultimately aims to send three astronauts to space in 2022, which, if it happens, will be a record-breaking first for India.

New it girl Vyomitra is a busy woman! She made her debut public appearance when she was unveiled at an ISRO public event in Bengaluru, India, on Wednesday. She impressed audiences by stating in her own words, that she can mimic the activity of a crew of astronauts and recognise them and respond to their queries. ISRO are proud to name Vyomitra their first female astronaut.

Outer SpaceIf anything, the ISRO have proven themselves to be determined and resilient as they continue to gain support from Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to fund upcoming space travels. In September 2019, ISRO were hopeful that India would become just the fourth country to soft-land a spacecraft on the moon with itsChandrayaan-2 mission, but in a disappointing turn of events, thespacecraft crash-landed due to a braking error.

However, they are not giving up, with chief Kailasavadivoo Sivan confirming at the beginning of January that a third lunar mission, Chandrayaan-3, had been approved and could launch as early as this year! The larger Gaganyaan project will send two unmanned crafts into space in December 2020 and June 2021, before sending three shortlisted astronauts and possibly Vyomitra, in 2022.

Despite facing criticism for endorsing funding for space travel whilst India battles with economic issues as a developing nation, Chief K Sivan insists that space innovation encourages the youth of India to think big. He has previously stated that starting a space program in India in 1960 was a big crazy idea but founder Dr. Vikram Sarabhai predicted the potential of space technology in transforming the country.

Now the ISROs latest innovation, Vyomitra might even encourage more young people, particularly women, to dream of becoming an astronaut. Afterall, Vyomitra has guts she will be alone in the first two space missions of project Gaganyaan, representing her country as they skillfully speed ahead in the realm of space technology.

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Meet Vyomitra, Indias First Humanoid To Be Sent To Outer Space - 10 daily

TORONTO -- Former astronaut Scott Kelly has made four trips to the International Space Station and spent a record amount of time in space.

Yet, what did he tell me he most scared of doing? The Edgewalk at the CN Tower in Toronto. This, despite Scott taking on a challenge no other NASA astronaut has ever done. And it couldve killed him.

Orbiting more than 370 kilometres above Earth in the International Space Station is a tough, alien environment for a human body. Theres no gravity to pull fluids out of the brain as there is at home, radiation exposure is far above what we already know can cause cancer and although astronauts work out a couple of hours a day, bones and muscles still quickly lose mass.

After more than 50 years of human space travel, those are the health problems we do know. And those trips have mostly been six months at the most. The next giant leap in space aims to get humans much farther into deep space: Mars.

Just getting to the red planet would take six months. A full expedition would likely take two to three years. The United States has announced it wants humans to fly by and eventually land on Mars in the 2030s. Considering we dont really know the health effects of travelling in space for more than six months, is it realistic?

Scott was part of the first study to compare the health of two identical twins -- one in space and one on Earth. While Scott spent a record one year on the International Space Station, his identical twin Mark Kelly, stayed back home. During Scotts entire mission, 10 teams of scientists monitored both twins health. Samples of the brothers blood, urine and stool were sent to researchers before, during and after the expedition. This provided information about everything from the stability of their DNA to gut health.

While Scott was in space, some of those samples were preserved for when he returned, others were sent back home on a rocket.

When Scotts record one year mission was over and he finally returned to Earth, his skin broke out in rashes, he couldnt see properly and felt exhausted all the time. And those were the least of his health issues. His immune system was on high alert both in space and when he returned, his body reacting as though it was being attacked.

But what could be seen as a positive change, Scotts genes altered in a way thats seen in much younger people. Although they did return to normal after some time back on Earth.

Taking it all in stride, Scott jokes, I returned younger, and more handsome, than my brother.

And despite the health issues he faced in orbit and the risks of a long journey, when asked if hed make the trip to Mars, Scott didnt hesitate.

Yes, yeah, I would go to Mars he replied, immediately. I think we need to go to Mars for a lot of reasons. I think its what keeps us alive as a species is that were always trying to expand our knowledge and expand our horizons.

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The distance, costs and health problems make a journey to the red planet incredibly risky - CTV News

Did you hear the one about the investor who just raised her price target on Tesla TSLA shares from $4,000 to $6,000 by 2025? In the video, I tell you her name and firm and exactly why she's so bullish. The answer may surprise you as much as it did me.

I also remind investors that fund manager and early Tesla bull Ron Baron predicted in 2017 that the stock would hit $1,000 by this year. Baron suffered some volatile fluctuations in his investment's value since then, but in an interview with Becky Quick on CNBC last August, he revealed his steadfast bullish commitment despite Elon Musk's "self-inflicted wounds."

Baron believes that Tesla, with its diverse renewable energy focus, wide and growing appeal for excellent cars, and international expansion could hit $1 trillion in revenues by 2030.

His Baron Capital still owned more than 1.6 million shares of Tesla valued at $360 million at the time when the stock was trading near $225. Tesla was then Barons 13th largest holding, down from eighth in 2018, but Baron said the decline was due to value depreciation, not the firm selling shares.

In the Q3 shareholder letter from Baron Partners Fund in November, here was the update from Ron...

"Teslas stock stabilized as investors build conviction around Model 3 demand trends and expanding margins. Teslas China factory is ahead of schedule, and investors anticipate the Model Y will positively impact the companys P&L. We continue to expect significant value creation for Teslas stakeholders."

And to learn more about the market psychology of TSLA stock, where investors had learned to doubt Elon Musk's projection of at least 350,000 car deliveries in 2019 -- which he surprisingly delivered on -- check out my colleague Dan Laboe in his latest edition of The 4th Revolution.

What SpaceX Success Means for Tesla

Next in the video, I go over my bull case for TSLA based on it being a completely different kind of car company -- truly a technology company as the boss of Volkswagon conceded recently -- where traditional valuation metrics don't apply to its brand of growth.

One of my arguments is that Musk surrounds himself with the best engineering talent in the world and this was proven once again on Sunday January 19 when his SpaceX successfully tested the emergency rocket abort for its Dragon crew capsule.

The test, conducted jointly with NASA, was a necessary milestone before astronauts are given the green light for crewed missions. In the post-test press conference, Musk, Jim Bridenstine, Administrator of NASA, and Kathy Lueders, manager of NASA's Commercial Crew Program all affirmed the importance of this milestone as a big step towards reigniting America's space efforts.

In the video, I also show a book by SpaceX mission manager Andrew Rader which is a really fun, can't-put-down read covering the history of exploration from ancient mariners up to modern astronauts. Rader holds a PhD in aerospace engineering from MIT specializing in long-duration spaceflight and you can tell he is as passionate about the goals of SpaceX as its founder.

Incidentally, last week in my video and related article Virgin Galactic Stock Takes Off Before SpaceX and Blue Origin I explained why, despite all this great momentum, SpaceX wouldn't being doing an IPO any time soon. The article accompanying that video also goes into some detail about the different approaches and progress of each space enterprise and their "birds," including Amazon AMZN founder Jeff Bezos and his independently-funded Blue Origin.

What's Really Launching Virgin Galactic?

Last week I did my weekly video (link above) and podcast on exciting things happening with the private space transport and exploration companies SpaceX and Blue Origin. I also took a close look at Virgin Galactic SPCE after its blistering rally of over 120% since early December.

As of today (Jan 22), SPCE is up another 20%+ this week for a total return over 171% since December 8 when it closed at $7.26. What ignited the launch back then -- was it the $20 million investment from Boeing BA? I think that helped, but I finally found the real culprit.

On December 9, Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas initiated coverage of the company with a $22 price target as he sees the greatest value potentially coming from hypersonic travel more than leisure space travel.

Hypersonic point-to-point (P2P) air travel will be what Jonas called "the third phase of the Virgin Galactic business model" referring to the company's three-phase plan outlined during public investor presentations last year. "A viable space tourism business is what you pay for today, but a chance to disrupt the multi-trillion-dollar airline TAM is what is really likely to drive the upside," Jonas speculated.

Think of traveling 50% faster than the Concorde, with flights between San Francisco and London in under 3 hours.

The analyst summed up his view of the investment opportunity under $10 this way: The shares feature biotech-type risk/reward where todays space tourism business serves as a funding strategy and innovation catalyst to incubate enabling tech for the hypersonic P2P air travel opportunity."

This big optimism from the Morgan Stanley analyst certainly explains part of the massive stock rally in SPCE. Three other elements should be noted though: (1) Virgin Galactic is the only public pure-play space transport and exploration company, and thus getting all the stock market love; (2) a low share price attracted lots of retail buyers with visions of doubling and tripling their money; (3) the hypersonic travel "call option" value of the company is probably at least 5 years away.

The analyst's $22 price target factors in $10 per share in value for space tourism and $12 per share for the hypersonic opportunity that are part of Virgin Galactic's long-range business plans. Jonas forecast $800 billion in annual sales for hypersonic travel by 2040 and further juxtaposed the tourism model (see Earth from space) and the speedy travel model (get around Earth faster)...

"While some investors have described high-speed hypersonic P2P air travel opportunity as the icing on the cake, we see Hypersonic as both the cake and the icing, with Space Tourism as the oven."

Big Global Space Goals: ISS, the Moon, Then Mars

While Branson & Co. are using space tourism to build a bridge to hypersonic air travel, Musk and Bezos with Blue Origin are looking to be reliable transport of cargo and people to the International Space Station (ISS). In his October key note, Bezos emphasized that we must get back to the moon quickly for the next stages of building a space program that can manufacture and test in 1/6 of Earth's gravity. This will be essential for eventual travel to and base-building on Mars.

But back to Virgin Galactic's tourism dreams, "the oven" hasn't even started heating up yet, even though over 600 customers have already bought their seats on the six-passenger SpaceShipTwo at an average cost between $200K and $250K. Tickets first went on sale in 2004 for $200,000 when Branson said commercial operations would begin within three years.

In 2013, tickets went up to $250,000 but an accident in 2014 where a pilot was killed set the program back. Seven years later with no passenger flights yet, some have asked for refunds.

But Virgin Galactic expects to begin flying its first space tourism customers in 2020. Morgan Stanley's Jonas estimates VG can ramp its flight offerings to serve more than 3,000 passengers by 2030. Another estimate that might mean nothing with all the variables involved.

Still it's the social and wealth trends that Jonas is banking on. "The addressable market for space tourism, while niche, is supported by a range of industries, including yacht charters and luxury cars."

"Space Tourisms goal over the next year: be safe, stay funded, he wrote in his research report. We believe the key catalyst over the next 12 months will be sending even one customer to space and returning safely.

Competition and Cooperation in Space

That feat will indeed amaze the world and build wider enthusiasm for all space programs, including SpaceX and Blue Origin. Something that NASA Administrator Bridenstine emphasized after the Crew Dragon abort test Sunday was that his goal has always been "dissimilar redundancy."

This means he wants NASA to rely on several providers of aerospace excellence and reliability. This may eventually include the space projects of Alphabet GOOGL founder Larry Page.

The NASA and SpaceX partnership is a great early example of what's possible when private enterprise (and wealth) takes the initiative in space science and engineering and gets full cooperation from government agencies. This will only encourage more space entrepreneurs to build their visions.

And in a time of rising global mistrust between nations, the International Space Station and its 15 member countries stands as a symbol of unity that only science and shared knowledge can create.

Story continues

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Tesla to $6,000 and SpaceX to the Moon? - Yahoo Finance

WASHINGTON-Chocolate chip cookies have become the first food to be baked in space in a first-of-its-kind experiment.

Astronauts baked the cookies in a special zero-gravity oven at the International Space Station (ISS) last month.

Sealed in individual baking pouches, three of the cookies returned to Earth on the SpaceXDragon spacecraft on 7 January.

The aim of the experiment was to study cooking options for long-haul trips.

The results of the experiment, carried out by astronauts Luca Parmitano and Christina Koch, were revealed this week.

A spokesman for Double Tree, the company that supplied the dough, told the BBC the cookies would soon undergo additional testing by food science professionals to determine the final results of the experiment. These tests will establish whether the cookies are safe to eat.

For the experiment, five cookies were baked over several days to determine the ideal cooking temperature and time.

On Earth, it takes about 20 minutes to bake cookies at a temperature of around 150C (300F). The astronauts found that, in space, it takes far longer.

The first cookie - baked for 25 minutes - was undercooked, but the second - baked for 75 minutes - released a fresh scent in the ISS.

The fourth and fifth cookies - one baked for 120 minutes and left to cool for 25 minutes, and the other baked for 130 minutes and left to cool for 10 minutes - were deemed to be the most successful.

The aim of the experiment was to test cooking options for long-haul space trips

As the cookies were baking, Mr Parmitano, an Italian astronaut for the European Space Agency, kept mission control abreast of their progress.

They were baked in a prototype oven built by NanoRacks and Zero G Kitchen, which create appliances for microgravity use in long-duration space flights.

Zero G Kitchen describes the oven as a cylindrical-shaped insulated container designed to hold and bake food samples in the microgravity environment.

The oven heats food through electric heating elements, similar to those found in a toaster oven, the company says.

While we have initial visual and scent feedback from the crew aboard the ISS, were excited to dive into fully understanding the baking results, said Mary Murphy, senior internal payloads manager at NanoRacks.

DoubleTree said it planned to preserve the cookies where visitors could view them and learn more about the experiment.

The results will help experts with future efforts to make long-duration space travel more hospitable, the company said.

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First cookies baked in space oven by astronauts - The Nation