A few hundred years ago, traveling over the Earths surface was a risky adventure. Early explorers who set out to explore the New World went by boat, enduring fierce storms, disease and hunger, to reach their destinations. Today, astronauts exploring space face similar challenges.

All About Space Travel: One space shuttle launch costs $450 million

Space travel has become much safer as scientists have overcome potential problems, but its still dangerous. Its also very expensive. In order for a space shuttle to break free of Earths gravity, it has to travel at a speed of 15,000 miles per hour. Space shuttles need 1.9 million liters of fuel just to launch into space. Thats enough fuel to fill up 42,000 cars! Combine the high speed, heat and fuel needed for launching and youve got a very potentially dangerous situation.

In 1949, Albert II, a Rhesus monkey went to space.

Re-entering the atmosphere is dangerous too. When a space craft re-enters the atmosphere, it is moving very fast. As it moves through the air, friction causes it to heat up to a temperature of 2,691 degrees. The first spacecrafts were destroyed during re-entry. Todays space shuttles have special ceramic tiles that help absorb some of the heat, keeping the astronauts safe during re-entry.

In 1957, the Russian space dog, Laika, orbited the Earth.

In 1959, the Russian space craft, Luna 2, landed on the moon. It crashed at high speed.

Russian astronaut, Yuri Gagarin, was the first human in space. He orbited the Earth in 1961.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first men to walk on the moon and return home safely a journey of 250,000 miles.

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A video about the N.E.X.T. mission for space travel by NASA.

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People began traveling in space in 1961 in tiny spacecraft called capsules, which were launched from Earth by powerful rockets. Russian crews still travel in this kind of craft, in Soyuz capsules, but Americans now travel into space in shuttles, which are rocket-powered space planes.

There is no oxygen in space, so all crewed spacecraft carry a life-support system. This supplies air for people to breathe. The system also includes equipment to keep the air at a comfortable temperature and pressure and to remove carbon dioxide and odors.

Gravity in space is much weaker than it is on Earth. When people travel in space, they seem to become weightless. This often makes them feel sick. Their bodies do not have to work as hard, because they are not fighting gravity to sit or stand up. If they stay in space for a long time, the lack of gravity makes their muscles start to waste away. Exercise and a special diet help to combat these effects.

Astronauts on the APOLLO PROJECT traveled to the Moon, about 239,000 miles (385,000 km) away. Russian cosmonaut Valeri Poliakov traveled a distance of about 174 million miles (280 million km) around Earth while in the Mir space station.

In the space race of the 1960s, the US Apollo Project beat the Soviet Union by landing the first astronauts on the Moon. The first Moon landing, by Apollo 11, took place on July 20, 1969, when Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to set foot on another world.

The Apollo spacecraft was launched from Earth by the Saturn V rocket. On the launch pad, the whole assembly stood 365 ft (111 m) tall. The spacecraft itself weighed 50 tons (45 metric tons). It was made from three main modules (sections). The command module for flight control housed the three-person crew. The service module carried equipment, fuel, and a rocket motor. The lunar module detached from the craft and landed two astronauts on the Moons surface.

There were six Moon landings, beginning with Apollo 11 in July 1969 and ending with Apollo 17 in December 1972. During the missions, 12 astronauts explored the lunar surface for a total of over 80 hours and brought back nearly 880 lb (400 kg) of Moon rock and dust for examination on Earth.

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Mars as seen by the Hubble Telescope. NASA

Editors' note, December 19, 2015: This article was originally published August 6, 2015 and has been updated to include new developments in space travel efforts to Mars.

This year, scientists made one of the most important space discoveries in a long time, one that brings the mission of landing humans on the surface of another planet into laser focus -- and I'm not talking about Pluto's heart. They found compelling evidence that there is liquid water flowing on Mars, and that means there's the potential for life on the Red Planet.

You don't have to be a Space Camp alum like I am to feel your heart race at the very thought. Potentially finding water on Mars is an enormous triumph any way you look at it, and its discovery is sure to spur manned exploration of Mars' surface, something that's eluded us in the 46 years since landing on the moon.

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Outside of the scientific community's renewed interest in Martian exploration, there's another reason why I'm hopeful we'll set foot on Mars in my lifetime: we already have technology far more advanced than the spacecraft and control systems that got us to the moon, most of which ran on computers no more powerful than a calculator. These days, we also have the entrepreneurial hunger it takes to put people on the dusty red planet. A handful of smart people who share my passion for outer space have the drive and resources (ahem, money) to make it happen.

In my lifetime, human exploration of Earth's closest neighbor isn't just the province of space disaster movies like the Martian (thanks, Matt Damon), or abduction films like Mars Attacks and Mars Needs Moms. It's closer to reality than ever. Here are some of the important programs and people on our planet that will help put us on the Red Planet.

Like me, entrepreneur Elon Musk, the man behind SpaceX, the first private company to send supplies to the International Space Station (ISS), dreams of a Mars landing. Musk believes that humans could reach the planet in as few as 10 years.

Then there's billionaire Richard Branson, whose tourism venture, Virgin Galactic, is currently working on sending civilians (not just astronauts) into sub-orbital flight with a private spacecraft. Virgin Galactic isn't setting its sights on Mars just yet, but the company's work could one day help us get to the Red Planet.

Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin is vocal about Mars too, advocating in his book " Mission to Mars" that it should be our next exploration goal. Meanwhile, Dutch non-profit foundation Mars One is planning and raising money for a one-way mission where some brave people establish a permanent base there, never to return to Earth. The Mars One group faces criticism from the scientific community, though, for not having a feasible plan to actually reach the planet with volunteers and sufficient supplies.

More credibly, NASA, the long-standing agency in charge of the US's space travel efforts, is optimistic about getting us to at least orbit Mars by President Obama's mid-2030 timeline, and has early-stage plans to make it real.

Though no one company or organization has an imminently viable action plan to get us to Mars just yet, these advancements and advocacy by the big players will hopefully pave the way for a mission to Mars.

Right now, the biggest challenges in getting to Mars are paying for the costly trip (the cheapest proposed plan would cost $76 million), keeping the astronauts healthy, and figuring out the right type of fuel for a round-trip voyage. Mars is an average 140 million miles from Earth (depending on its position in its orbit around the sun, and it would take a crew of astronauts around 200 days or 6 months to get there, at least. In order to cover that distance, we need sufficient fuel to power a spacecraft, and NASA is researching the best kind of ship and propulsion for such a trip.

SpaceX's Dragon Capsule.

SpaceX believes it has the right ship with the Dragon capsule, a manned spacecraft that could one day carry astronauts on interplanetary trips. Similarly, Texas-based rocket company Ad Astra Rocket is building the Vasmir electric engine that could possibly power a spaceship to Mars.

Meanwhile, SpaceWorks, an aerospace engineering firm out of Atlanta, has proposed the possibility of putting astronauts in torpor -- a hibernation-like state -- during the trip to conserve food and supplies and reduce the health risks associated with traveling in zero-gravity, like bone density loss. Though it sounds like something out of science fiction (in fact, astronauts were in a torpor state in the movies "Interstellar" and "2001: A Space Odyssey"), it could be a real, practical way to get humans to Mars as safely as possible.

The six-month trip to Mars won't be easy on the astronauts, as they face long stints of isolation, extended stays in cramped quarters and harsh weather conditions on the Martian surface. In order to keep them healthy, happy and safe, several organizations are currently conducting experiments that simulate conditions of being on Mars and traveling to the planet.

The NASA-funded Hawaii Space Exploration Analog and Simulation missions are studying a group of six humans living together in a confined, enclosed habitat, similar to what astronauts would live in on the surface of Mars during a mission. Meanwhile, astronauts from the European Space Agency (ESA) are in Antarctica at the Concordia research facility, a highly isolated compound that simulates what it's like to be on long space journeys in harsh conditions, hundreds of miles away from other humans.

The road to Mars through both private and government-funded space travel hasn't been easy so far. SpaceX's unmanned Falcon 9 rocket exploded just after launch in June 2015 during a resupply mission to the ISS. Likewise, Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo crashed in the fall of 2014 during a test flight in California, killing one person.

NASA's Columbia Shuttle broke up during re-entry during the STS-107 mission in 2003. The launch is shown here.

These accidents stir up memories of the prominent tragedies NASA has endured over the last 50 years; Apollo 1 catching on fire on the launchpad during testing, the Challenger space shuttle exploding 73 seconds after launch and the Columbia space shuttle disintegrating during re-entry into the Earth's atmosphere. Each of those accidents claimed the lives of the crews on board.

The unfortunate truth is that in the quest for space travel, there will be near misses, failures and disasters. NASA carried on from its setbacks and so will SpaceX, Virgin Galactic and others, driven by the deep desire to explore uncharted territory.

Scientists, space agencies and private companies are still in the early stages of any kind of Mars mission, but their advancements in space travel are nothing short of astounding. Roughly 50 years ago, we were scrambling to send people on the week-long journey to the moon.

Now, we've sent astronauts to orbit the Earth for more than a year at a time, launched unmanned rovers to Mars to gather data about the planet's ability to host our species, and currently maintain a crew of people continuously living at the ISS (and posting pictures of the spectacular view to Twitter).

There are still untold hurdles to tackle before we can put a small crew of trained astronauts on the Red Planet, and many more after that until commercial rockets blast off for Mars with civilian spectators inside. But give it 50 more years, and I'm betting that we'll have a ship breaking away from Earth on a flight plan straight towards Mars. And when those first humans touch down, I'll be with the other fervent stargazers, watching every minute of it.

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Let's go to Mars! The future of space travel - CNET

Space anemiaposes a significant risk to deconditioning, and should be considered as spacetourism becomes more popular and available, according to a paper published inthe American Journal of Hematology.1

Space travelrelated anemia has been a concern for the past 60 years, though conflicting data have prevented researchers from determining, with certainty, that being in space can directly lead to the condition. Researchers determined that evaluating hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations and red blood cell (RBC) mass within 7 days of returning to Earth from space would, however, be sufficient for determining any link.

For this study,the authors evaluated data recorded in the National Aeronautics and SpaceAdministrations Lyndon B. Johnson Space Centers system, which containsrecords for all astronauts since the programs inception, to determine anycausal relationship between space travel and changes in Hb concentrations.

Two datasetswere included, the first of which contained records from 711 mission-astronautswith 1962 Hb measurements and 721 mission-astronauts with 17,336 Hbmeasurements. All data were compared with those from control records taken atthe time of each mission.

Forty-eightpercent of astronauts were anemic when they returned to Earth after spacetravel. Longer trips to space also appeared to require more recovery time afterthe journey than did shorter trips, with Hb levels returning to normal after 49days for trips of 11.5 to 145 days vs 24 days for trips of a mean of 5.4 days.

Astronauts whosetrips lasted 5.4 days, 11.5 days, and 145 days had Hb decrements of -0.61 g/dL(4%), -0.82 g/dL (5%), and -1.66 g/dL (11%), respectively.

Wecharacterized space anemia, its dose-response relationship with exposure to spaceas well as longitudinal effects, the authors wrote. Whether acute spaceanemia will turn into chronic anemia depends critically on the duration ofexposure to space.

Reference

Trudel G, Shafer J, Laneuville O, Ramsay T. Characterizing the effect of exposure to microgravity on anemia: more space is worse. Am J Hematol. 2020;95(3):267-273.

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Anemia in Space: Implications for Space Travel and Tourism - Hematology Advisor

Alfred Worden orbited the moon for three solitary days in the summer of 1971, piloting the Apollo 15 command module and taking detailed pictures of the lunar surface as his fellow astronauts drove a rover far below.

Only 24 people have journeyed to the moon and few spent as much time in quiet contemplation of its surface and the universe beyond as Worden, who has died aged 88. He was an Air Force officer who later ran for Congress, worked for aerospace companies and reflected on space travel in a childrens book and poetry collection.

A farm boy from Michigan, he graduated from Army West Point and became a jet pilot and flight instructor, training some of the men who would later join him as astronauts. While returning to Earth with Apollo 15, the fourth lunar landing mission, he became the first person to conduct a spacewalk in deep space, venturing outside for nearly 40 minutes at a distance of 196,000 miles from Earth.

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Now I know why Im here, Worden later said of his mission. Not for a closer look at the moon, but to look back at our home, the Earth.

Worden was joined for Apollo 15 by David Scott, spacecraft commander, and James Irwin, who piloted the lunar module. In a mission that marked a new focus on science for the Apollo program, his colleagues spent 67 hours on the lunar surface, collecting rocks and soil samples and using a four-wheeled moon buggy for the first time.

Worden remained aboard the command module, Endeavour, overseeing a suite of cameras and scientific instruments as he circled the moon in a cramped spacecraft he likened to a Volkswagen car. During his downtime, he simply looked out the window, awaiting the next Earth rise as he came around the moons far side.

After his colleagues returned to the command module, Worden embarked on his planned spacewalk, a kind of deep-space ballet in which he removed two 80lb film cassettes from outside the spacecraft.

Youre sort of floating out there in a vast nothingness, Worden told Smithsonian magazine, and the only thing you can see and touch and grab a hold of is the spacecraft I had trained so well that it didnt take me any time to do what I had to do, and everything worked out OK, and when I was all done, I thought, Gee, I wish I had found something so that I could have been out there a little longer.

Worden and his fellow astronauts splashed down in the Pacific Ocean and were greeted as national heroes, meeting with Richard Nixon in the White House and delivering an address before Congress. But the astronauts never returned to space and were effectively forced out of the Apollo programme after a controversy over a set of mementos stamped envelopes that they brought aboard Apollo 15.

Some of the envelopes were sold after the flight, and the astronauts were slated to receive $21,000 (18,800)of the proceeds. Previous astronauts had arranged similar deals, Worden said, but he and his colleagues turned down the money amid an uproar over the sales. Worden said the money was intended to help fund his childrens education.

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The second of six children, Alfred Merrill Worden was born in Jackson, Michigan, in 1932. His family worked on a farm outside his town, although his father preferred tinkering with electronics and was a projectionist at the local movie theatre.

Worden said he ran the farm from the age of 12 but decided his life should explore other avenues. He secured an appointment to the US Military Academy at West Point, New York. He graduated in 1955 and joined the Air Force.

He later studied as a test pilot in England and in 1963 received a pair of masters degrees in aeronautics and engineering from the University of Michigan, experiences that he credited with helping him land a spot in Nasas 1966 astronaut class.

Worden was a member of the support crew for Apollo 9 and served as the command module backup pilot for Apollo 12. After Apollo 15, he held senior science positions at Nasas Ames Research Centre in Mountain View, California, before retiring in 1975.

In 1974 Worden published his childrens book, I Want to Know about a Flight to the Moon. He also wrote poetry, and published a collection, Hello Earth: Greetings from Endeavour.

The poems are about as good as you might expect from a pilot, Worden wrote in his memoir Falling to Earth (2011). I hope I did a better job than a poet would if asked to fly a jet with no training. And on those long nights when I couldnt sleep, the writing helped me. It was my own personal, emotional debriefing.

In 1982, he ran in Florida for the US House of Representatives, losing to Thomas Lewis in the Republican primary.

His marriages to Pamela Vander Beek and Sandra Wilder ended in divorce. In 1982, he married Jill Hotchkiss, who died in 2014. He is survived by two daughters and a stepdaughter.

Alfred Worden, astronaut, born 7 February 1932, died 18 March 2020

Washington Post

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Inan effort to mitigate damage from COVID-19 here on Earth, people worldwide are practicing social distancing, attempting to limit the spread of the disease. However, space is extremely tight on space stations, and the first lunar and Martian colonies are also likely to house occupants in close quarters. Disease in space has been affecting astronauts for decades. So, how will we respond to epidemics in space when they inevitably occur.

Since the dawn of the human exploration of space, illnesses and medical emergencies have stricken space travelers. The first missions to space took just a single occupant beyond the bounds of Earth. The number of people traveling on each mission went up to two, then three. Now, four to seven crew members typically take part in each flight, and the International Space Station (ISS) is usually home to six occupants. Lunar and Martian colonies would house hundreds to thousands of people.

Living in space also changes the way bodies react, and alter health under the best circumstances. For this reason, NASA and other space agencies study the effects of space on the human body. Not only will these studies helpprotect those living in space, but lessons learned from these studies could help protect populations here on Earth.

Factors like radiation, microgravity, stress, and altered sleep cycles could all affect astronaut immune systems Understanding these immune system changes may help scientists pinpoint the onset of illness, and suggest monitoring strategies, or treatments, that can boost the immune system and prevent full-blown infections and diseases here on Earth,NASA officials report.

The human immune system reacts differently in the microgravity environment of space than it does here on Earth, studies find. The immune system is disrupted, altering the way bodies react to infections.

The immune system is very complex, and several aspects of immunity remain uninvestigated during spaceflight. We now need to delve deeper into the immune system changes that happen in space, and also determine if immune changes during flight elevate clinical risks for astronauts in future deep-space missions. All the factors that change immunity on the ISS will be worse on longer missions to an asteroid or to Mars, Dr. Brian Crucian of NASAs Johnson Space Center (JSC) states.

During the Apollo 7 flight in 1968 (the first Apollo mission to carry astronauts), the crew all came down with colds, altering mission plans. NASA officials believe commander Wally Schirra likely had a mild cold when boarding the spacecraft, before spreading the illness to his crew mates. Due to their illnesses, the crew refused to wear helmets during reentry into the Earths atmosphere.

Surprisingly, the crews of the next twoApollo missionsalso developed colds during their flights. Following these experiences, NASA developed quarantine procedures, limiting human exposure to astronauts prior to their flights.

Since the early days of space travel, advances in communication have made it possible to treat a wider variety of ailments in space, using knowledge and resources on Earth.

NASA was even once able to treat anastronautwho developed a blood clot while visiting the ISS. At the time, the space traveler (whose name is protected for privacy concerns) was two months into a six-month mission when the deep vein thrombosis (DVT) was discovered during a routine test on how space affects the flow of body fluids.

Dr. Stephan Moll, a blood clot expert at the UNC School of Medicine, was called in to help treat the astronaut by teleconferencing.

My first reaction when NASA reached out to me was to ask if I could visit the International Space Station (ISS) to examine the patient myself. NASA told me they couldnt get me up to space quickly enough, so I proceeded with the evaluation and treatment process from here in Chapel Hill,Moll recalls. The NASA video below shows how Dr. Stephan Moll treated a blood clot on the international space station while remaining firmly on terra firma.

Treatment for this condition often involves putting the patient on blood thinners, slowing the growth of the clot, potentially reducing damage caused if the clot breaks free, and travels to another part of the body. However, the ISS is only equipped with a limited supply of medicines, but some Enoxaparin was available, which the astronaut used for 40 days until a supply ship delivered another drug, Apixaban, to the space station crew.

During the course of treatment lasting more than 90 days, the spaceborne patient took regular ultrasounds of their neck, following guidance from a radiology team on Earth. Following a safe landing on Earth, no additional treatments were required for the once-ailing astronaut.

Influenza and microbes like coronavirus could quickly work their way through a crew isolated together in the depths of space.

The absence of gravity precludes particles settling down, so they stay suspended in the air, and could be more easily transmitted. To prevent this, compartments are ventilated and the air HEPA filters would remove particles,Jonathan Clark, a former six-time crew surgeon for NASAs Space Shuttle program, stated.

A 2012 study examining health records of 742 astronauts who flew on 106 flights revealed 29 cases of disease transmission, including fungal, urinary tract, and skin infections, as well as the flu.

For reasons scientists have not quite figured out, the immune system can go on the fritz in space: wounds heal more slowly; infection-fighting T-cells send signals less efficiently; bone marrow replenishes itself less effectively; killer cells another key immune system player fight less energetically. At the same time, the pathogens grow stronger, developing thicker cell walls, greater resistance to antimicrobial agents and a greater ability to form so-called biofilms that cling to surfaces, Jeffrey Kluger reported inTime Magazine.

Physical changes caused by radiation may present problems keeping astronauts and space colonists healthy. Another challenge for space travelers is that dormant viruses, like herpes simplex, can reawaken during space travel.

Visitors have spent a year or more aboard the International Space Station. Colonists on the Moon orMarswould stay even longer, increasing health issues including sleep deprivation, even without an epidemic. Without proper sleep, and suffering from high stress levels, space travelers could be even more susceptible to infections their bodies may have fought off at home.

The types of problems you may encounter are a decline in mood, cognition, morale, or interpersonal interaction. You could also develop a sleep disorder because your circadian rhythm might be thrown off due to the 38 extra minutes each day on Mars, or by a small, noisy environment, or the stress of prolonged isolation and confinement, NASAsHuman Research Programsuggests. The video below shows alook at how the human immune reacts to the strange conditions of space.

Astronauts aboard the ISS are regularly tested to ensure once-dormant viruses are not re-activating. Bacteria taken from body swabs of astronauts are regularly examined, revealing populations of bacteria and viruses onboard the space station. Air circulating though the orbiting outpost is safe from both biological and chemical contaminants.

Just as on Earth, isolation and containment of those potentially infected by a disease. The International Space Station is equipped with high-efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filters, and containment masks are available for infected residents of the ISS. Following any sort of infection, space travelers could be quarantined after returning to Earth, as they were in the early days of human space travel.

Future colonies on the Moon orMarswill, almost certainly, have similar facilities for lessening the reach of outbreaks like the one currently engulfing our planet.

Answers to the challenges of epidemics on Earth much less onlunar or Martian colonies remains unanswered. And, viruses are more likely to spread, and be harder to treat, in space than they are on Earth.

But, many of the same treatments and procedures that we employ on Earth to limit the spread of disease and to flatten the curve of infections would also likely play significant roles in protecting colonists exploring theSolar System.

As we expandout into the solar system, epidemics are bound to follow us. But, even today, we are already protecting the explorers who are pioneering our quest to reach beyond the confines of our planet.

This article was originally published onThe Cosmic Companionby James Maynard, an astronomy journalist, fan of coffee, sci-fi, movies, and creativity. Maynard has been writing about space since he was 10, but hes still not Carl Sagan. The Cosmic Companionsmailing list/podcast. You can read this original piecehere.

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Travel gear is by nature a polarizing topic: hard-shell versus soft-sided, folding versus rolling, carry-on versus checked heck, even unpacking or not at the start of a vacation.

But most people can agree that putting away travel gear after a long trip is a chore. Hence the half-full suitcase that languishes out in the open for days, if not weeks.

When things dont have a home, you become paralyzed. You think, I dont know where to put it, so Im just going to push it to the side and not deal with it, said Anna Bauer, the New York Citybased founder of Sorted By Anna, a professional organizing company.

But as few people now have trips in the foreseeable future, thanks to coronavirus-related travel restrictions and social-distancing measures, theres no better time to herd those airplane neck pillows, international adapters and 3.4-ounce bottles into formation, even if theyre not actively being used.

Why should you only treat yourself well when you go on vacation? asked Julianna Strickland, the Los Angelesbased founder of Space Camp Organizing. Treating yourself well at home means making a space that you want to be in, and setting yourself up for success as you head into whatever youre doing between trips.

Organizing your travel gear will not only help fill some extra time at home, but it will prep you for the ultimate goal: efficient and enjoyable packing when the time comes to finally get going again. Here are some easy-to-implement tips from professional organizers:

There are two basic approaches to organizing travel toiletries, be they half-full T.S.A.-approved liquids containers or pilfered hotel shampoos: pre-packing and decanting.

I like to keep a Dopp kit packed with one of each thing a client might need on a trip, like shampoo, conditioner and a toothbrush. The extras go in a little travel bin usually under their sink, depending on the storage situation, said Ms. Strickland, who helps clients, many of whom are avid travelers, organize their homes and offices.

Others might find it helpful, if not cathartic, to decant their toiletries into clearly labeled bins, bags, or divided lazy Susans.

If youre someone whose skin-care needs change depending on what youre doing and where youre going say, you travel to a lot of different climates youll benefit from being able to shop your toiletries, said Ms. Bauer.

Jakia Muhammad, the Maryland-based founder of SoleOrganizer, separates her travel toiletries into categories by function; say, hair products.

I try to keep it as simple as possible. From a psychological standpoint, you dont want to overwhelm yourself or stress yourself out before you go on vacation, she said.

What no professional organizer espouses, however, is the method I used for years: dumping everything into a big basket and praying the contents wouldnt metastasize.

When things are hidden, you either re-buy in excess or you forget you have something. Whats great about decanting is that its a visual reminder when youre low, said Ms. Bauer.

A vinyl zipper pouch in a kitchen drawer. A cabinet or file box in a home office. A drawer in a nightstand. It doesnt matter exactly where a passport lives; what matters is that you put it back.

Its about creating consistency and intentionality, said Ms. Bauer. Ive fallen victim to a misplaced passport and the stress of it was a lesson enough to never let that happen again.

Ms. Bauer and her husband keep their passports in a fire-sealed envelope. But frequent business travelers, she said, might consider storing passports with toiletries: No ones traveling without them.

Ms. Strickland is a fan of storing passports with social security cards and other important documents. Thats important for multiple reasons, especially if theres an emergency and you need to get out of the house fast, she said.

Leftover international currency can be more hassle than its worth when you factor in conversion fees. Additionally, said Ms. Strickland, Its just more clutter; most people hang onto it thinking theyll remember it the next time they travel, but they never do.

Ms. Strickland recommends storing significant sums of currency in labeled zip pouches, which can live with other travel accessories.

Ms. Muhammad, meanwhile, keeps her leftovers in Mason jars labeled by destination and date.

Its a great way to reflect back to the place you traveled and have a piece of that trip with you to cherish, she said.

And when international travel does ramp up again, be sure to keep in mind Ms. Bauers favorite hack for offloading cash abroad: buying a Starbucks gift card at the airport. It can be used back home, and there are no foreign-transaction or currency-conversion fees.

The easiest way to store luggage, be it a nylon-duffel bag or a hard-shell aluminum suitcase, is to nest it by shape and size.

Its helpful to store smaller bags inside of larger ones to save space. And I like to keep all the suitcases with the other things youre going to need on a trip like packing cubes, neck pillows, backpacks together, whether thats in the house, in a basement or in a storage cabinet inside a garage, said Ms. Strickland.

Ms. Muhammad likes to preserve floor space by hoisting larger suitcases onto shelves. She stores smaller bags (backpacks, laptop bags) in a container under the bed.

This prevents them from being all over the place and creating not only an eyesore but making the space feel cluttered, she said. The goal is to contain and store like items together, so that when its time to pack and prepare for a trip, locating luggage and other bags doesnt add to the anxiety that can sometimes be associated with packing.

Anything else that youd use only on a trip, from climate-specific gear (waterproof phone pouches, packable down jackets) to international power adapters, can be labeled (cold-climate items, beach gear) and placed with luggage or toiletries.

As long as you corral them together and label them, youll eliminate the guesswork of wondering whether you have something, said Ms. Bauer. Gallon-size Ziploc bags and Sharpies go a long way.

Sarah Firshein is a Brooklyn-based travel writer.

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How to Store Your Travel Gear - The New York Times

Adventurous travellers looking for an otherworldly experience have a whole new travel guide to read as SpaceX reveals a user manual for its massive Starship spacecraft.

The reusable spaceship is designed to be a flexible transportation system that will be capable of transporting both people and materials to a wide variety of destinationsincluding Mars.

The Starship project, which is currently underway in Boca Chica Texas, represents a fully reusable transportation system designed to service Earth orbit needs as well as missions to the Moon and Mars, according to the SpaceX website.

The new user manual was released to help give the public a better idea of the Starships possible capabilitieswhich includes details on the spacecraft and rocket booster like its ability to carry payloads and passengers alike.

According to the manual, the Starship will be able to take passengers into low Earth orbit (LEO), to the moon and possibly to Marsall without sacrificing luxury and comfort.

SpaceX was founded with the goal of making life multiplanetary, the company said in the manual. The Starship crew configuration can transport up to 100 people from Earth into LEO and on to the Moon and Mars, [including] private cabins, large common areas, centralized storage, solar storm shelters and a viewing gallery.

The manual also suggests that the spacecraft will be able to travel between spaceports by climbing to the edge of space before descending to the next destination, which will make it the fastest-ever travel between distant points on Earth.

For performance estimates to a specific orbit, including the moon or Mars, or to conceptualize new ideas, SpaceX is encouraging travelers to contact sales@spacex.com.

See also:SpaceX Plans To Send Tourists To Space As Soon As 2021

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SpaceX Reveals Its Plan To Take Passengers To Mars In The Starship User Manual - Tatler Hong Kong