Category Archives: Transhuman News

Marshburn, a medical doctor, is not the first but among a select few non-military pilots in the astronaut history books. He earned the title, though, years ago. He holds private, instrument, aerobatic and commercial pilots licenses, not to mention a masters degree in engineering.

Like most astronauts, Marshburn hoped for another mission but wouldnt know until it was assigned. He served as part of the backup crew for two Soyuz flights out of Kazakhstan in 2019, ready to step in if a member of the prime crew couldnt make the flight.

He took one of those backup crew jobs knowing it was almost certain he would not fly and no way of knowing if it helped his chances at a future flight. NASAs astronaut office needed a space flight veteran, and Marshburn, with Russian language skills, could jump in easily.

His seatmates on the coming flight include Chari, an Air Force Colonel and test pilot, and Matthias Maurer, a European Space Agency astronaut from Germany, both making their first spaceflight. A fourth member will be named later.

The new Dragon ship, with its clean look inside and out and its touchscreen controls, brings a new level of excitement to the venture, Marshburn said.

But like the exceeding care in taking the first spin in a new car, it also brings, he said, an added level of, lets say, monitoring.

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Astronaut Tom Marshburn '82 to Pilot SpaceX Mission to International Space Station - Davidson News

Santa Claus will be performing a ceremonial fly-by of the International Space Station (ISS) on Dec. 24. The visit will honor the 20th anniversary of continuous life on the ISS, a milestone achieved in November.

The official NORAD Santa Tracker at NoradSanta.org will allow users to track Santas journey all day on Dec. 24. New for this year, visitors will be able to see the ISS orbiting the planet in its precise real-time location by zooming out on the 3D Santa Tracker app. Other updates include additions to Santas traditional garb, including a face mask and space helmet.

Santas sleigh flying past the International Space Station on a precise digital twin of the Earth built by Cesium. (Photo: Cesium)

The ISS is a spectacular example of what humans can accomplish when we work together, said Hannah Pinkos, lead developer of the app. 2020 has been a tough year, but I think this special trip is Santas way of reminding us to believe in ourselves.

NORAD, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, is a United States and Canada bi-national organization that defends North America by tracking objects flying in and around its airspace 24 hours a day using radar, satellites and fighter jets. Each year, it joins corporate partners in taking on a special mission to also track Santas sleigh. The app shows Santas position reflected on a digital twin of the Earth provided by Cesium, a Philadelphia-based geospatial software company.

Cesium is rooted in aerospace, so its especially meaningful to us that our technology will allow millions of people to enjoy this event in real-time from the safety of their homes, added Cesium CEO Patrick Cozzi.

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Santa Claus to fly by the International Space Station - GPS World magazine

The air leak in a Russian section of the International Space Station is still unresolved, and experts are considering the possibility of sealing off the affected section, Russian media said.

Russian state news agency TASS said after a call between the astronauts on the aging space station and the operational command in Moscow that pressure is growing to find the leak as oxygen reserves and air pressure are still decreasing.

The leak is apparently in an access section to the Zvezda module but it is not clear where. A spacewalk in November to find the fault was not successful.

A 4.5-centimeter (1.7 inch) rip had already been discovered in October which was located using a floating tea bag and then sealed. It is still not known what caused the damage.

It soon became clear, however, that there was another leak from elsewhere in the same section.

The cosmonauts and the command center discussed sealing off the affected section, but this would affect the overall operation of the ISS.

Russian space agency Roskosmos has said there is no danger to the ISS crew. There are currently seven people on board: four Americans, two Russians and a Japanese astronaut.

The iconic 20-year-old spacecraft, which has hosted a wide variety of experiments in zero gravity, is experiencing ever more faults. The latest such problems include electricity supply and toilet facilities.

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Russian astronauts still battling air leak on International Space Station | Daily Sabah - Daily Sabah

OTTAWA The federal government has signed an agreement with the United States to send a Canadian astronaut around the moon as part of a broader effort to establish a new space station above the lunar surface.

Industry Minister Navdeep Bains unveiled the new Gateway Treaty on Dec. 16, which formalizes Canadas involvement in the U.S.-led effort to build that new station known as the Lunar Gateway.

The treaty includes a commitment to having a Canadian on board when the U.S. conducts a manned flyby of the moon in 2023, as well as a second yet-to-be-scheduled flight to the future station.

Canada will join the U.S. on the first crewed mission to the moon since the Apollo missions, Bains said during a news conference with Canadian Space Agency astronauts Jeremy Hansen, David Saint-Jacques, Joshua Kutryk and Jenni Sidey-Gibbons.

Launching in 2023, a Canadian Space Agency astronaut will be part of Artemis 2, the first mission to carry humans to lunar orbit in over 50 years. This will make Canada only the second country after the U.S. to have an astronaut in deep space.

The new treaty also formally confirms that Canada will contribute a new robotic arm to help withconstructionof the Lunar Gateway, which will orbit the moon and allow for exploration of the lunar surface and assist future missions to Mars.

The government last week committed $22.8 million toward development of the new Canadarm3 by MDA Canada.

The Canadian Space Agency is one of several partners in the U.S.-led endeavour along with the European Space Agency and their Japanese counterpart. Russia has also expressed an interest in joining.

The Lunar Gateway is projected to be about one-sixth the size of the International Space Station in orbit around the Earth, with plans to build it over the next decade.

Bains did not say how much Canada will spend to participate in the Artemis 2 flight, which will come after an unmanned flyby of the moon that the U.S. has scheduled for next year.

Its important to note that were a spacefaring nation, and very proud of our space history, he said. And this investment with regards to the Artemis 2 program, as well as the overall space strategies, is well over $2 billion over the next 24 years.

Bains later said in an interview with the Canadian Press that the two flights as well as the Canadarm project and other robotics programs on the Lunar Gateway are included in the nearly $2 billion set aside for space.

The minister defended Ottawas planned investment in space, touting the economic and scientific benefits that come from Canadas involvement in extraterrestrial exploration a sentiment echoed by some of the astronauts in attendance.

MDA president Mike Greenley made similar comments in an interview following the announcement as he welcomed the new treaty with the U.S. as a win for Canadas robotics sector and space industry.

And then the astronauts flights are highly, highly motivational for the rest of the country, he added.

Its been clearly demonstrated that the motivation of youth to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math and STEM professions has been inspired by astronauts in the space program, is high. And so youre driving the next generation.

As for the purpose of the Artemis 2 flyby, Kutryk said it will help test the rockets and other systems needed to start work on the Lunar Gateway.

Its worth pointing out here that this will be, I think, the farthest and fastest that any human in the history of our species has ever gone, he said. And so its a very big deal to be able to do just that: get a vehicle that far away and then safely recover it back to Earth.

They also spoke about the excitement and interest that is generated among young Canadians who may be encouraged to pursue careers in robotics and other areas with potential links to space.

Exactly who will get to fly past the moon has yet to be determined.

At some point, we will assign a crew and thats when well find out which Canadian astronaut is going to be selected, Hansen said.

One of the things thats really important to us as an astronaut corps is the word `team, and that we take on these big challenges togetherand it doesnt turn into a competitive process, but turns into a process of us lifting each other up all the way.

One of the main drivers in the U.S. plan to get back to the moon has been Donald Trump. Bains suggested the presidents imminent departure from the White House next month after losing the November election to Joe Biden does not threaten the program.

Well continue to remain engaged with the Americans, he said. But so far, all signals have been positive and weve heard nothing to the contrary. Theres a great deal of commitment to this program. And I believe its bipartisan.

While Artemis 2 will not touch down on the moon, the U.S. has plans to land a ship on the lunar surface in 2024.

Bains would not rule out a Canadian being on that trip as well, saying: Conversations are ongoing, and I wouldnt necessarily close that door yet.

2020 The Canadian Press

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Canada inks deal with US to send astronaut around the moon for new space station - Daily Commercial News

UK Science Minister Amanda Solloway remembers Peakes Dec. 15, 2015 mission to the ISS as a turning point for British space exploration.

Five years ago today, Maj. Tim Peake stepped off a gangway into a Soyuz rocket, fastened his seat belt and took to the skies from a remote desert in Kazakhstan. As he did so, he took along a photograph of his family and friends, his iPod nano, and the anticipation of a whole country.

As Tim made the eight-minute, 45-second journeyaway from the Earths gravity, the former RAF officer and Apache helicopter pilot wrote his name into our history books, and pub quizzes up and down the land, becoming the first Briton to live on humanitys most unique science laboratory, the International Space Station.

I am delighted that we are ending this difficult year on a rare high note. These past few weeks have seen rapturous applause for the outstanding achievements of scientists from our shores and beyond in helping us find a safe vaccine for COVID-19. And it is a time in which we should also recognize the shot in the arm for science that Tim Peake gave this country.

Tim became our own star in space and used his time to inspire many school children in the UK to believe space is within their grasp and to discover the wealth of opportunities that exist in science, technology, engineering.

During his missions 186 days and 11 hours, Tim undertook no fewer than 250 pioneering science experiments, before going on to don the infamous white pressure suit and join the history books once again as he joined the few who can say they have walked in space.

But Tims job on the space station went far beyond the experiments.

While onboard Tim took time to host question and answer sessions with school students giving kids a chance to put their questions to an astronaut floating round the Earth, thousands of miles away, and have answers beamed back down to Earth.

He was able to harness the growing power of social media to capture the publics imagination, sharing images that reflected the true beauty of the world; allowing us all to vicariously enjoy a thin slice of the heavens on a daily basis.

In the weeks prior to launch, a competition to design the mission badge, led by the BBCs Blue Peter, generated over 3,000 entries and was won by 13-year-old Troy Wood, who, with talent beyond his years, visualized a design featuring Isaac Newtons apple and the Soyuz rocket.

Five years on, we know Tim did not leave his legacy in orbit. Since his return he has been a beacon for science and a champion for space, sharing his wonderful experiences as an astronaut to inspire people in myriad ways. He embarked on a nationwide tour with the Soyuz rocket in tow, visited schools across the country and used his platform to encourage us all to ponder a career in space, to take up that science qualification, or register for an amateur astronomy course.

In the first two decades that followed the halcyon days of the space race in the 1960s, one of the great ambitions of many children was not to be a football player, singer or a celebrity, but to be an astronaut or a rocket scientist.

We know that the legacy of Tims historic journey similarly captivated people in the UK and we have now launched a campaign to ask people to share their memories of Tims mission and their personal reflections.

Inspiring British spacemen and women cannot be a guise for underinvestment. We are serious about turbocharging our research community, which is why we are not just talking a good game, we are investing record amounts in research and development. In the recent Spending Review we committed to invest 14.6 billion ($19.5 billion) in research and development including to support groundbreaking technologies and businesses, for innovation loans to help cutting-edge UK businesses access capital, and to build new science capability and support the whole research and innovation ecosystem.

This is married to big ambitions to make us the first country in Europe to launch satellites in the next couple of years, earning us our stripes as a space nation and giving the UK its very own Sputnik moment.

When Tim reached the International Space Station five years ago, he boldly went where no Briton had gone before. Because of him, I know he will be the first of many.

Amanda Solloway is the United Kingdoms science minister.

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Commentary | Tim Peake's 2015 space station mission gave UK science a long-lasting shot in the arm - SpaceNews

Over the past 20 years, the International Space Station (ISS) has housed more than 200 astronauts from 17 countries. The ISS has proven to be uniquely capable of enabling the development and testing of exploration technology and human physiology research for future Mars missions.

In the next 10 years the ISS can play a critical role in overcoming hurdles on the road to human exploration of Mars, not only as a laboratory for key research topics, but as the starting point for simulated Mars missions that take humans from a zero-G environment to Mars analog sites on Earth. Areas of research include environmental and life support systems, habitation module development, human factors, space nutrition, space suit testing, long duration human physiology, surface adaptation and rehabilitation, and much more. The ISS is a unique facility for solving scientific mysteries, and if we leverage everything it has to offer, it will accelerate our efforts to explore the solar system.

Integrated Mars mission analogs

One unanswered question is how long it will take for astronauts to recover from their zero-gravity transit to Mars when they reach the martian surface. Currently, astronauts returning from the ISS are scooped up by support staff moments after they reach the Earth; however, astronauts will not have the same luxury on Mars. They will need to self-recover on a dangerous alien planet after six to nine months in a zero-g environment and begin work as soon as possible. Given this reality, it is necessary to understand how long astronaut recovery, both physical and mental, will take in order to design the architecture of future Mars missions to meet their needs. We can start to answer these questions with astronauts returning from the ISS now.

Mars missions will also require updates to the operations concepts, tools and processes astronauts need to enable their ground activities as quickly and safely as possible. Expeditions that simulate astronaut operations with time-delayed support teams will demonstrate where knowledge is lacking. These activities should be incorporated into upcoming ISS expeditions to maximize the benefits of the ISS while it is in orbit. Addressing these unknowns will allow us to buy down significant risk for the crews on their way to Mars.

To take full advantage of any of these tests, we need to start now. If humans are going to go to the martian system in the 2030s, it requires an understanding of what the crew will experience. Integrated analog missions, in harsh environments such as the dry valleys of Antarctica or the Arctic, which combine the above research areas, could potentially revolutionize our understanding of Mars mission operations.

Long duration spaceflight studies laboratory

The ISS is also useful for testing how humans will perform during deep space missions. Early Mars missions may be as long as 1,100 days from launch to Earth return for both orbital and surface missions. Whether by design or as a contingency plan, the crew could end up spending the entire duration in a zero-G environment. It is currently unknown how missions of this duration will affect astronaut health and performance. In fact, there are zero data points for long term human spaceflight beyond 438 days (Valeri Polyakovs Mir mission in 1994), not even half the duration of the shortest Mars missions.

Missions such as The Year in Space, with Scott Kelly and Mikhail Korniyenkos time aboard the ISS, have been key to understanding how long-duration space flight affects the human body and psyche. That being said, we need more data points to generate a statistically meaningful dataset from a diverse population if we are going to generalize the findings.

The two-and-a-half hour exercise regimen currently employed on the ISS largely remediates the effects of bone loss and muscle deterioration on 6-month to 1-year missions. But, even if these problems prove manageable, there are still other challenges that we need to examine. For example, astronauts on the ISS can also experience vision blurring, renal stone formation, bone fractures and limited access to medical care, to name a few. How astronauts will overcome these and other unknown challenges that may arise as they extend their stay in space is currently unknown. But we can pursue more long duration missions on the ISS to find out.

A testbed for Mars mission equipment

ISS can also serve as a valuable testbed for Mars mission equipment such as for experiments and technology demonstrations that require microgravity, radiation or thermal space environments. Environmental control systems, 3D printing techniques, intelligent systems and many other technologies required for Mars exploration could be tested on the ISS today, in an in-space environment only hours away from the Earths surface. It is necessary to understand how new deep space systems withstand the rigors of exposure to a zero-G environment. In fact, many of these systems, such as urine processors, can be thoroughly tested only when there are humans regularly stressing the system.

Public outreach

The public wants NASA to do great things; they want to see humans explore the solar system. As NASA develops more comprehensive plans to send humans to Mars in the 2030s, the public would almost certainly be excited to see NASA testing equipment for the Mars Transfer Vehicle in orbit or to follow the progress of astronauts on simulated Mars missions from the ISS to a Mars analog site during the 2020s. Taxpayers will witness astronauts doing real training in preparation for Mars, and the public will even be able to experience the challenges of such missions firsthand, both through social media and augmented or virtual reality experiences currently in use in the space program.

The ISS is unique: it is nearby, it is active, but it will not last forever. If we are serious about ever going beyond the Earth system, we need to take advantage of our resources at hand. With the right expertise applied and supporting management structure, the ISS can expand the horizons of human space exploration. There are no other platforms in existence that provide the unique capabilities that the ISS offers. Abandoning the opportunity to use the ISS to the fullest extent of its capabilities will only slow us down and even stand in the way of the journey to Mars.

Chris Carberry is CEO of Explore Mars, Inc., and author of Alcohol in Space. Rick Zucker is vice president for policy, and member of the board of directors, of Explore Mars, Inc.

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Utilizing the International Space Station to enable humans to reach Mars - The Hill

Canada plans to send two astronauts on moon-bound missions.

The Canadian Space Agency (CSA) announced Wednesday, Dec. 16, that a Canadian astronaut will fly around the moon in 2023 on the Artemis 2 mission the first crewed mission of NASA's Artemis program that will test NASA's Orion spacecraft in lunar orbit to prepare for a 2024 landing. A second CSA astronaut will participate in a subsequent mission to NASA's forthcoming Gateway space station in lunar orbit.

The forthcoming flight announcements are part of a larger memorandum of agreement between Canada and NASA, also announced Wednesday, formally pledging collaboration on the Artemis moon program that Canada said it would commit to nearly 18 months ago.

Related: Canadian Astronauts Talk Apollo 11 and Canada's Future in Space

Simply put, Canada will provide robotics to NASA, and in exchange NASA will give CSA astronauts opportunities to fly lunar missions, potentially even with more astronauts landing on the moon in the future, officials said in a virtual press conference.

"This will make Canada only the second country after the U.S. to have an astronaut in deep space and send the first Canadian around the moon," Navdeep Bains, Canada's government minister of innovation, science and industry, told reporters in the press conference.

The only people who have ventured out of Earth orbit so far are a handful of American Apollo astronauts, over nine missions between 1968 and 1972, but NASA wants its Artemis program to include extensive international participation.

Canadian astronaut David Saint-Jacques evoked the historic Apollo 8 mission of 1968, which tested some of the major spacecraft systems in lunar orbit ahead of the first human landing in 1969, as the parallel for Artemis 2.

"It's a mission to test the [spacecraft] equipment and the navigation; as you can imagine, navigation from the planet will be one of the biggest challenges," Saint-Jacques said during the press conference (in French, translated into English). Another challenge the Artemis 2 astronauts will face is a high-speed re-entry in Earth's atmosphere, he added.

Canada will pay for its astronaut seats through its traditional route, which is providing handy space robotics to assist with NASA's missions. Canadarm3, a future robotic arm, will be mounted on the Gateway space station to do remote maintenance even when astronauts aren't there.

Canadian robotics giant MDA who also maintains Canadarm2 on the International Space Station received a contract just last week to establish the technical requirements for Canadarm3, which CSA first pledged to contribute to the Artemis program in March 2019. The new arm will be equipped with artificial intelligence so that the robot has a measure of autonomy in performing scans of Gateway and possibly, assisting with repairs.

The moon-bound Canadian astronauts haven't been named yet, but Canada has a choice of four Saint-Jacques (who flew to the International Space Station in 2018-19), Jeremy Hansen (selected in 2009 and still waiting for a mission), and newer 2017 recruits Jenni Sidey-Gibbons and Joshua Kutryk, who both qualified for full astronaut status earlier in 2020 after completing standard astronaut candidate training.

Notably, Hansen coordinated the entire 2017 astronaut class training schedule and acted as a mentor to the recruits, a first for a Canadian that shows NASA's confidence in Hansen's work. He also helped with the planning for several recent tricky spacewalks, including the complex procedures associated with repairing and upgrading a dark-matter detector on ISS known as the Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer.

During the press conference, Bains also said Hansen is a "tremendous ambassador" for Canada in promoting the country's space strategy to policy-makers. Hansen himself spoke to the importance of Canada's participation in international space missions, too.

"Setting big goals in space exploration for example, the International Space Station that has strengthened our ability to collaborate, and that same collaboration is required as we tackle big global challenges like climate change," Hansen said in the same press conference.

"Canada, in my opinion, just has so much to offer the global community Space is changing rapidly. The commercial opportunities are immense. There are even new commercial opportunities now around human exploration, and even space robotics. What I would really love to communicate to our Canadian youth, minister, is that they should know our future in space is bright. We are leveraging decades of experience and commitment to the major players in this emerging economy. I think it is visionary."

"As Canadian astronauts, I think that we're particularly proud to be representing Canada in this context," Kutryk added during the same press conference. "We're also proud to have built here at the Canadian Space Agency our core of highly trained and ready professional astronauts, all of whom are ready for these missions and the ones that will follow."

Canada anticipates using its lunar opportunity to test out technologies such as rovers on the surface, and also to practice geology from orbit. Apollo astronauts historically received some of their geology training in Sudbury, Ont. and all current Canadian astronauts have participated in work with Canada's Western University, a leader in space geology that periodically does expeditions in the Arctic to practice science-gathering in remote environments.

"Canada's scientists are really interested in studying the geological record of the moon and the geological processes that formed the moon's surface," Sidey-Gibbons said in the same press conference. "That gives us hints not only as to how our own moon formed, but also lets us know about the composition and characteristics of other terrestrial planets in our solar system. We learn about other moons icy moons of other planets and even smaller objects like asteroids."

Canadian robotics have been in space since the dawn of NASA's space shuttle program, paying for astronaut seats as they were built. The second space shuttle mission, STS-2 in 1981, successfully tested out the Canadarm, which was used for spacewalks and robotic operations for shuttle missions for the next 30 years. Its wild success led to NASA inviting Canada to form an astronaut program, and the first Canadian Marc Garneau flew only three years later in 1984.

Canadarm2 was mounted on the space station in 2001 and a robotic hand, Dextre, was added in 2008, securing Canada's commitment for human space station missions for decades. Both are still functioning and later in its career, Canadarm2's mandate of spacewalk assistance and space station scans expanded to include helping to capture robotic cargo spacecraft. Canada also began to perform more robotic operations from its own space center in Montreal, rather than in the United States.

While Canada has a crucial contribution to ISS, its 2.3% equivalent financial commitment pales beside the more giant international partners of NASA, Roscosmos, the European Space Agency and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

As commercial crew missions and Artemis missions begin to take shape, more international opportunities do appear to be forthcoming since there are simply more astronaut seats to be had for all missions. But for more than a decade, Canada's small contribution meant that ever since the space shuttle retired in 2011, the smaller Russian Soyuz spacecraft only had the room to haul Canadians into orbit every five to six years. The last two Canadians Saint-Jacques and now-retired astronaut Chris Hadfield flew in 2018 and 2012-13, respectively.

Follow Elizabeth Howell on Twitter @howellspace. Follow us on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.

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Canadian astronauts will start flying to the moon in 2023 with NASA's Artemis missions - Space.com

This Christmas might be the first that you find yourself unable to be where you want or with the people you want to celebrate with, but that doesnt mean it wont be festive. People who have spent Christmas in some of the most remote locations possible in space, on a submarine and on several isolated islands have spoken to i about how they captured the Christmas spirit when they were far from their loved ones.

Former Nasa astronaut Terry Virts, from Texas, spent Christmas on the International Space Station as a member of a six-person crew. He called his family, decorated the station, and exchanged gifts with the other astronauts.

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Field assistant Alex Dodds is about to spend her second Christmas on the British Antarctic Surveys research station on Bird Island, South Georgia. Every year, all the research bases in Antarctica exchange Christmas cards.

Retired captain Ryan Ramsey spent two Christmases submerged under the waves on a Royal Navy submarine, unable to speak to his family or see the sky for a month. He worried about missing Christmas at home in the build-up to the day, but afterwards he focused on next year instead.

Lauren Elliott spent last Christmas working at the UKs most remote post office, Port Lockroy, a snow-covered outpost on the Antarctic Peninsula, with thousands of honking penguins and just four other people for company. She was amazed by how somewhere so remote could be made to feel festive.

Ritualistic behaviour and traditions provide containment, which allow us to go back to our roots and make us feel connected to people at home says Dr Martina Paglia, a psychologist at the International Psychology Clinic.

Loneliness is a normal emotion to experience especially at Christmas time but you can lift your mood by allowing yourself to feel hope, she says.

There are reasons to have a positive outlook now, says Dr Paglia. The vaccine is being implemented across the country and the world. Keeping your mind positive affects mood. Ask yourself what you want to accomplish in 2021.

We got to celebrate Christmas 16 times, because we got 16 sunrises. Due to the international nature of the space station, holidays are frequently being celebrated. On Christmas Day, there wasnt a whole lot of scheduled activity, but Nasa makes you exercise to keep your body in shape, so I spent two hours using a treadmill, a bike and a weightlifting machine.

Afterwards, I spent a lot of time on the phone. The system is like a WhatsApp or FaceTime call, but its only available when the satellites in view, so it cuts off. People back home were always happy to get that phone call.

The space station is decorated with lights, Santa hats, stockings for each crew member and even a tiny Christmas tree, which all had to be secured with Velcro and duct tape. We ate irradiated turkey, dehydrated potatoes and cornbread dressing.

Some people planned ahead and launched presents, but I didnt think of that, so gave everyone beef jerky and chocolate. The Russians on the station gave me a harmonica. When they celebrated Christmas on 7 January, we watched a livestream of carols being performed in Russian churches.

Christmas happens in summer in the subantarctic wilds, so we have 24 hours of sunlight. The base gets decorated and we have an artificial tree its the only tree on Bird Island.

The island is home to albatrosses, fur seals, leopard seals, penguins, giant petrels and burrow-nesting birds. There are just four people three zoological field assistants and one station technician on the base from March- November, but it gets busier at Christmas, the middle of the albatrosses breeding season.

On the day, field work takes up most of our time. Once we have checked the albatrosses, we have a lunch with all the trimmings, mulled wine and mince pies.

We may be remote, but we still get post. Visiting ships deliver mail sacks from Stanley, Falkland Islands albeit infrequently throughout the year. Getting the mail is always a great morale boost. Its tradition for all the other countries Antarctic bases to send each other a Christmas card with a photo of everyone out in the snow, so we have those on display too.

Everyone is a long way from home, so everyone gets a timeslot to call our families. Well end the day watching a classic Christmas film together.

The Killer Hunter submarine left port for a month-long patrol on 21 December 2013 with 130 people on board. I had no way to contact my family for all the time I was at sea because the submarines have no internet connections.

Everyone on board worked in on and off shifts of six hours, even on Christmas Day. The day was marked though, with an alcohol-free dinner and presents from family that were brought aboard. There was no live television but the crew played board games.

It was difficult not being able to be with family on the day, but you enjoy what you have. For most, its simply a chance to have a good meal. You can celebrate properly when you get back.

There is some anxiety about missing the day in the build-up to it, but afterwards you focus on the next year being better.

I hoped I would receive better gifts the following year, too. I only brought one present onto the submarine, which was from my other half. I opened the parcel in the officers mess with everyone else. It was a nasal hair trimmer.

Ryan Ramsey has written a book called SSN14 HMS Turbulent and a second, Deep Pressure, which is released in the middle of next year.

Port Lockroy is home to the UKs most remote post office, run by the UK Antarctic Heritage Trust, on the first permanent British base to be established on theAntarctic Peninsula.

It is the most Christmassy place you can imagine, covered in snow, ice and penguins. We arrived in October and what amazed me was how quickly humans can make a random place homely and festive.

There were just five of us living permanently at Pock Lockroy on Christmas Day. We had to do all our normal jobs shovelling snow, counting the gentoo penguins but then we were able to borrow some kayaks and kayaked around the island.

All of our food was canned, but we managed to get some potatoes from a ship that came into the port, so we roasted them. People who had spent Christmas at the base in previous years sent us cards to open on the day.

Youd think it would be very peaceful there, but the penguins are so loud. After a while, though, the sound becomes normal, like the sound of traffic in a city.

Alongside running the post office and the museum for visiting cruise ship passengers, we had to conduct beach surveys, carry out maintenance of the buildings and monitor the penguins. Its such a simple way of living, with no running water and electricity from a solar panel. I would go back in a heartbeat.

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How people spend an isolated Christmas in space, on submarines and in Antarctica - iNews

It's the ultimate bucket list experience like no other. Take to the skies and float like an astronaut without launching to space.

It's a once in a lifetime commercial flight opportunity offered by the Zero Gravity Corporation.

The space entertainment and tourism company is making space adventure available to anyone at a reasonable price.

"Because having space is something that can be a commercial endeavor that everyone can enjoy," Cronise said. "Not just creating hero astronauts; not just the elite people that get to go, but actually everybody be able to go."

Space enthusiasts get to experience the free-falling ride inside G-Force One.

"It's a Boeing 727 that took 10-years to retrofit to do this," said Matt Gohd, CEO of Zero Gravity Corporation. "It's the only FAA-certified plane that can fly zero-gravity flights.

Similar to a cargo plane, G-Force One is laid out with a padded interior divided into spacious sections made just for free-floating.

"It's like watching Apollo 11. It's incredible," said Joshua Wexler from Van Nuys in Los Angeles.

After first experiencing ZERO-G with his son earlier in the year, Wexler returned, but this time with his daughter for her first space-like flight.

"To have this kind of experience with my dad is just a really special moment," said 16-year-old Bella Wexler. "It's just a father-daughter bonding moment," she added.

For reservations, pricing, and flights near you, just head to gozerog.com.

"As a kid growing up in the beginnings of the space age, to think that like 50 years ago, this would be something I could do is amazing," said Gohd.

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Experience zero-gravity without going to space - WPVI-TV

By: Trends Desk | New Delhi | Updated: December 18, 2020 10:55:06 amThe picture also captures the orange airglow, which is the result of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.

NASA shared an image what the snow-covered Himalayas look like from space and its being widely shared on social media. Shared from NASAs official Instagram handle, the picture also captured the bright city lights of New Delhi and Lahore.

The enhanced, long-exposure image was reportedly taken by one of the crew members of the International Space Station (ISS).

The snow-covered Himalayan Mountains are in splendid view in this enhanced, long-exposure image taken by a crew member aboard the @iss, the post read.

Take a look here:

The picture also captures the orange airglow, which is the result of atmospheric particles reacting to solar radiation.

Take a look at some of the reactions to the picture:

The Himalayan mountain range has some of the highest peaks in Earth, including the Mount Everest, located at the border between Nepal and China.

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NASA shows what snow-covered Himalayas look like from space - The Indian Express