Monthly Archives: August 2022

A new water map of Mars could offer freshclues about the planets past and potential landing spots for the future.

Researchers from the European Space Agency (ESA) spent a decade developing the map from data collected by two Mars orbiters.

They found hundreds of thousands of areas containing aqueous mineral deposits, which are created though interactions between rock and water.

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As the minerals still contain water molecules, they could show locations where we can extract water for human bases on the planet.

These outcrops may also provide ideal sites for exploring whether life once began on Mars.

The map could provide a paradigm shift in our understanding of Martian history.

This work has now established that when you are studying the ancient terrains in detail, not seeing these minerals is actually the oddity, John Carter of the Institut dAstrophysique Spatiale in Paris, said in a statement.

The map uses data from two complementary tools: the CRISM spectrometer on NASAsMars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the OMEGA instrument on ESAs Mars Express spacecraft.

The researchers combined the datasets to establish the locations and quantities of aqueous minerals.

They nowwill now examine the data for signs that water was either globally persistent or only present during short and intense periods. They will also search for evidence that Mars ever had a climate that could sustain life.

The team also hopes to gives Mars mission planners prime candidates for landing sites.

Humankind may be a small step closer to colonizing the red planet.

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New water map of Mars shows potential landing spots on the planet - TNW

Announced at Gamescom, Haemimont Games is now ready to explore the outer reaches of the cosmos.

After exploring a lawless city and surviving the harrowing conditions of Mars, the team at Haemimont Games is moving on to its next big project. Announced on Tuesday during Gamescom, the Surviving Mars and Omerta: City of Gangsters developer will join forces with Frontier Foundry (part of Frontier Developments' publishing arm) to take players even farther into the cosmos with Stranded: Alien Dawn.

Stranded: Alien Dawn builds upon the foundation laid down by Surviving Mars and challenges players to build a colony where survivors can flourish. Users will start out with a modest base and eventually branch it out through resource management, research, crafting, and by exploring dangerous new environments. This strange world is a deadly one, as players will have to contend with alien illnesses, extreme weather patterns, and aggressive wildlife.

There are a multitude of approaches that one can take to ensure the survival of the colony. However, as the leader of the colony, the player will have to make some difficult choices over the course of their campaign. Some choices will offer short-term gains with long-term consequences and will have to be heavily considered. After all, survival is ultimately the name of the game and one wrong choice can doom the entire human colony.

It won't be long before players can try out Stranded: Alien Dawn, but the full release is going to need a little more time in the oven. The game will come exclusively to PC via Steam, but will first launch on Steam Early Access in October. For more information on this survival effort from Frontier and Haemimont, be sure to check out the Stranded: Alien Dawn website.

Ozzie has been playing video games since picking up his first NES controller at age 5. He has been into games ever since, only briefly stepping away during his college years. But he was pulled back in after spending years in QA circles for both THQ and Activision, mostly spending time helping to push forward the Guitar Hero series at its peak. Ozzie has become a big fan of platformers, puzzle games, shooters, and RPGs, just to name a few genres, but hes also a huge sucker for anything with a good, compelling narrative behind it. Because what are video games if you can't enjoy a good story with a fresh Cherry Coke?

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Stranded: Alien Dawn is the next game from the Surviving Mars devs - Shacknews

Launches for August 25, 2022: This artists rendering depicts Rocket Labs planned probe to the planet Venus, scheduled to launch in 2023. The tiny probe will sample the Venusian air for organic molecules as it searches for life. Image from Rocket Lab.Launches: Life in Venus clouds? Rocket Lab to check

The spunky little aerospace company Rocket Lab based in Long Beach, California has set its sights on Venus. Its planning a private mission to the solar systems hottest planet in humanitys ongoing quest to find out if were alone in the universe. A peer-reviewed paper detailing the mission was published earlier this month (August 13, 2022) in the journal Aerospace, and its authors are aiming high:

Rocket Lab has made the engineering and financial commitment to fly a private mission to Venus, with a goal of launching in 2023, to help answer the question Are we alone in the universe?

The probe theyre sending will weigh just 1 kg (2.2 pounds) and spend only five minutes speeding through the Venusian atmosphere, taking samples of the air as it goes. Rocket Lab said it plans to launch in May of 2023, with a backup window in December. The probe will search for signs of organic molecules that could indicate the presence of extraterrestrial life.

Besides furthering humanitys understanding of Earths near twin as it searches for conditions that could foster life, the mission is also intended to mature Rocket Labs Photon interplanetary spacecraft, which will shoot the probe into its trans-Venus injection trajectory after being sent aloft aboard one of the companys Electron launch vehicles.

This wont be the first time a Photon has left the planet. Earlier this year, while the attention of the community of spaceflight fans was focused on SpaceXs Starship and NASAs Artemis 1 lunar mission preparations, Rocket Lab sent a probe to the moon, a preliminary mission for the Photon intended to prepare for humanitys permanent colonization of our natural satellite, as described in the paper laying out the Venus mission parameters:

The high-energy Photon, developed by Rocket Lab for the NASA CAPSTONE mission that successfully launched to the moon in June 2022 and also being matured for the NASA Escape and Plasma Acceleration and Dynamics Explorers (ESCAPADE) mission launching to Mars in 2024, is a self-sufficient small spacecraft capable of long-duration interplanetary cruise.

And this isnt the first mention weve heard this month of possible life in the clouds of Venus. Jane Greaves, an astronomer at Cardiff University, told The Planetary Society on its August 17, 2022, podcast called Planetary Radio, that shes found phosphine in the atmosphere of Venus for the third time. Its more confirmation for Greaves earlier discoveries of phosphine on Venus, which on Earth is created through biological processes. Whats more, Greaves speculated that life in Venus atmosphere may exist in self-contained droplet worlds that are home to microbes.

On Earth, phosphine is created by anaerobic bacteria, or bacteria that live in extreme environments without oxygen. On the Planetary Radio podcast, Greaves described when she first started researching what phosphine is and why its special:

Its a gas that you find on Earth where youve got these bacteria in extreme situations and they dont use oxygen. So, they get their energy in other ways. For reasons we dont really understand, they pump out some phosphine gas.

That led her to a memory about Carl Sagan:

Theres this old idea that Carl Sagan and some other people came up with that there could be life floating in the clouds of Venus where theres no oxygen.

And thus she began her search for phosphine in Venuss atmosphere. We should add that not all scientists agree with Greaves result. And certainly not all are convinced that the clouds of Venus are a home to life.

But its interesting!

Read more: Life in the Clouds of Venus? by Harold Morowitz and Carl Sagan, 1967, Nature.

Bottom line: In 2023, the aerospace company Rocket Lab based in Long Beach, California will launch a private mission to probe the atmosphere of Venus for signs of life.

Award-winning reporter and editor Dave Adalian's love affair with the cosmos began during a long-ago summer school trip to the storied and venerable Lick Observatory atop California's Mount Hamilton, east of San Jose in the foggy Diablos Mountain Range and far above Monterey Bay at the edge of the endless blue Pacific Ocean. That field trip goes on today, as Dave still pursues his nocturnal adventures, perched in the darkness at his telescope's eyepiece or chasing wandering stars through the fields of night as a naked-eye observer.A lifelong resident of California's Tulare County - an agricultural paradise where the Great San Joaquin Valley meets the Sierra Nevada in endless miles of grass-covered foothills - Dave grew up in a wilderness larger than Delaware and Rhode Island combined, one choked with the greatest diversity of flora and fauna in the US, one which passes its nights beneath pitch black skies rising over the some of highest mountain peaks and greatest roadless areas on the North American continent.Dave studied English, American literature and mass communications at the College of the Sequoias and the University of California, Santa Barbara. He has worked as a reporter and editor for a number of news publications on- and offline during a career spanning nearly 30 years so far. His fondest literary hope is to share his passion for astronomy and all things cosmic with anyone who wants to join in the adventure and explore the universe's past, present and future.

Kelly Kizer Whitt has been a science writer specializing in astronomy for more than two decades. She began her career at Astronomy Magazine, and she has made regular contributions to AstronomyToday and the Sierra Club, among other outlets. Her childrens picture book, Solar System Forecast, was published in 2012. She has also written a young adult dystopian novel titled A Different Sky. When she is not reading or writing about astronomy and staring up at the stars, she enjoys traveling to the national parks, creating crossword puzzles, running, tennis, and paddleboarding. Kelly lives with her family in Wisconsin.

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Launches: Life in Venus clouds? Rocket Lab to check - EarthSky

The new American James Webb satellite explores the outer boundaries of the universe. Private US starts ups Space X and Blue Origin are pioneering commercial space exploration and the launch of inexpensive low orbit satellites. In contrast, the European Space Agency (ESA) seems grounded.

Radical change is required. Europe must consolidate its public space agencies and encourage its private space companies to grow. This requires a harmonized and united European front on space exploration.

Established in 1975, Europes Space Agency (ESA) lacks power over the EUs national agencies. It acts as an intergovernmental mechanism allowing members to cooperate and exchange information on international and national space law. Translated from Eurospeak, this means the ESA acts as a technical and legal consultant to national space agencies, not as a coherent, centralized, strong leader. In addition, only 22 of the EUs members participate, with small states such as Bulgaria, Cyprus, and Slovakia, staying away.

The ESA is not part of the European Union structure, though it receives much of its funding from the European Commission. The EU has its space program, called the European Space Program, adding to the confusion.

Part of the reason behind this decentralized structure is that much space research concerns defense. Under EU law, national security remains a national responsibility, out of the EU scope.

Unnecessary duplication and slow decision-making results. Even the most ambitious ESA projects such as the Rosalind Franklin rover (headed for Mars) or Electra (a telecommunications satellite) focus on providing unmanned services and exploration research, rather than pursuing ambitious manned or defense missions.

The funding represents another challenge. The ESA budget totals a mere EUR14 billion over five years compared to the US, which spent 54 billion dollars in 2021, or China, which spent a little over $10 billion last year.

Europe needs to pool its resources to pursue ambitious projects such as the colonization of Mars, and the Moon, or defense-oriented measures such as missile defense or advanced satellite networks.

This goal could be achieved by remodeling the ESA in the spirit of NASA. In a public presentation, ESA manager Martin Born says his organization must increase flexibility and reduce bureaucracy. For example, he points out that while NASA holds weekly risk meetings, ESA requires lengthy paper risk reports. NASA conducts a streamlined three-part progress review. ESA has a five-step drawn-out review system. NASA takes direction from a single government administration, allowing it to develop and implement a coherent, and often ambitious, set of priorities. In contrast, the ESA must balance the interest of its member states.

Challenges arise concerning the role of private companies: in the US, NASA cooperates with and compliments space startups producing cheap rockets and satellites. In Europe, the ESA imposes onerous regulations on companies through stringent supply chain reporting, creating a barrier for private companies, and leaving Europes space startups struggling for finance.

Brexit presents another obstacle. When the UK pulled out of the EU, it was frozen out of the ESAs Galileo project, which is building a rival to the US GPS. Britain boasts a potentially dynamic satellite company called OneWeb, which is building hundreds of low-flying satellites. The UK has big ambitions for mass-produced small satellites.

OneWeb and Frances Eutelsat recently announced a merger to create a strong competitor to Elon Musks SpaceX. Both EU and UK antitrust regulators need to approve the deal. Investors are wary: Eutelsats shares fell by more than one-third in the two days after news of its planned deal with OneWeb emerged. Some UK politicians have expressed concerns about the deal.

Comprehensive reform of Europes public space sector remains required. When European Commission President Ursula Von Der Leyen took office in 2019, she called for cross-fertilization between civil, defense and space industries and focus on improving the crucial link between space and defense and security, In 2020, the Commission published an Action Plan calling for better coordination between civil, defense and space projects.

The most straightforward solution would be to give the European Commission a leadership role. Work has already been done to consolidate the two agencies, although bureaucratic infighting has hampered its progress. In 2021, the ESA and EU took new steps to guarantee that they would work in closer collaboration. The European Space Forum, scheduled for the end of October, represents an appropriate venue to launch an ambitious overhaul. Lets hope Europe doesnt miss the opportunity to blast off.

Jonathan Garraffo is an intern in CEPAs Business Development Program. Alexander Wirth is a Program Officer in CEPAs Digital Innovation Initiative.

Continued here:
How Europe's Space Industry Could Blast Off - Center for European Policy Analysis

YEREVAN, AUGUST 13, ARMENPRESS. A historic culmination during the Space Race the 20th-century competition between two Cold War rivals, the Soviet Union and the United States to achieve superior spaceflight capability was the American Apollo 11 mission which landed the first man on the Moon in 1969. Years later, in 1972, Apollo 17 became the final mission ofNASA'sApollo program, the most recent time humans have set foot on theMoonor traveled beyondlow Earth orbit.

In the 21st century, man is again looking up to the Moon and Mars, with dreams to colonize them and transform mankind into an inter-planetary species.

The fifth STARMUS Festival once again brought together the most brilliant minds on the planet to discuss these very ideas.

Ahead of the 6th edition of STARMUS which will take place in Armenia, ARMENPRESS brings you the highlights from the previous festivals.

The fifth Starmus Festival took place in 2019, in Zurich, Switzerland. The festival opened with Hans Zimmers homage to the Apollo Missions, Once Upon a Time on the Moon. The musical component of the festival also featured Brian May, Rick Wakeman, Steve Vai and other stars on stage with the 21st Century Orchestra and Choir. The Stephen Hawking Medal was awarded to Elon Musk, Buzz Aldrin, Brian Eno and the documentary Apollo 11, screened during the festival for the first time in Europe. Dedicated to the humanitys first step on the Moon and Apollo missions, Starmus V featured Apollo astronauts Buzz Aldrin, Al Worden, Charlie Duke, Harrison Schmidt, Rusty Schweikart, Walt Cunningham joined by ESA astronauts Helen Sharman, Claude Nicollier, Tim Peake, former NASA astronauts Garrett Reisman, Sandra Magnus, Nicole Stott and Russian astronauts Gennadiy Padalka and Yuri Baturin. The festival featured more than 50 high-profile scientists, astronauts, engineers and artists including: Buzz Aldrin, Fabiola Gioanotti, Brian May, Donna Strickland, Hans Zimmer, Tony Fadell, Helen Sharman, Peter Gabriel and Nicole Stott.

STARMUS V: A Giant Leap: Homage to Apollo Missions

STARMUS V was dedicated to mans first steps on the Moon and the Apollo missions.

The festival was titled A Giant Leap an homage to Apollo 11 Commander Neil Armstrongs famous words "That's one small step for a man, onegiant leapfor mankind" when he became the first human to set foot on the Moon.

Renowned retired astronauts and moonwalkers were again among the speakers, as well as more than 50 scientists, Nobel laureates, artists and engineers. Then-President of Armenia Armen Sarkissian was also among the speakers.

The physicist President of Armenia on stage at STARMUS V

Sarkissian was the first sitting world leader to participate in the STARMUS festival and deliver remarks.

STARMUS founder Garik Israelian invited Sarkissian on stage, who then delivered a speech.

In his remarks, Sarkissian described the festival as a fantastic event which unites scientists and artists.People think that this is no place for us, politicians. But I am here for a couple of reasons. I will name the first one a dream, because Garik is a dreamer. He is dreaming of wild things and they become true, President Sarkissian said.

We all have dreams. I will tell you a story about a little boy born in Soviet-Armenia, who was dreaming to become an astronaut. When he was 10, he even won a prize for a beautiful drawing of an astronaut on the Moon. That was long ago, in 1963. This dream is still with me., Sarkissian said, referring to himself.

Speaking about another component of the STARMUS art, particularly about the impact of music, he noted that the Berlin wall and other walls were way too low to stop music.I believe that music had enormous influence on the world, in changing Soviet Union, in making many nations, including my own nation, free and independent.

He named STARMUS and Armeni as the most important reason for attending the festival.I invite the next, sixth STARMUS to come to Armenia. We will be happy to see you all scientists, Noble Laureates, astronauts, musicians, artists, and political figures- in Armenia,President Armen Sarkissian underscored and noted that Armenia is one of the most ancient civilizations of the world.I will be happy to show you special educational sites because your topics technologies, music, education, bring science closer to the people. The President spoke also about Yerevan, which is more than 2800 years old, as well as about the Metsamor the observatory from the Urartu period and noted in particular, Armenians were looking into the sky 4500 years ago and registered the data on the stones. I would also like to show you the famous Byurakan observatory. Armenians appreciate science and education.

Months later the Board of Director of the festival officially approved that the next edition will be held in Armenia.

President Armen Sarkissian of Armenia delivering remarks at STARMUS V

Reaching Mars requires colonizing the Moon

One of the main speakers at the festival was Buzz Aldrin, the second man to set foot on the Moon, who dedicated his Forward to the Moon speech to NASAs Artemis lunar program. TheArtemisprogram is a human spaceflight program led byNASAto explore the Moon, aiming for its first touchdown on the lunar south pole by 2024. Aldrin said that the far-reaching goal of the program is the future mission to Mars.

Retired American astronaut Buzz Aldrin delivering remarks at STARMUS V

Aldrin said that theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking once told him that humanity must colonize the Moon before reaching Mars.

I was in his office and I had been anxious that we should make a continuous orbit between Earth and Mars. He said, in that computerized voice of his, colonize the Moon first and I realized that there are so many things we need to do before we send people to Mars and the moon is absolutely the best place to do that, Aldrin said, as theDaily Starreports. And hopefully we can do it with international partners so they can help to pay the bills.

Beware of lunar dust

Future visitors of the Moon should beware of lunar dust, which could cause an allergic reaction, American astronaut Harrison Schmitt from the Apollo 17 (last Apollo mission) said.

During the 1972 mission, Schmitt a geologist by profession was responsible for collecting samples from the Moons surface. Among them was Troctolite 76535 the lunar sample which NASA described as most interesting sample returned from the Moon.

'First time I smelled the dust I had an allergic reaction, the inside of my nose became swollen, you could hear it in my voice,' Schmitt said,The Telegraphreports.

'But that gradually went away for me, and by the fourth time I inhaled lunar dust I didn't notice that.'

He elaborated on the bizarre reaction and said some people had a more severe reaction than others.

Schmitt said: 'A flight surgeon taking suits out of the Apollo 17 command module, after we had splashed down, he had such a reaction that he had to stop doing what he was doing.

'For some individuals we need to find out whether they are going to have a reaction, if they are going to be exposed chronically to Moon dust.

'Now my suggestion is don't ever let them be exposed to lunar dust and there are many engineering solutions since I was flying to keep dust out of the cabin, to keep it off the suit. It's going to be primarily an engineering problem.'

The same problem is faced by Mars missions, and it may be worse for those landing on the red planet as this may be poisonous due to the high concentration of iron oxide.

The final people to walk on the moon were Eugene (Gene) Cernan and Harrison (Jack) Schmitt.

Before he left the moon, Cernan scratched the initials of his daughter Tracy into the lunar regolith. Since the moon does not experience weather conditions like wind or rain to erode anything away, her initials should stay there for a very long time.

Exoplanets: potential alternative to the Earth

At the last day of the festival, astrophysics Professor Natalie Batalha of the University of California, Santa Cruz delivered a lecture on exoplanets planets outside the Solar System.

Batalha spoke about the methods of detecting such planets Doppler method, transit photometry and others. New technologies have naturally allowed scientists to significantly expand their capabilities. By 2009 only 400 exoplanets were discovered, but since the launch of the Keplerspacetelescope that year the number rose to over 4000.

Natalie Batalha speaking about the exploration of new exoplanets

Batalha noted that the diversity of planets in the galaxy far exceeds the diversity of planets in the Solar system.

She said that the nearest potentially habitable planet is 10 light years away from Earth.

STARMUS V saw the first Lifetime Achievement Award presentation

The Stephen Hawking Medal was awarded to Elon Musk, Buzz Aldrin, musician Brian Eno and the documentary Apollo 11, screened during the festival for the first time in Europe.

Elon Musk made an acceptance speech online from the Kennedy Space Center, where the Falcon Heavy rocket was about to be launched.

The legendary Queen guitarist Brian May said that Musk has taken the first bold steps towards space travel and the colonisation of other worlds by private enterprise. And whereas he has re-ignited public belief in the world of innovation and exploration of the Cosmos, and encouraged a whole new generation to look to the Stars.

Elon Musk accepting the award online

The very first Stephen Hawking medal for Lifetime Achievement was awarded to Buzz Aldrin, who made world history by flying a man-made machine to land on another world and walk on the Moon. And Whereas he has since that time devoted his life to Science outreach. Whereas he is the ONLY Apollo astronaut with over 1,000 lectures to his name, all inspiring a whole new generation to prioritise missions to other planets. Whereas he is now 90 years old and still tirelessly promoting space science.

STARMUS coming to Armenia

In two weeks, from September 5 to 10, over 50 astronauts, renowned scientists, Nobel prize laureates, musicians and artists will gather in Armenia for the 6th edition of STARMUS, titled 50 Years on Mars: From Mars 3 and Mariner 9 to Starship.

The sixth Starmus will be dedicated to Mars, from the very first Soviet MARS 3 to the ambitious manned landing plans and spectacular NASA missions. It has been 50 years since MARS 3 performed the first soft landing on the Red Planet and sent back to the Earth the first image of its surface. This milestone was followed by dozens of successful missions by NASA providing us with more accurate images and information from our neighbour in the Solar System. Following the established tradition, the Festival will address pressing issues and screen films about the exploration of Mars.

Read also:

A Look Back At First STARMUS Festival

From rhino with spider legs to secrets of black holes: Looking back at STARMUS II Festival

When bright people talk about dark things: retrospective view of Starmus III

Starmus IV: Searching Humanity's Future Among the Stars

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STARMUS V: Lunar dust allergy, alternatives to planet Earth and how the festival came to Armenia - ARMENPRESS

(The Conversation is an independent and nonprofit source of news, analysis and commentary from academic experts.)

(THE CONVERSATION) When the first baby is born off-Earth, it will be a milestone as momentous as humanitys first steps out of Africa. Such a birth would mark the beginning of a multiplanet civilization for the human species.

For the first half-century of the Space Age, only governments launched satellites and people into Earth orbit. No longer. Hundreds of private space companies are building a new industry that already has US$300 billion in annual revenue.

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Im a professor of astronomy who has written a book and a number of articles about humans future in space. Today, all activity in space is tethered to the Earth. But I predict that in around 30 years people will start living in space and soon after, the first off-Earth baby will be born.

Space started as a duopoly as the United States and the Soviet Union vied for supremacy in a geopolitical contest with loud military overtones. But while NASA achieved the Moon landings in 1969, its budget has since shrunk by a factor of three. Russia is no longer an economic superpower, and its presence in space is a pale shadow of the program that launched the first satellite and the first person into orbit.

The new kid on the block is China. After a late start, the Chinese space program is surging, fueled by a budget that has recently grown faster than their economy. China is building a space station, the country has landed probes on the Moon and Mars, and it is planning a Moon base. On its current trajectory, China will soon be the dominant space power.

But the most exciting progress is being made by private space companies that are marketing space for tourism and recreation. Elon Musks goal for SpaceX is to carry 100 people at a time to the Moon, Mars and beyond, although in public presentations he is coy about giving a timeline. Jeff Bezos company, Blue Origin, also aims to colonize the solar system. Such grandiose plans have skeptics, but remember that these are the two richest people in the world.

Governments will continue to launch rockets, but it would be safe to say that the future of private space flight arrived in 2016 when, for the first time, commercial launches outnumbered launches by all the worlds countries combined.

Living on the Moon or Mars

For a spacecraft, the trip to Mars is about 1,000 times farther than a trip to the Moon, so the Moon will be humanitys first home away from home.

China is partnering with Russia to build a long-term facility at the Moons South Pole sometime between 2036 and 2045. NASA plans to put boots on the Moon in 2024 and establish a permanent settlement called the Artemis Base Camp within another decade. As part of the Artemis mission, NASA is also planning to launch a lunar space station in 2024 called Gateway. NASA is teaming up with SpaceX for this and future lunar projects, and the lunar station will make it easier for SpaceX to resupply the future lunar colony.

After the Moon comes Mars, and the collaboration between SpaceX and NASA is accelerating the timeline for getting there. NASAs plans are purposeful, but the organization hasnt given a timeline. Elon Musk, on the other hand, has loudly proclaimed that he intends to have a colony on Mars by 2050. Humanitys attempt to colonize the Moon will give us a good sense of the challenges we might face on Mars.

For a civilization to be really free from Earth, the population needs to grow, and that means babies. Living on the Moon or Mars will be arduous and stressful, so the first inhabitants will probably spend only a few years there at a time and are unlikely to start a family.

But once people do take up permanent residency off-Earth, there are still many unknowns. First, little research has been done on the biology of pregnancy and reproductive health in a space or low-gravity environment like the Moon or Mars. Its possible there will be unexpected hazards to the fetus or mother. Second, babies are fragile, and raising them is not easy. The infrastructure of these bases would have to be sophisticated to make some version of normal family life possible, a process that will take decades.

With these uncertainties in mind, it seems likely that the first off-Earth baby will be born much closer to home. A Dutch startup called SpaceLife Origin wants to send a heavily pregnant woman 250 miles up just long enough to give birth. They talk a good story, but the legal, medical and ethical obstacles are formidable. Another company, called Orbital Assembly Corporation, plans to open a luxury hotel in orbit in 2027 called the Voyager Station. Current plans show that it would hold 280 guests and 112 crew members, with its spinning-wheel design providing artificial gravity. But the breathless news reports omit any discussion of the difficulty and cost of such a project.

However, on April 12, 2021, NASA announced that it is considering allowing a reality TV show to send a civilian to the International Space Station and film them for 10 days. Its plausible that this idea could be extended, with a wealthy couple booking a long-term stay for the entire process from conception to birth in orbit.

At the moment, theres no evidence anyone has had sex in space. But with about 600 people having been in Earth orbit including one NASA couple who kept their marriage a secret one space historian was able to gather plenty of Space Age salacious moments.

My guess is that sometime around 2040, a unique individual will be born. They may carry the citizenship of their parents, or they may be born in a facility operated by a corporation and end up stateless. But I prefer to think of this future person as the first true citizen of the galaxy.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article here: https://theconversation.com/when-will-the-first-baby-be-born-in-space-160966.

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When will the first baby be born in space? - Buffalo News

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The Xbox One may be a last-gen console now, but that doesnt mean theres not a lot you can do with it still. In fact, given that the Series X is both hard to find and doesnt have a lot of original games on it, you might have the urge to play your Xbox One more. And if youre looking for a space kick, we got something special for you here.

Lets start out with something that is honestly very unique compared to the other titles that are upcoming. Deep Rock Galactic focuses on you and 3 other players being a team of space dwarves (yes, the species exists in space, deal with it!), and your job is to go to various spots in the galaxy and try to mine as much material as you can.

If youre expecting a, But, youd be right in thinking that far ahead. Because within these places are massive hordes of monsters that will keep coming without end until you get what you need and then depart.

So work together, set up gadgets to help you fight off the horde, and get out with your loot!

We know that some of you will be mad that Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga is so low on this list, but lets be honest here, the LEGO video game titles are meant to satisfy a certain kind of gamer, and if thats not you, then youll find this very over the top.

If it is a game for you though, then youll want to try this version of the titles because it literally brings all 9 mainline movies into one game for you to play. Youll fight enemies, collect bricks and various other things, and of course, play as a large menagerie of other Star Wars characters.

Its simple fun, what more could you ask for?

Space Hulk: Tactics is one of many (MANY!!!) titles that hails in origins from the Warhammer 40K board game universe. In Space Hulk: Tactics, youll actually get a faithful recreation of the board game, but with some fun video game twists.

A space hulk if you dont know isnt a machine, but rather, a part of space in which there is a large mass of ships, debris, asteroids and so on all clumped together to make things very difficult to go around.

Youll play as either the Blood Angels Squad, or, youll play as the Genestealers race for the first time ever, and square of in deep campaigns. Or, take the fight to multiplayer to see who comes out on top there!

If youre looking for a more creative side of these space adventures, you need only look at Astroneer. Why is that? Because in this game, youll be a space adventurer in the 25th century, and youll be given the power to go and terraform worlds in order to make it more suitable for you and your employers, as well as just shaping the planets to your whim.

Youll be able to go to a good sect of planets, and you can do things above ground, below ground, craft items and vehicles to help with your exploration or expansion, and more!

The visual style also helps it stand out, so dont miss out!

What do you get when you mix intense action, mind-bending abilities, space combat, and a storyline about a former cult weapon trying to take out those that created them? No, its not an anime (though it couldve been), rather, its the game Chorus

You are Nara, who was a created being by a dark cult known as The Circle. They had great plans for you, but then, you broke away from their control, and now, with your sentient ship Forsaken at your side, you must travel the galaxy in order to rally a resistance in order to take The Circle down.

Both on the ground and in the depths of space youll be able to do all sorts of battles, so get ready for a deep and dark journey.

In the real world, the question of surviving Mars is one that many are not only asking, but are trying to figure out openly so that we can at least attempt to colonize it one day.

In the video game Surviving Mars, youll actually be tasked with trying to make it happen, and in quick order. You might think that making a colony on Mars from the video game standpoint would be easy, but theres a lot more in it than you realize.

Youll have to place the colony, grow the colony, manage the resources you have, get the resources of Mars to try and help you further, and explore The Red Planet in order to see what mysteries lie on it and underneath its surface.

You are a scientists on the Talos I space station, and your team is in the midst of doing experience that could change things for the human race as a whole.

But then, out of nowhere, as you yourself are being tested in the experiment, the station goes dark, and when you awaken, nothing is as it should be. An alien race is ravaging the station, you cant remember who you are, and all of a suddenyou have abilities.

Now, you must use these new gifts to not just unravel the truth of all thats going on, but to fight back against the invading threat. If youre looking for intense action and a bit of alien horror, here you go!

Stellaris is one of many games out there that gives you a universe to explore and they actually back that up in the best way. In this case, you are a planet that has finally gotten into the space exploration age of its cycle. So nowits time to make the most of it.

Youll start out small, building and sending out all sorts of science and exploration ships to try and get a better grasp of whats out there. But then, youll change tactics and start to shape your global empire.

Youll meet other species, have to worry about maintaining the power of your newly growing empire, and more. So be ready for an ever-evolving adventure in Stellaris!

Lets just say for a sec that you dont want to control humans in a game because you dont want to hurt thembut youre more than willing to do it to a fictional race! Well then, Kerbal Space Program is for you then.

Because in this game, youll take control of the Kerbals, a race of beings who are trying to get into space and expand. Thankfully, they have you, unfortunately, its going to be a trial-and-error process.

So much so that youll really need to learn from your mistakes, and then once you have the baseplate, you go and start exploring the solar system and beyond, set up space stations and colonies, and more!

Do it for the Kerbals!

Not unlike a previous title, Elite Dangerous is a game that has a massive universe to explore. The catch though is that youre not ruling over a whole race, instead, you are in control of yourself, and will go on your own journey in any way you want to see how you fit in to this universe.

All you have to start the game is a ship and some credits, the rest is up to you. Be something good, be something bad, influence the universe around you, or let everyone else do the hard work. Either way you look at it, the universe is a big place, and the way you carve out your role in it is entirely and emphatically up to youand the other players who affect the game as a whole.

If youre looking for a more mature Star Wars game (sorry, Lego!), then look no further than Star Wars: Squadrons.

Banking off the fan-love for the dogfighting elements in the Battlefront games, Star Wars: Squadrons puts you in the cockpit of some of the most legendary vehicles in the Star Wars universe. Whether you play as the New Republic or the Empire, your skills as a pilot will be tested to the limit.

Whats more, there is a storyline that takes place right after Return of the Jedi to help further prove where in-canon it is. So go and take to the skies and space and see if you have what it takes to be the best pilot in the galaxy.

You are the daughter of Ellen Ripley, and one day, you get word that on a nearby space station there is a recorded message from her. You rush to the station, only to find out that the station is offlineand that theres an old friend waiting for you.

Yes, Alien Isolation once again puts a group of people (but mainly you) up against the Xenomorph, and its your job to go and complete a series of tasks to get the station back up and running so you can escape and kill the Xenomorph.

But the Alien is always on the hunt, and youll need to be ready for it at all times so you can run and hide.

Do you think you can survive?

We promise, this isnt a game that is graphic or untoward, its honestly not the kind of title youre thinking of as a whole.

Because in point of fact, Lovers In A Dangerous Spacetime is 1-4 person co-op game where you are on a giant spaceship going around the galaxy trying to fight off the enemies that are indeed anti-love, were not making this up, promise.

Only through teamwork can you make this dream work. Because youll need to move the ship around, fire its thrusters, collect space bunnies, and more! Its a fun and frantic old-school arcade style title, and if you think thats good, jump in and play!

If we had made this list several years ago, theres no doubt that No Mans Sky would be very low on it. Hello Games promised gamers a literal universe to explore without fear of getting bored or planets just being window dressing. And yet, when it came out, we were very much bored of it, and many of the promises they made (like multiplayer) were not in the game.

To their credit though, No Mans Sky got better as time went on. It got more content, it got multiplayer and co-op, and now, its almost an entirely new game. So if youve been waiting for the right moment to go and try it out, here is your chance.

The Outer Worlds is easily one of the most expansive RPGs out there in the world right now, and so its not that surprising that the game is made by the geniuses over at Obsidian.

And just like many of the titles that theyve made over the years, the game is not only big, but its reliant on your choices and what you do next. The story puts you as a person waking up from a deep cryo sleep and finding that the galaxy is a MUCH different place.

Now, youre asked to defend a colony, and to go up against the corporate overlords that are trying to take everything for themselves.

Make the path you want to go on, and see just how crazy this game can get.

While the Destiny franchise hasnt fully lived up to the expectations of both fans, critics, and even Bungie, the developer has been working at it for YEARS to try and get it up to the high standards that many have, and they have succeeded in many regards.

Even now, there are key updates, expansions, and fixes that are being done in order to make the game more fun, more expansive, and better to do either by yourself or with friends.

So whether youre a new player who needs to dive into this vast universe, or a player just wants to dive back in to see what theyve missed, you would be wise to give Destiny 2 a look.

Showtime, A-Holes!

There have been a lot of superhero video games that have not just come out late, but a vast majority of them have a quality to them that cant be denied (Arkham series, Spider-Man), and one of them includes Marvels Guardians of the Galaxy.

In the game, youll play solely as Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, and with the rest of the GOTG at your back youll go through a deep story thatll take you from one edge of the Marvel Universe to the other as you try and fight off bad guys, meet unique allies, and just try and stay alive long enough to jam to tunes.

The game is better than you likely realize, so dont miss out!

Our third Star Wars game on this list, we saved the best for last via Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order. This very special singleplayer game (take that EA!) puts you in the role of Jedi Padawan Cal Kestis, who survives Order 66 and has gone into hiding in order to survive.

But, when things suddenly change, he gives himself a new mission, to re-establish the Jedi Order so that they can fight back against the Inquisitors and Darth Vader.

Learn to wield your lightsaber in special combat not really done in the Star Wars games before, and see the galaxy far, far away from a new perspective.

What? Putting Among Us at #2 isnt sus at allunless youre trying to divert attention away from yourself!!!!

As we keep our eye on you, well mention that Among Us was one of the many games that took over the gaming world for a time in the pandemic. So much so that the game (which was released well before the pandemic, mind you) got a whole bunch of memes, video content, fan art and cosplays, and yes, expansions within the game itself via the Airship map and other things.

The game is infinitely replayable because you need to find the imposter, whoever that may be, and get them out before they kill you all.

Sounds simple, right? Good luck with that*heads to push the airlock button*

Anytime we can fairly put the Mass Effect Legendary Edition at the top slot? Were going to do it, you better believe we will. Why is that? Because this is arguably the greatest video game trilogy of all time. Even its controversial ending cant fully bring down all the greatness that these three games had, and theres a reason why so many love it to this day.

Plus, the legendary edition gives the games a visual overhaul for you to enjoy, as well as the DLC for each title and some special quality of life improvements to make them that much better.

So if youre ready to embrace your inner Shepherd once more, get the Mass Effect Legendary Edition.

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20 Best Xbox One Space Games To Explore The Great Unknown - Gameranx