Monthly Archives: September 2021

A team of researchers is developing a swarm of robots for space mining projects. The team, which received $500,000 in funding from NASA, envisions the robots will be able to mine, excavate, and even construct simple structures on the surface of the Moon.

While the robots, which will be built and trained on Earth, will initially need to receive instructions from operators on our homeworld, the team hopes they will eventually be able to function autonomously.

The robots will use a learning model adapted by Jekan Thanga, University of Arizona (UA) associate professor of aerospace and mechanical engineering, called the Human and Explainable Autonomous Robotic System (HEART). HEART will not only train the robots to perform mechanical tasks like mining and construction, but will also gradually teach them to collaborate.

The UA team says that the robots won't take the place of humans on manned space missions, but will free up time for astronauts allowing them to focus on critical mission elements.

"In a sense, we're like farmers. We're breeding talent out of these creatures, or a whole family of creatures, to do certain tasks," Thanga said. "The idea is to have the robots build, set things up and do all the dirty, boring, dangerous stuff, so the astronauts can do the more interesting stuff."

NASA is already planning more manned missions to the Moon, most significantly the Artemis Mission that will see a man and woman of color walk on the lunar surface for the first time. Future lunar missions will look to establish a base of operations on the Moon's surface, which will ultimately lead to the manned exploration of Mars.

The key watchword in this new era of space exploration has become sustainability. Transporting materials into space isn't cheap and it takes up valuable room and weight allocations on rocket journeys. That means there is a natural advantage to collecting any raw materials that you can on the surface of the body you are looking to explore.

"It's really exciting to be at the forefront of a new field," Moe Momayez, interim head of UA's Department of Mining and Geological Engineering, said in a press release. "I remember watching TV shows as a kid, like Space: 1999, which is all about bases on the moon. Here we are in 2021, and we're talking about colonizing the moon."

In one of the most well-supported theories of how the Moon formed, scientists suggest a massive collision with another body ripped material away from the Earth. This material eventually cooled and formed our natural satellite, the Moon. This suggests that the Moon and the Earth have very similar chemical compositions.

That means that elements found here on earth should also be available to mine from the Moon. This includes Earth metals that are used in a range of technologies such as smartphones, and precious metals like silver and gold. The robot swarm could also mine helium-3, an isotope of helium that could be used to fuel further journeys, making the Moon an ideal refueling station for manned Mars exploration.

Because mining on Earth takes a lot of water, something that likely won't be available on the Moon, the robots will have to use new mining procedures to drill on the lunar surface.

"To break rocks, we use a lot of water, and that's something we won't have on the moon," Momayez said. "So, we need new processes, new techniques. The most efficient way to break rocks on Earth is through blasting, and nobody has ever set off a blast on the moon."

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Gangs of Mining Robots Could Do the Dirty Work for Astronauts on the Moon - Newsweek

EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) The annual week-long Space Festival will be back in El Paso Sep. 18th through Sep. 25th.

Families attending the festival events will be able to learn about rockets, make space art, learn about current NASA Research, stargaze, make moon craters, and much more!

The festivals will take place in multiple locations throughout El Paso including: El Paso Electric Company, Elks Lodge 187, Sunland Park Mall, Boy Scouts BSA, El Paso Radio Controllers, Alamo Drafthouse, UTEP, and many education organizations.

2021 El Paso Space Festival Schedule

Saturday, September 18th Space & Astronomy Extravaganza at Sunland Park: Noon-5pm

This is the main event at the #EPSpaceFestival. This year there will be new interactive Experience Zones where families can learn about space and astronomy through dozens of hands-on activities, prizes, space art, and makerspace crafts.Guests will be allowed a live virtual tour of the Very Large Array. Hear from regional space industries about the future of commercial space exploration and learn about space careers in El Paso.

Tuesday, September 21st White Sands Full Moon Night at White Sands National park: 7am-10pm

Guests will get the chance to see a full moon rising up from the horizon. Visitors will be able to view the full moon from one of the most beautiful landscapes at the White Sands Full Moon Night. Park closing times will be extended to allow guests to view the full moon from the dunes.

Wednesday, September 22nd Nerd Night at Alamo Drafthouse in East El Paso: 6:30pm-9:30pm

The Alamo Drafthouse will be featuring the blockbuster movie Contact, starring a young Jodie Foster, for a special viewing of this cult classic and a discussion with keynote speaker Dr. Andrew Maynard, Associate Dean, College of Global Futures, Arizona State University. This event will also feature a chat with representatives from the Very Large Array in Socorro, New Mexico.

Thursday, September 23rd Star Party at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site: 7pm-9:30pm

Insights, the Sun City Astronomers, and Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site will be hosting an evening stargazing and astronomy talks!Visitors are encouraged to bring their own camp chairs, telescopes, and non-alcoholic beverages for a beautiful evening under the stars at Hueco Tanks State Park and Historic Site. Free hot chocolate will be available.

Saturday, September 25th Rocket Launch Day at El Paso Radio Controllers Airstrip: 8am-1pm

Build and launch your very own model rocket during the final event of the 2021 #EPSpaceFestival. Tickets include a rocket, rocket decorations, and a launch window. This event will also offer hands-on rocketry activities, local rocket clubs displaying their BIG rockets, and a Space Festival T-shirt Nebula Tie Dye party.

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El Pasos Third Annual Space Festival Returns - KTSM 9 News

MIDLAND, Texas Midland ISD will be launching a new space-themed science program for students interested in aerosapce, aeronautics and space exploration.

The 'Go For Launch' program will have three different multi-day sessions. The first session will happen on October 18 and 19 during its first intersession week.

"Especially with the recent news surrounding private space exploration, we feel this is the perfect time to introduce this exciting new program," said Jeff Horner, Executive Director of Learning, Leading, and Innovation for Midland ISD. "This is an amazing opportunity for our students to gain exposure to these cutting-edge technologies, which exist right here in Midland."

Students in grades 8-12 have until September 27 to apply for the program. Students can also be nominated by a parent, teacher or coach for the program by September 24.

"This program, which helps develop the next generation of aerospace engineers, scientists, and STEM leaders, fits perfectly with the Midland Development Corporation's goals to grow Midland's future workforce and strengthen our local economy," said Sara Harris, Executive Director of the Midland Development Corporation.

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MISD starts new space-themed program - NewsWest9.com

Updated Tue 9:00 AM

EVEN IF YOUVE never read or watched any science fiction, you have an idea of what it looks like.

Its emblematic form is the space opera, which emerged from the pulp magazine explosion of the 1920s, and evolved during the so-called Golden Age of sci-fi (roughly up to the 1960s); its all about action and excitement, galactic empires, weird aliens we can do business with, heroic engineers and mad scientists.

Most modern sci-fi of this type, of course, deconstructs the formula with an ironic eye.

Some silliness notwithstanding, sci-fi has had a measurable impact on space exploration. Jules Verne was feted as an inspiration by astronauts and cosmonauts alike during the Space Race, and were it not for the influence of Vernes work, Edwin Hubble might have become a lawyer instead of an astronomer.

Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti drank the first espresso in space while wearing a Star Trek uniform; other admitted Trekkies include astronauts Chris Hadfield and Mae Jemison, and the late Stephen Hawking appeared as himself in The Next Generation. The crew of NASAs Expedition 45, meanwhile, dressed up as Jedi Knights for their missions official poster.

Its simple, really: if we want an Irish space programme, we should start cranking out more Irish sci-fi.

So, how does the fiction inspire the reality?

The obvious answer is that cruising through space at faster-than-light speeds to go on holidays to an alien world would be awesome. Aside from the obvious, though, theres the dynamic of the genre itself (warning: academic obtuseness incoming).

Sci-fi works by pretending to be history: that is, it works around the laws of physics instead of breaking them (like fantasy and horror do), and it often shows us a continuation of human history into the distant future. Whoever helps humanity to get going in that direction is part of that glorious future history: as inspirations go, its not a bad one.

There comes a point when certain contrasts become obvious, though: between the nobility and purity of purpose we see in sci-fi, and the billionaire grandstanding of Bezos, Branson and Musk; between the old dreams of galactic empires, and our increasing awareness of the evils of colonialism; between the sci-fi sense of wonder and the fact that real-world science is a different kind of beast from the kind of fictional physics that allow faster-than-light travel.

Perhaps the biggest contrast is between science-fictional visions of our potential, and what we can actually do.

Its been clear for a while now that the kind of sci-fi that had the biggest impact on popular culture is kind of outdated, and its built on slightly wonky expectations of what we can accomplish.

We evolved on Earth; this is where we have the best chance of survival any other planet would be an uncomfortable compromise at best and we have a moral obligation to mind it. And who could be arsed with a galaxy-spanning civilisation anyway, even if such a thing were possible?

We still keep creating and re-creating such things, though, so there has to be something behind their appeal, something that goes beyond the flashy tech that comes with the backdrop. For me, that something is watching smart people figuring out solutions to difficult problems, or at least trying to.

This isnt limited to science and engineering smarts, either: some of the best sci-fi out there takes emotional or linguistic intelligence as its paradigm.

Were probably never going to be able to zip over to another inhabited planet for a quick visit, but thats okay. Human culture is mostly made up of things that arent literally true anyway; they persist because they mean something to the people who dreamed them up.

If humans ever do settle on other planets, theyll still read and write space opera, no matter how removed it is from their reality. This is what makes the growing profile of sci-fi from traditionally underrepresented people so exciting: the standard future-history is being overhauled and expanded by movements such as Africanfuturism and Indigenous Futurism, and increasing amounts of non-Western stories are being translated for the first time.

More mythical material gives us more stars to aim at, and even if we fall short, well discover cool stuff along the way.

Sci-fi doesnt just directly inspire people to do the exploring, though; it also inspires those with no vocation for that kind of thing, who nonetheless form the all-important social foundation that makes it possible: politicians who can make funding decisions, teachers who might encourage students to pursue an interest in astrophysics or parents who might be more inclined to support their own childrens ambition to blast off into the void.

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On top of everything else, it takes a lot of goodwill to get a rocket off the ground, and thats what sci-fi delivers by the bucketload.

Jack Fennell lectures at the University of Limerick. He is the author of Irish Science Fiction, and editor of A Brilliant Void.His bookIt Rose Upwill be published by Tramp Press in November.

This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work is the authors own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, seehere.

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Opinion: To boldly go - how science fiction inspires space exploration - TheJournal.ie

Shouldnt we fix Earth first? This question is like a modified version of Godwins Law. One need only raise the subject of space exploration and humanity becoming a multiplanetary species in the near future, and someone is sure to ask it before long. In fact, its about as popular as how come we can send astronauts to the Moon, but we cant [insert problem here]?

Its not an unfair argument, and it certainly does seem well-intentioned. After all, why spend billions on various enterprises when poverty, hunger, homelessness, war, refugees crises, social injustice, and climate change are all around us? Wouldn't that money be better spent addressing these problems here at home?

But therein lies the problem. Whether its a matter of resources, priorities, or where we should focus our efforts, the assumption is that space-related activities take away from life here on Earth. But in truth, the advent of spaceflight and space-related research and development has benefitted humanity in innumerable ways.

In terms of technological applications, in terms of scientific advancement, in terms of medicine and health care, in terms of knowledge and inspiration, going to space has allowed us to grow as a species. It has taught us to appreciate what we have, and what we could become, and has allowed us to do things previous generations could only dream of.

The argument that going to space and dealing with problems at home is mutually exclusive is an enduring one. In fact, one can find examples of this criticism going all the way back to the dawn of the Space Age. For those who grew up during the "Space Race," the speech delivered by President John F. Kennedy at Rice University in 1962 is sure to be familiar:

"We choose to go to the Moon! We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are willing to accept, one we are unwilling to postpone, and one we intend to win..."

These rousing words were fondly remembered when, just seven years later, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin became the first humans to ever set foot on another celestial body. There too, famous words were spoken that become an instant source of inspiration:

And let's not forget the words that appear on the Lunar Plaque, which was mounted on the ladders of every Apollo Lunar Module. "Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the Moon July 1969, A.D. We came in peace for all mankind." These words still reside at the Apollo Landing site in the Sea of Tranquility.

But would it surprise you to know that there was actually considerable opposition to the Apollo Program, despite these accomplishments? According to Roger D. Launius, who served as NASA's Chief Historian between 1990 to 2002 and was the Associate Director of the National Air and Space Museum until 2017, the majority of Americans did not support going to the Moon.

As he wrote in a 2003 essay titled "Public opinion polls and perceptions of US human spaceflight":

"[M]any people believe that Project Apollo was popular, probably because it garnered significant media attention, but the polls do not support a contention that Americans embraced the lunar landing mission. Consistently throughout the 1960s a majority of Americans did not believe Apollo was worth the cost, with the one exception to this a poll taken at the time of the Apollo 11 lunar landing in July 1969. And consistently throughout the decade 45-60 percent of Americans believed that the government was spending too much on space, indicative of a lack of commitment to the spaceight agenda."

Much of the opposition was motivated by the social upheaval taking place in the US during the 1960s. At a time when the Civil Rights Movement was fighting against segregation, and many African-Americans were struggling at the margins of society, many saw the Apollo Program as a glaring example of the federal government's misplaced priorities.

For example, in an editorial in the Los Angeles Sentinel, Brooker Griffin wrote:

"It would appear that the fathers of our nation would allow a few thousand hungry people to die for the lack of a few thousand dollars while they would contaminate the moon and its sterility for the sake of 'progress' and spend billions of dollars in the process, while people are hungry, ill-clothed, poorly educated (if at all)."

In 1971, 200 African-Americans marched on Cape Canaveral to protest during the Apollo 14 launch. Hosea Williams, a leader of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), spoke with a reporter from the Rome News-Tribune, saying: "We are not protesting America's achievements in outer space, we are protesting our country's inability to choose humane priorities."

Musician Gil Scott-Heron also voiced opposition to America's space program with his song, "Whitey on the Moon." The song ironically lauds the accomplishments of the Apollo astronauts while juxtaposing them with the realities of being a Black person living in 1960s America and struggling to get by.

For others, the issue of high spending was the main point of opposition. Somehow, the thought of sending astronauts to the Moon to "collect rocks" didn't justify spending billions in taxpayer dollars. While public perception of the Apollo program has improved with time, opposition to committing public funds to spaceflight has not.

In 2019, to mark the 50th anniversary of the Moon Landing, the Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research conducted an opinion poll. When asked if sending astronauts back to the moon was important, only 23% said yes, while 40% said it was not. Of sending crewed missions to Mars, 27% supported the idea, while 38% did not.

On its face, the opposition seems well-founded and well-intentioned. But one must wonder why space exploration is the focal point of anger over high spending and problematic priorities? Is it simply because spaceflight is high profile, is it because the benefits of space exploration are undervalued and/or misunderstood, or a little from Column A and a little from Column B?

Regardless, it is clear that spaceflight suffers from an image problem. As famed science fiction writer Robert A. Heinlein once expressed, "[I]n one respect, NASA has fallen flat on its face. Its publicity is terrible, and has been right along." With that in mind, a careful review of the arguments against going to space appears to be in order.

That's certainly a fair question, and it makes a good point. We have to do more to address the myriad of problems we face here on Earth. But why is it assumed that going to space steals focus from them, or that it's an either/or situation? Its not unlike saying, We should fix the economy first, then worry about the environment. Where is it written that we can't do both?

More importantly, there is the inherent (and rather obvious) assumption that space exploration doesn't benefit people here on Earth. This assumption is pervasive, which is why in 1976 NASA decided to create a publication that shared with the public all of the commercial and industrial applications resulting from their research.

This publication is known as NASA Spinoff, which is responsible for highlighting all of the technologies the administration has made available to the public through the NASA Technology Transfer Program (TTP).

In 1979, in a bid to raise awareness about the spinoffs, Heinlein delivered a speech during a series of joint hearings before Congress. In this speech, he explained why the name "spinoff" was chosen and how NASA-funded research has benefited countless people who just didn't know it:

"'Spinoffs' is a fancy way of saying serendipitous results, which simply means look for one thing and find something else. This happens all the time in science, particularly in pure research... A thing that [NASA has] failed to do with this matter of the spinoffs, the serendipitous results, is to make the hookup so that people know about it.

"In fact, the most ironical thing I know of about our space program is that there are thousands of people alive today who would be dead if it were not for spinoffs from the space program and who have not the slightest idea that such is the case, and they complain about all that money being spent on silly stunts, and often they make that complaint by long distance with a satellite bounce."

Heinlein went on to outline four important technologies that were made possible thanks to NASA-funded research - computer-assisted tomography (CAT), image-enhancement technology, catheters, and the Doppler ultrasound stethoscope. These technologies, Heinlein explained, were what allowed him to undergo the vascular bypass operation a year before that saved his life.

In fact, NASA-funded research has led to more than2,000 spinoffs since 1976 that have had applications for medicine, biotechnology, communications, home appliances, consumer products, robotics, clean energy, heat-resistant materials, and industrial processes.

Some of the better-known examples include solar panels, communication satellites, Earth observation satellites, microwaves, memory foam, freeze-dried food, firefighting equipment, thermal blankets, DustBusters, cochlear implants, active-pixel image sensors, air filtration systems, water filtration systems, and many, many more!

For a full run-down on how NASA research has led to tangible benefits (possibly in your area), check out the Spinoffwebsite here.

Another common argument is that space exploration diverts not just resources but expertise and attention away from problems here at home. For some reason, it is assumed that going to space makes us appreciate Earth less, when in truth, there are numerous examples of how it encourages us to appreciate Earth more.

This is perfectly illustrated by theOverview Effect, which refers to the shift in consciousness that comes with seeing the Earth from space. Noted author and philosopher Frank White coined this term to describe the experience every astronaut in the history of spaceflight has reported during their time in space and/or upon their return to Earth.

Astronaut Michael Collins described this experience when talking about piloting the Apollo 11 Command Module: "The thing that really surprised me was that it [Earth] projected an air of fragility. And why, I dont know. I dont know to this day. I had a feeling its tiny, its shiny, its beautiful, its home, and its fragile."

This same feeling has been described by noted astronauts and cosmonauts from all over the world, including Sally Ride, Scott Kelly, Chris Hadfield, Anne McClain, Mike Massimino, Tom Jones, and Yuri Gagarin, the first man to ever go to space. Upon returning to Earth, Gagarin related how the most profound part of the mission was not looking into the depths of space, but upon planet Earth:

"Circling the Earth in my orbital spaceship, I marveled at the beauty of our planet," he said. "People of the world, let us safeguard and enhance this beauty, and not destroy it."

Also, consider theGaia Hypothesis, the scientific theory that posits that the Earth is a single, interdependent system, where every organism, feedback-loop, and chemical cycle work together to maintain the conditions that are favorable to life. The hypothesis owes its existence to NASA scientist Dr. James E. Lovelock and biologist Lynn Margulis.

Lovelock's inspiration came from his work with NASA, which consisted of developing scientific instruments that could model the atmospheres and climates of Mars and other planets. In comparing the environments of other planets to Earth, they realized how complex and precious Earth's environment is.

In addition, the climatological research conducted by NASA since the 1960s is what led scientists to conclude that humanity is having a severe impact on the environment. For instance, Earth observations satellites (using the very instruments Lovelock designed) were responsible for the discovery of ozone depletion caused by CFCs.

These same satellites and climate models led scientists to realize that the growing consumption of fossil fuels and the resulting carbon emissions led to a Greenhouse Effect. Since then, the NASA Earth Science Division (ESD) and its Earth science initiatives have provided regular updates on the effects of climate change and helped support calls for action.

Here is a rather popular variant, where it's argued that the billions spent on spaceflight would be better spent alleviating poverty and other problems here at home. On its face, it certainly seems like a valid point. We could always use more money combatting want, scarcity, poverty, and misery. It's outrageous how common and persistent these things are!

But it begins to show cracks the moment you dig into it or examine it from other angles. Once again, why is it assumed that money not directed towards spaceflight would otherwise be spent on economic, social, and environmental problems? And if all space programs today were shelved, are we really to believe that money saved would be put towards humanitarian causes?

Second, youd be hard-pressed to find an investment with the same amount of returns as space exploration. According to one estimate, every dollar spent during the Apollo Era resulted in a $7$8 return on investment (ROI) thanks to the spinoffs and commercial applications that resulted. Today, that ROI has climbed to $40 for every dollar spent. Shop around. You cant beat that!

Third, if were going to talk about money better spent elsewhere, why are we singling out space exploration, which costs less and comes with far more payoffs than other expenditures? In truth, there's plenty of examples of wasteful spending that yield comparatively little (or nothing) by comparison.

For example, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the healthcare costs and loss of productivity caused by cigarettes account for $300 billion a year. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in 2015 the world's richest nations spent $21 billion on health care and lost 1.2 billion workdays due to illnesses caused by air pollution.

By 2060, that's projected to increase to 3.7 billion lost workdays, which will result in a global loss of $2.6 trillion in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) annually. Even worse than that is the fact that an estimated 6-9 million people are likely to die annually between now and then because of worsening air quality associated with urban growth.

Meanwhile, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) estimates that the world spends roughly $5 trillion USD a year subsidizing the oil and coal industries, which constitutes about 85% of all annual global subsidies. Meanwhile, renewable energy sources like solar and wind have become price-competitive with oil and coal without the same level of financial assistance!

There are two ways to look at this. At best, we are spending trillions of dollars to ensure that gas prices remain within a certain threshold for the good of the consumer. At worst, we are financing the very industries driving climate change, and when we need to be transitioning to clean energies, that will actually cost less!

All told, the US government spent a total of around$25.4 billion on the Apollo Program over the course of 11 years. Adjusted for inflation, that works out to around$175 billion today and an average of around $16 billion adjusted dollars a year. Add to that the costs of the Mercury (1958-1963) and Gemini Program (1961-1966), and you get an adjusted total of around $179 billion.

In terms of the national budget, these expenditures constituted about 0.1% of the nation's GDP in 1958, 4.5% in 1966 (at its peak), and less than 1% again by 1975. Now compare that to military spending during the same period, especially between 1955-1975 when the US became embroiled in the Vietnam War.

The expense of deploying American forces in Vietnam cost a total of $168 billion, or $1 trillion today. In addition to that, the draft fell disproportionately on the poor and working-class, who could not afford school deferments. In total, military expenditures during this entire period accounted for 10-13% of GDP from 1955 to 1966 and 11%-17% of GDP from 1967 to 1975.

In 2018, the US government allocated a total of $890.8 billion for the sake of defense spending, which represented a 9 to 21% increase over the previous ten years. In that same year, the entire world spent an estimated $72.34 billion USD on space. What did that get us?

In summary, if we are going to discuss where money should be spent, perhaps we should a cost-benefit analysis should be conducted first. Because once that is complete, we're likely to notice that as a species, we spend far more money on far less noble endeavors.

This appears to be a common sentiment these days, which is generally raised in response to big names in the commercial space industry (aka. NewSpace) making headlines - e.g., Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, et al. Much like saying that space exploration takes away from Earth, there are many who doubt that New Space ventures are anything other than a billionaires ego trip.

At best, the criticisms tend to assert that commercial space is something that will only ever benefit the super-rich. At worst, there are those who actually accuse Musk, Bezos, and others of plotting to leave Earth before climate change or some other cataclysm causes civilization to collapse - abandoning anyone who can't afford to go with them in the process.

Granted, space tourism is an industry that only people with a lot of disposable income will be able to afford in the coming years. But the ultimate purpose is to bring the associated costs of going to space down so that more and more people can enjoy it. In addition, it would be foolish to conflate all commercial space ventures with this one aspect of it.

Since 2001, Elon Musk has spearheaded the development of reusable rockets and space systems through his company SpaceX, with impressive results. Between 1970 and 2000, the average cost of sending payloads to space was about~$8,400 per lbs ($18,500 per kilogram). Thanks in part to the development of rockets like the Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy, that cost is now$1,235 and $640 per lbs ($2,719 and $1,410 per kg), respectively.

Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos has also indicated that his long-term aim is to use paid flights with the New Shepard launch vehicle to fund the development of heavy rockets - like the New Glenn and the New Armstrong - and the necessary infrastructure for regular trips to space. The ultimate goal, he said, is to ensure humanity's future in space and ensure that Earth is safeguarded:

"Were going to build a road to space so that our kids and their kids can build the future. We need to do that. We need to do that to solve the problems here on earth. This is not about escaping Earth... The whole point is this is the only good planet in this solar system. Weve sent robotic probes to all of them. This is the only good one. I promise you, and we have to take care of it"

Critics of Bransons space-related venture, Virgin Galactic, claim that suborbital commercial flights will benefit no one but the super-rich. With an advertised price tag of $450,000, this is certainly understandable. But as spaceflights become a common occurrence, prices will drop, and accessibility will increase (what guys like Branson have been saying all along).

In the meantime, Branson has created Space for Humanity to allow people other than the super-rich to fly. Through their Sponsored Citizen Astronaut Program, this nonprofit will train citizens and leaders to become citizen astronauts, a program that culminates with a ride to space aboard a Virgin Galactic spaceplane.

The company has also partnered with Omaze, a fundraising company that partners with charities, to launch a giveaway where those who pledge support for Space For Humanity can win free trips with Virgin Galactic.

In addition, NASA and other space agencies have a very long history of partnering with commercial entities to develop the tools and equipment they need. At its peak, the Apollo Program employed over 400,000 people and required the support of over 20,000 industrial firms. Today, that tradition continues, albeit to a lesser extent.

In the past few decades, multiple commercial space companies have partnered with NASA and other space agencies to provide technological, logistical, and launch services to the International Space Station (ISS). Many of these same companies are Artemis Partners and are currently building the necessary elements that will take astronauts back to the Moon for the first time since 1972.

Given the way humanity is poised to make the next great leap into space, it is good to ask questions about budgets, priorities, and what our goals for the future should be. But once a full and fair assessment of spaceflight is considered, it seems pretty clear that the kind of future we want for our children cannot happen without space exploration.

During the last Space Age, the desire to go to space and put a "man on the Moon" resulted in hundreds of technological spinoffs that have benefited countless people here on Earth. It also led to widespread job creation, particularly in skilled trades. And let's not forget how decades later, the Moon Landing still manages to inspire and remind us of what we can accomplish.

In the age of renewed space exploration that we now find ourselves in, the focus has shifted dramatically. Rather than simply getting there or "getting there first," the purpose is to create what we need to conduct long-duration missions to locations in deep space. In other words, our goal now is to "go back to the Moon to stay" and then use our presence there to reach beyond.

For this, space agencies and the commercial space industry are researching spacecraft that can sustain crews for long-duration flights, but also the technology for habitats and life support systems that can ensure astronaut survival in a hostile environment for extended periods of time.

This means creating closed-loop systems that can provide steady supplies of food, water, and air while producing zero waste. This technology is based entirely on the study of Earth's natural systems, which are themselves part of a massive closed-loop system that is regenerative, waste-free, and has maintained Earth's habitability for billions of years.

The technologies and spinoffs that this research will lead to include facilities that can grow plants in hostile environments, water reclamators, air filtration, carbon capture systems, and environmental engineering. Each and every one of these technologies will have endless applications here on Earth, where solutions for sustainable living will also be a matter of survival.

As Dr. Sian Proctor, a geology professor, commercial astronaut, and famous science communicator would say: Solving for space solves for Earth. Dr. Proctor will be the mission pilot on the upcoming three-day Inspiration4 flight, where the first all-civilian flight in history will fly to space aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule.

Like the Olympic Games, space exploration has always been a great unifier, bringing people and nations together in the spirit of exploitation and discovery. Even during the height of the Cold War, people all around the world were united in celebration as cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and Valentina Tereshkova became the first man and first woman to go to space.

On July 20th, 1969, people on both sides of the "Iron Curtain" celebrated as humans took their first steps on the Moon. Decades later, we still remember what was accomplished during those heady days and draw inspiration from it. We're also reaping the benefits of all the commercial, medical, industrial, and scientific breakthroughs it produced (whether we realize it or not).

Today, space exploration is no longer a competition between two superpowers but has broadened to become a much more cooperative enterprise between many state and private actors. If we hope to tackle the growing problems caused by climate change, as well as the enduring problems of poverty, injustice, war, and petty rivalries, we will need to come together like never before.

The benefits and knowledge that we stand to reap from going to space to stay will help ensure that by promoting sustainability, cost-effectiveness, and resource utilization. Having access to the abundant resources of space could also help usher in an age where scarcity (the very basis of wealth and poverty) has been eliminated.

As Kennedy intimated in his famous speech at Rice University, going to space is and always will be hard. But the payoffs for doing so are monumental, and the sense of accomplishment that comes with it lasts for generations. By putting humans on the Moon before the decade was out, a generation of people showed themselves what they were capable of.

Since the Apollo Era, we've gone even further, establishing space stations in orbit like the Salyuts, Mir, Skylab, and the ISS. We've developed reusable rockets and spaceplanes that have reduced launch costs substantially. We've also sent robotic probes to every corner of the Solar System, and a few have even made it into interstellar space.

But more important than the rockets, spacecraft, and various technological spinoffs, the greatest thing to come from the Space Age was arguably the inspiration it still provides decades later. After all, there's a reason why sayings like "shoot for the Moon," "Moonshot," and "reach for the stars" endure.

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Why We Need to Keep Going to Space and Shouldn't 'Fix Earth First' - Interesting Engineering

Jeff Friesen's latest Lego book, "Lego Space Projects" (No Starch Press, 2021) shows space enthusiasts how to build little spacecraft, from more realistic-looking vessels to science fiction dreamcraft.

The book also includes step-by-step instructions to guide you through the process of transforming your Lego blocks into celestial destinations, ranging from comets to the sun to deep-space experimental drive testing on other worlds.

Friesen's book comes at a time when Lego is releasing ambitious adult-themed sets about famous space machines, ranging from the Apollo lunar lander to the Saturn V moon rocket to the Discovery space shuttle.

Related: Best Lego space sets and deals for 2021

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But Friesen prefers a more experimental building approach. "I don't actually build Lego sets by their instructions; I usually like to build my own thing," he told Space.com.

Space appeals to Friesen because of his fascination with engineering, he said. He cited Lego's Roman Colosseum set as an example of engineering on a large scale, while Friesen is more interested in the small scale. Space, he said, includes "some of the greatest engineering projects of all time."

"I think great engineering wonders capture people's imagination," he added, "and space captures their imagination even more because that's our new frontier right now, as opposed to discovering new continents."

Space.com received a sample of Friesen's book, which begins by explaining that Lego space bricks can be reinterpreted even in the most simple form for the basic parts of a spacecraft. Friesen shows that it takes only three small bricks to recreate the fuselage, propulsion system and cockpit of a crewed spacecraft which the book demonstrates with Lego pieces 4589 (a cone), 3005 (a cube) and 54200 (a glass triangle).

From there, the book assures readers, you can learn to make adaptations of your own. To help you, the book also includes a multi-page set of "greatest bricks for spacecraft," a sample constructable stand upon which you can place your creations, and tips for ordering individual bricks via the online shop website BrickLink. More advanced and confident Lego builders will likely love this stuff.

"I don't build digitally; I built it all with physical pieces," Friesen explained. "Sometimes, instead of going from an idea for a ship, I'll actually start with the pieces and experiment with how they fit together to make something interesting. That was kind of the inspiration for this book, actually, because they [Lego] often build architecture. Because architecture has no moving parts, I put a lot of moving parts into these builds so the book is also an exploration of how to use parts."

Friesen wrote another book about Lego microbuilds ("Lego Micro Cities," No Starch Press, 2018), and he said that his experiences from that book also came into play in the new book about space. "Micro scale has an additional challenge, because you have to make the few parts that are in each build very meaningful. There are no wasted parts; it's like the microscale is the sort of essence of building. It's like minimalist art, [in that] almost everything has to mean something."

For people who are better with guided instructions like myself the book has 52 guided sets of various kinds. Each set has metrics for difficulty and number of pieces, and also includes a list of bricks you'll need to buy or acquire. If you're used to Lego's multi-hundred- or multi-thousand-piece sets, you may find the included sets somewhat minimalistic or, for the easy ones, simplistic but this also makes the sets fun to adapt. The easier ones are also kid-friendly, which Friesen said is by design.

"If I wrote the book when I was 8 years old, it would all be 'Star Wars' styles," Friesen said when asked to reflect on his own childhood interest in Lego. "But I wanted to make it so that there was a few more civilian crafts, so it wasn't all just warfare in space. I wanted to put some utility crafts of a normal functioning society."

My favorite design of the included sets in my sample was "Bebot," described as "an explorer mecha" that looks almost like a flying Pixar WALL-E. I also enjoyed the concepts for a "bounce buggy" (a rover equipped with "jump jets" for rugged terrain) and a "cloud skimmer" designed to emit no pollution during hypersonic exploration of other planets' atmospheres. I didn't get the chance to construct any of the sets, but the instructions look to me as intuitive as Lego's typical space set books.

Friesen said he is working on another book focused on Lego engineering, which will likely include allusions to real-life space projects like SpaceX's spacecraft or the International Space Station. "People really like engineering projects," he said of his decision to pivot harder in this direction, adding that he plans to bring in some elements from mechanical and structural engineering to the new sets.

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

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Learn how to create extraordinary Lego spacecraft with the 'Lego Space Projects' guidebook - Space.com

David Baxter

1954 - 2021

John David Baxter died September 8th, 2021. He was born August 21st, 1954, in Salt Lake City to John Keith Baxter and Dalene Leone Armstrong Baxter.

David grew up in the Avenues of Salt Lake, attending Ensign Elementary, Bryant Jr., and East High School. He earned a B.S. in Communications at the University of Utah.

David was an avid enthusiast of space exploration. He advocated for a strong and active manned space program. In his youth, he enlisted the aid of many sponsors in the aerospace industry to bring about United States Space Week and Space Exploration Day, which resulted in the signing of proclamations by dozens of State Governors and several US Presidents. He was president of the Utah Space Association. David pursued his interests with great passion.

As a faithful member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, David served in many Church callings, and studied the gospel of Jesus Christ diligently. He served a full-time mission in the Arizona, Tempe Mission.

David is preceded in death by his parents, his sister Susan, and his sister-in-law, Holly. He is survived by his siblings, Janet (Randy) Bartholomew, Marilyn (Skip) Riggs, Robert (Ann) Baxter, Richard (Amy) Baxter, and Karen (Mirek) Gruszkiewicz, and many nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at his ward meeting house at 668 2nd Avenue in Salt Lake on Tuesday, September 14th at 11:00 a.m. A viewing will precede the services from 9:30-10:45. A Zoom link to the service will be provided on the Larkin Mortuary website. Interment will be at Redwood Estates Memorial Cemetery.

Published by The Salt Lake Tribune from Sep. 9 to Sep. 13, 2021.

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David Baxter Obituary (1954 - 2021) The Salt Lake Tribune - Legacy.com

WEVE BEEN ON quite the journey here at The Good Information Project over the last few weeks, diving into modern space exploration and answering the question of what is Irelands place in space.

As always, we looked for our readers to get in touch with their questions and queries and many did via the usual social channels, as well as through our reader polland open thread.

So nearly three weeks on from our launch, what have we all learned?

A common comment that crops up whenever space exploration is brought up is essentially why bother when there are so many pressing issues that could be addressed instead?.

Space commentator Leo Enright addresses that very question in an opinion piece for ushere- outlining how space technologies impact our everyday lives.

For many, questions around space exploration arent at the forefront of minds like they may have been during the US-Soviet Space Race in the 60s.

Nevertheless, the coverage of some high-profile billionaires is playing an increasing role in renewing public interest in the sector companies backed by the likes of Bezos and Musk are involved in everything from launching rockets and satellites to transporting cargo and crew.

With the help of Ireland Thinks, we wanted to gauge Irish public opinion on who they think is winning the space race if they think space tourism will become commonplace in the future, and most importantly, whether they would undertake such a trip.

We found that 35% of the public believe space tourism will become commonplace within the next 50 years, while just 28% would be willing to go at all.

When it came to the space race, the Americans remain ahead with NASA the answer for 27% of Irish people surveyed. The enterprise founded by Elon Musk SpaceX was second in our poll with 23%.

The European Space Agency (ESA) was cited by just 2% as leading the modern space race, so it should come as no surprise that further polling revealed that some 40% of people Irelands annual contribution of 20 million to the ESA should decrease. Some 37% of those surveyed believe the contribution should stay the same.

The ESAs budget for this year is 6.49 billion, with Irelands contribution making up just 1% of that. The ESA currently operates on a pro-rata basis, meaning the more money nations put in the greater number of lucrative contracts they can be awarded. So, a decrease in funding would likely mean fewer opportunities for Irish industry and academics.

In the five decades since Ireland became a member of the European Space Agency, it has contributed to a wide range of research projects and been awarded countless commercial contracts worth millions benefiting both our educational and commercial space sectors. Only in 2019 however, did the then-government decide to put together a National Space Strategy for Enterprise.

As CJ McKinney explains, the strategy measures success not only in the number of ESA contracts won, but in turnover and employment at space-active Irish companies. The goal is for both to double by 2025.

The global commercial space sector is estimated to grow to a trillion-dollar business in a matter of years, and Ireland is eager to get its fair share. Part of the strategys function is to persuade relevant multinationals to take Ireland seriously as an investment destination, and the best way to do this is by building on our existing tech sector.

But without sustained private investment, Irelands space sector is firmly tethered to the ESA for the foreseeable future.

A progress report on the strategy is due by year-end, but over the course of this cycle, weve learned that ESA membership is worth more than the monetary return. Given Ireland has no national space agency, the ESA is the main way Irish companies can qualify their technologies for space flight, and ultimately commercialise them for the space market.

Likewise, in the absence of a national space agency, the ESA provides training opportunities that otherwise wouldnt be available to Irish students be that at ESA HQ or in Ireland through the agencys educational programme.

One benefactor of the ESAs Fly Your Satellite Programme is a team of students and academics in UCD who are now in the final stages of trying to get the first-ever Irish-made satellite off the ground.

Once orbit the satellite will collect data from the three science experiments on-board while powering itself, orientating itself, and communicating back to UCD. One problem the team hopes it wont run into is space junk.

The increase in man-made space objects is a more or less direct consequence of the rise of the private space industry. Ian Curran took a look at the impact its having on space exploration, and what is being done about it.

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And when it comes to the question of when will have an Irish born-astronaut, were probably closer to that than ever been, thanks to the ESA.

Fewer than 600 people have ever made the trip to space in the history of humanity, so there was naturally a lot of interest earlier this year when the ESA opened applications for its astronaut training programme for the first time since 2008.

Out of the 23,000 applied, 270 of them were Irish.

Cillian Murphy (not that one) is one of the Irish hopefuls who is eagerly awaiting an update from the ESA expected this November. Cillian, who currently works as an engineer for a biofuels company in Budapest, spoke with Cormac Fitzgerald about pursuing his dream of getting to space and the risks that come with it.

For anyone looking for inspiration on how to take space exploration into your own hands, look no further than Raheny Observatory. The man behind the back garden observatory is Dave Greenan, an amateur astronomer living in North Dublin whos made five independent discoveries from his back garden.

The future of Irelands space sector certainly looks bright, before we sign off and move to the next cycle of the Good Information Project (watch this space) but lets not forget Irelands ancient astronomers.

Early dwellers built clever structures to work in harmony with the cosmos, most notably the winter solstice sunrise illumination at Newgrange. But according to Anthony Murphy, it is unlikely that their curiosity about astronomy stopped with the sun, given they had the advantage of clearer night skies.

Without the hindrance of light pollution and atmospheric haze, the people of the New Stone Age would have enjoyed a pristine night sky, allowing them to track the monthly movements of the Moon against the background stars of an ancient zodiac, Murphy writes here.

And lastly, to see how much attention youve really been paying to this series, test out or quiz on the modern space race.

This work is co-funded by Journal Media and a grant programme from the European Parliament. Any opinions or conclusions expressed in this work is the authors own. The European Parliament has no involvement in nor responsibility for the editorial content published by the project. For more information, see here.

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We're signing off from The Good Information Project's 'space module' - TheJournal.ie

Ruing the lack of cooperation between military and civil framework for space technology, Vice Chief of Air Force, Air Marshal Vivek Ram Chaudhari, said that space is becoming a playground for the best scientists, engineers and entrepreneurs to continue evolving and breaking new grounds.

He also highlighted that the Air Force is looking to expand its footprint in space exploration and would like to fully integrate air and space capabilities so that there is a common operating picture for aerospace.

Speaking at a symposium on Space Technologies for National Defence, organised by industry chamber FICCI, the Air Marshal said that in the absence of an independent military space programme, the military has been dependent on the civilian space programme of ISRO. He said that there is a lack of a robust military-civil fusion framework, which is a hindrance in innovating future space technologies. There is a need for a concerted focus on this regard, he said.

The IAF, he said, is aiming to expand its footprint in space exploration in partnership with ISRO and added that the Kargil war served as a trigger for having additional satellites towards enhancing our operations. In recent times, increased focus on military space application has been one of the accelerating key factors, he said.

The ability to use aircraft as launch platforms may well be the future. Space tech capabilities have become crucial component for our military operations. Our strategy is to fully integrate air and space capabilities to have a common operating picture in the aerospace medium. We also need to acknowledge that there is a lot of scope for capability development in the realm of military satellite applications.

Another key focus area, he said, should be supplementing the ground-based ballistic missile architecture by creating space-based ballistic missile defence capabilities, he said. It should enable early warning detection and destruction of ICBMs (intercontinental ballistic missiles) along with location for launch pads and prediction of impact points.

The Vice Chief also lamented that India lacks indigenous capability to observe, track and identify non-cooperative objects in outer space.

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Lack of military-civil fusion framework barrier to space tech innovation: IAF Vice Chief - The Indian Express

Figure 1: The NASA Haughton-Mars Project returns to Apollo era training and spacesuit testing sites in Oregon. Left: Apollo astronaut Walter Cunningham in a spacesuit for analog studies at the Big Obsidian Lava Flow, Oregon in September 1964. Right: Spacesuit engineer Ashley Himmelmann in a Collins Aerospace spacesuit for analog studies with integrated Information Technologies and Informatics Subsystem (IT IS) at the same location in August 2021. (Photo NASA Haughton-Mars Project / P. Lee). Download Image.

September 9, 2021, Mountain View, CA --The NASA Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) and collaborating organizations SETI Institute, Mars Institute, Collins Aerospace, and Ntention are announcing the successful field testing of new spacesuit technologies for future astronaut science and exploration operations on the Moon and Mars.

The field tests were conducted in Oregons High Desert region, at the same sites once used by Apollo astronauts to train and test spacesuits in preparation for their historic journeys to the Moon. Several new sites also considered relevant for future Moon and Mars exploration in hindsight of the lessons from Apollo and from recent robotic missions to the Moon and Mars, were also visited.

It was exciting to be in Oregon to revisit some of the very locations where, in 1964 and 1966, the Apollo astronauts received field training in geology and tested spacesuits, saidDr. Pascal Lee, a planetary scientist with the SETI Institute and the Mars Institute, and director of the NASA Haughton-Mars Project at NASA Ames Research Center. We have also identified new candidate sites for Moon and Mars exploration preparation, now that we knowmore, compared to the mid-60s, about the Moon and Mars.

The sites visited by the NASA Haughton-Mars Project team included the main Apollo legacy training and spacesuit test sites in Oregon: Lava Butte, Big Obsidian Lava Flow, Fort Rock, Hole in the Ground, and Yapoah Lava Flow at McKenzie Pass. New sites visited in preparation for exploring the Moons south polar highlands and lunar caves, and eventually Mars, included Pumice Slope at Crater Lake National Park, the Painted Hills at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument, and Skylight Cave, a lava tube with multiple roof collapse openings. The sites were accessed with support from the United States Forestry Service Deschutes National Forest and the National Park Service.

NASAs current Artemis Program aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon, near the lunar South Pole, by the end of this decade and build on this experience to eventually send humans to Mars. In anticipation of the science and exploration needs of future Moon and Mars astronauts, several new technologies are undergoing development and testing to help optimize the safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness of future EVAs (Extra-Vehicular Activities) or spacewalks.

Central to the weeks field tests was Collins Aerospaces innovative, integratedInformation Technologies and Informatics Subsystem(IT IS). Currently, astronauts on spacewalks rely on spiral-bound notebooks attached to their elbows to flip through checklists. The CollinsIT ISallows astronauts to autonomously track these checklists and act upon the status of their health and that of their EVA companions (vital signs, exertion levels) through a display system in their helmets. They can also monitor the performance of a wide range of EVA systems - power, oxygen, water reserves - the astronauts location, EVA elapsed time, EVA time remaining, and range from supplies. TheIT ISalso displays maps and a wide array of other data supporting astronaut science and exploration activities, such as imaging, note-taking, and sample management.

We see the integration of our Information Technologies and Informatics Subsystem into a spacesuit as a game-changer for conducting EVAs, says Greg Quinn, lead for advanced spacesuit development at Collins Aerospace. The CollinsIT ISwill help enhance the autonomy, productivity, and safety of future explorers.

While real-time mission support from Earth will remain important, exploring the lunar poles, where NASA intends to land Artemis astronauts, means that direct-to-earth communications will not, at times, be possible, even via orbital relays. So we need to provide future lunar explorers with the means to safely perform more autonomous EVAs, explains Lee. The need for autonomy will be further compounded in the case of Mars, where communications delays will drastically limit real-time mission support from Earth.

Field tests in Oregon began at dawn hours each morning to take advantage of grazing solar illumination in anticipation of challenging lighting conditions at the lunar South Pole. The field sites accessed offered a wide range of terrain roughness, slopes, topographic complexity, and scales of operation anticipated during future EVAs in the lunar South Pole region. EVA systems requirements for future lunar pit and cave exploration were also investigated, a first for a spacesuit manufacturer.

One of the field campaigns key achievements was successfully integrating the Norwegian company Ntentions innovativeAstronaut Smart Glove(ASG) system with Collins AerospacesIT IS. TheASGis an advanced human-machine interface (HMI) integrated into the spacesuit helmet and glove. It allows an astronaut to remotely operate a wide range of possible robotic assets such as robotic arms, cranes, rovers, and even drones, with minimal hand gestures compatible with wearing a constricting and rigid pressurized spacesuit. TheASGfield test demonstrated the successful collection of rock sample materials from remote locations not directly accessible to the astronaut.

Our field test this year demonstrated how an HMI like ourAstronaut Smart Glovesystem can be seamlessly integrated into a spacesuit and offer future astronauts on the Moon and Mars much greater perception, reach, and control of their surroundings, said Moina Tamuly, Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Ntention.

By coming to Oregon, we wanted to recapture Apollos historic legacy, but also scout out new experiences for future astronaut training and spacesuit testing as we take on this centurys new challenges, the lunar poles and Mars, said Lee. Im excited to report that we did catch a glimpse of this exciting future this week.

About the Haughton-Mars ProjectThe Haughton-Mars Project (HMP) is a field research project centered on the scientific study of the Haughton impact crater and surrounding terrain on Devon Island, High Arctic, viewed as a Moon and Mars analog. The HMP also leads field exploration studies to help plan the future robotic and human exploration of the Moon and Mars.

The Haughton-Mars Project engages several collaborating organizations and is supported in part by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) under Cooperative Agreement NNX14AT27A between NASA and the SETI Institute. The HMP is headquartered at NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California.

The HMPs base camp on Devon Island, the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station (HMPRS), is operated by the Mars Institute. The HMPRS is the largest privately-operated polar research station on Earth and a leading field research facility dedicated to planetary science and exploration. Dr Pascal Lee of the Mars Institute and SETI Institute serves as the projects director. Due to travel restrictions to the Arctic associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, the HMP-2021 summer field campaign was rescoped and replanned to take place in Oregon in August, 2021.

For more information on the HMP:https://www.nasa.gov/analogs/hmphttps://www.marsinstitute.no/hmp

About Mars InstituteThe Mars Institute is a non-profit research organization dedicated to the advancement of Mars science, exploration, and the public understanding of Mars. Research at the Mars Institute focuses Mars and other planetary destinations that may serve as stepping-stones to Mars, in particular Mars moons, our Moon, and near-Earth objects. The Mars Institute investigates the technologies and strategies that will enable and optimize the future human exploration of Mars. The Mars Institute operates the Haughton-Mars Project Research Station on Devon Island, High Arctic.

About the SETI InstituteFounded in 1984, the SETI Institute is a non-profit, multidisciplinary research and education organization whose mission is to lead humanitys quest to understand the origins and prevalence of life and intelligence in the universe and share that knowledge with the world. Research at the SETI Institute encompasses the physical and biological sciences and leverages expertise in data analytics, machine learning and advanced signal detection technologies. The SETI Institute is a distinguished research partner for industry, academia and government agencies, including NASA and NSF.

About Collins AerospaceCollins Aerospace is a leader in technologically advanced and intelligent solutions for the global aerospace and defense industry. Collins Aerospace has the capabilities, comprehensive portfolio and expertise to solve customers toughest challenges and to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving global market. It is one of the four businesses that form Raytheon Technologies.

About NtentionNtention is a Norwegian deep tech start-up founded by a group of engineering students from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) with a passion for human-machine interaction. The aim of the company is to radically improve the way one interacts with technology. Ntention is developing a user-centered interaction framework, that captures the usersintentionthrough multi-modal input methods (such as motion capture, eye-tracking, and voice commands) and translates it into machine command. The system is called the Ntention Interaction Framework (NIF). NIF will be a game changer in several industries, ranging from interaction systems for astronauts, to meeting solutions using VR in the construction industry and has previously been demonstrated in several use-cases, including a music production and performance glove, and the control of robotic arms.

For more information, contact:

Dr Pascal LeeDirector, NASA Haughton-Mars ProjectMars Institute & SETI InstituteNASA Ames Research CenterMS 245-3Moffett Field, CA 94035-1000USAE-mail:pascal.lee@marsinstitute.net

Rebecca McDonaldDirector of CommunicationsSETI Institute189 Bernardo Ave, Suite 200Mountain View, CA 94043USAE-mail:rmcdonald@seti.orgTel: 650-960-4526

Jessica NapoliSr. Mgr External CommunicationsCollins AerospaceE-mail:Jessica.napoli@collins.comTel: 704-713-7282

Alison LalCommunications SpecialistNtentionE-mail:Alison@ntention.comTel: +47462 49 351Norway Time Zone: CET (EST+6)

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New Spacesuit Technologies for Moon and Mars Exploration Tested In Oregon Where Apollo Astronauts Once Trained and Tested Spacesuits - SETI Institute