Category Archives: Space Exploration

With hindsight, it is easy to scoff at employers who were making firm plans for RTO return to the office in mid-2020, when the pandemic was really only just getting started.

But offices loom large in the executive psyche. They can also be a skyscraping financial commitment, second only to pay. Combine that with the century-old presumption that work is best done in buildings tailor-made for working, and it should come as no surprise that many chief executives and chief financial officers wanted to refill these costly containers as soon as possible.

A few, of course, notably in the technology sector, went in the opposite direction, dictating that staff need never return and could remote-work for ever. Wise commentators pointed out to me at the time that companies veering to one or other extreme would be caught out, and so it has proved.

Wall Street banks, in the vanguard of those calling for a return to a five-day-a-week office presence, had to row back and allow more flexibility as coronavirus mutated and persisted. Technology companies, on the other hand, are now finding it hard to soften even temporary commitments to more remote work. Apples effort to bring staff back to the workplace in September for at least three days a week met with disquiet and dissent.

Involuntary remote work during the pandemic forced many people to rearrange their homes for work purposes and those arrangements endure. But part of the problem is that most offices do not yet allow for the same flexibility.

There are exceptions. Lego laid plans for its new campus at its Denmark HQ before Covid, but it looks ideally suited to a new world where the borders of office work are blurred. It is supposed to provide a space for all colleagues to network and play during and after working hours (my italics). It features a fitness studio, communal kitchens, a cinema and accommodation for visiting employees.

Campus is an apt description for the complex, which opened in April. Business school students will recognise the mix of work, recreation, cultural and culinary stimulation from universities everywhere.

These are not new ideas. Analysing office design schemes in 2006, Jeremy Myerson and Philip Ross, veteran observers of the future of work, identified the emergence of four realms for white-collar work: the academy, a corporate realm; the agora, for public engagement, say with customers; the guild, where colleagues connect; and the lodge, where work overlaps with home.

In Unworking, a timely new book about how to reinvent the office, they enlarge on some of the ways in which these realms have become increasingly porous, accelerated by the pandemic. If only planning restrictions were looser, offices could mingle with the cities where they are located. A corporate auditorium by day could become a cinema for residents by night; a staff canteen could transform into a dark kitchen for Deliveroo users.

Breakthrough ideas, often the result of genuinely creative thinking, can become short-lived fads or ossify into the reverse of what was intended

Reinventing the office requires brave organisational thinking and leadership. In 1988, Jan Carlzon, then head of airline SAS, had to send a memo instructing employees to use the solar-heated main street that the group had created at the heart of its new headquarters to encourage collaboration. But, even if staff are won over by the new office, bold design touches and radical furnishings may look like an unwieldy overhead to the finance department, and a health and safety problem to facilities.

Breakthrough ideas, often the result of genuinely creative thinking, can become short-lived fads or ossify into the reverse of what was intended. Action Office, a supposedly flexible furniture system designed for Herman Miller in the 1960s, was the forerunner of hated, rigid cubicle farms. Once-revolutionary open-plan designs can lead to less meaningful communication between colleagues.

Myerson identifies three critical ingredients in the workplace: people, place and technology. The last may offer most potential for positive change. As anyone who has moved to a new office knows, no matter how cool the blueprint, it is when people arrive that lively collaboration spaces and unexpected dead zones become obvious.

But redesigning workplaces need not be costly or permanent. For instance, in a 2012 project for the Royal College of Art, Imogen Privett showed how flexible stage techniques such as lighting or screens could transform space and inexpensively create the wow factor that helps stimulate creative work. By collecting anonymised data about demand, personal preferences and usage, Unworking suggests that organisations ought to be able to move from the stern, unbending system of the past those beige cubicle farms to these more elastic models, shaped by and for staff, whether working in person or remotely.

One final imperative: obsession with workplace design cannot be allowed to obscure the need to reinvent the old habits of work and management. Myerson and Ross say they are optimistic about the future of the office but only if organisations can also reimagine the activities that it used to contain.

Andrew Hill is the FTs senior business writer

Originally posted here:

Space exploration: reimagining the workplace - Financial Times

Earth from space sparkles. Photos do not capture this. You have to see it to believe it.

Astronauts have long attempted to capture in words, photos, paintings, and poetry the view of Earth from space. I tried, too, after returning from my flight as a commercial astronaut aboard Blue Origins NS-19 flight in 2021. But space resists capture. Instead, it reframes the perspective of Earth, work, and oneself.

Author Frank White termed the Overview Effect, a phenomenon that astronauts experience upon seeing Earth, in a completely different context. Space changes astronauts. It has the power to change all of us, and not just up there.

The team at Space for Humanity is developing the next generation of citizen astronauts, determined to share the Overview Effect with everyone. But those who cant go to space should consider channeling the Overview Effect here on Earth.

As leaders ostensibly serve humanitys greater good, we can look to astronauts and the space program for better ways to serve. They can teach us how to work more creatively, collaboratively, and harmoniously. Astronauts have been doing so for decades and will continue to do so on their way to Mars in the future.

The creative minds behind space exploration have given us boundless products: camera phones, athletic shoes, wireless headsets, and even the Jaws of Life. Space travel made possible solutions such as the worlds first water-recycling shower, bioregenerative food systems that could improve our Earth-bound food supply, and methods for preventing osteoporosis. One of the case studies of human creativity is Apollo 13, the 1970 lunar mission in which three astronauts returned their failing craft to Earth with a resourceful array of parts, determination, and the space programs greatest resource: ingenuity.

Well require deeper reserves of ingenuity to send humans to Mars, a multi-year journey of body and spirit. Researchers and prospective astronauts are developing the technology necessary for safe travel to Mars. Theyre also devising methods to live and work in small groups, so that we can act autonomously on a distant planet.

This fascinating research is uncovering creative work strategies that leaders could use in their companies, particularly with remote teams. In determining who has The Right Stuff for Mars, researchers are also teaching us to rethink work at home.

Noshir Contractor and Leslie DeChurch, professors at Northwestern University, study astronaut training and performance to determine the best dynamics for small-group space exploration. In a presentation called Teaming in a Virtual World, the professors offered five creative lessons about work they learned from astronauts. They include:

Researchers found that the bold-personality type of the The Right Stuff era of astronauts is over. Deep space astronauts must play well with others, even if that means reconfiguring with whom they collaborate.

Contractor and DeChurch studied astronauts for insights into repairing frayed working relationships for long-term project viability. The professorssuggest that leaders who find fractures should attempt to minimize the time those team members work together. If you cant be with the team you love, Contractor says, love the team youre with.

Mars missions will be limited to four to six team members, making effective small-group living essential. In their research, DeChurch and Contractor repeatedly heard International Space Station astronauts underscore the requirements of tight quarters: tolerance, constructive conflict, support, and shared rituals.

Employ these tactics within your teams. Encourage team members to check in with one another, help with tasks, or have lunch (even virtually) together. One more suggestion from ISS astronauts: Absorb negativity by sharing the bad days. In other words, as one astronaut said, eat the [expletive] sandwich together.

Research showed that astronaut performance declined during a missions third quarter when the initial energy wore off, but the finish line remained distant. Moods changed, and problem-solving skills diminished before recharging for the fourth quarter.

COVID has complicated this for many teams since it still has no end date, but DeChurch offered a suggestion: Establish a projects mental clock and recognize it explicitly. When team members work on the same clock, they support the project and each other more meaningfully even if the clock changes.

Astronauts live and work in structure. After spending a year on the ISS, astronaut Scott Kelly said he found unstructured life on Earth difficult. Of course, astronauts respond to structure because of their training and responsibilities, and leaders cant exactly replicate that environment within their teams.

The researchers suggest a manufacturing structure. Schedule time for independent work separate from group assignments. Then schedule time away from work. But dont overschedule. For example, messages from Mars might take 40 minutes to reach Earth, requiring astronauts to work autonomously. Make sure your team is invested in working independently as well.

Is NASA looking for astronauts who are clowns? Though not a defining characteristic, humor helps. Tom Williams, formerly of NASAs Human Research Program, made that point during the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences 2019 discussion, Building a Winning Team for Missions to Mars.

I dont know that the research really leads us to a conclusion that we must select someone in a crew of four [with a sense of humor], Williams said, but clearly the research demonstrates that humor used at the right time can discharge a lot of tension that may have built because of interactions.

If astronauts can deploy humor to cope with stressful situations 140 million miles from home, certainly we can defuse a Zoom call with a good joke.

I believe space transforms us. It transports us from our common surroundings, giving us a new lens to see the world. Space also empowers us to be creative, learn, and solve. What astronauts do in space benefits us on Earth. We just need to reframe things from a unique perspective like the astronauts.

Dylan Taylor is the chairman and chief executive of Voyager Space. He went to space in December 2021 aboard Blue Origins New Shepard suborbital spacecraft.

See more here:

Op-ed | Lessons in Creativity from Space Astronauts - SpaceNews

At only 32, Chinese entrepreneur Justin Sun was appointedas the new Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Grenada to the World Trade Organisation (WTO) late last year.

But thatwas just the beginning for this outstanding young man who has a pretty unique interest space travel.

On July 11, Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, took the company's Unity spacecraft to complete the first low-Earth orbit space trip. This was followed by the successful implementation of the Blue Origin spacecraft.

Sun, however, is not investing in commercial aerospace but is officially joining the ranks of entrepreneurs participating in the industry.

At the end of this year, he and five crew members will take the New Shepardspacecraftand become the first batch of Chinese explorers in commercial space travel.

Spacetravel, currently in itsearly stages, is too expensive for the regular person. Hence, Sun's goal is to reduce the costs throughcommercialisation.

Byinjectingcapitaland selling tickets, one can fund the venture as well as instil confidence in the industry.

Sun's actions willspark online interest and inspire more people to take part in space exploration, especially other young entrepreneurs.

Aside from his personal interest and adventurous spirit, the young entrepreneur has a vision of howcommercial space travelcould grow.

Setting his sights on frontier technology, he said: "This is anambitious goal that'sworth investing time and energy in developing".

Go here to see the original:

From WTO ambassador to space exploration participant: This 32-year-old entrepreneur wants to inspire more people to take part in space exploration -...

Images of rockets ripping through the atmosphere, the history of the billionaire space race, Chinas technological advances, and Elon Musks journey from not-so-humble beginnings to successful space baron and consummate advocate for crewed Mars missions. All of these and more are included in the roughly 170-page tome.

All the while, the stories of technological advances and idealized space ventures are grounded by juxtaposing the environmental impact and social reality of those working on the ground to realize these space dreams.

A chapter titled "The Future: Conflicting Realities" details how work in colonized space "could be a grueling and nightmarish enterprise." It also highlights the 1967 Outer Space Treaty's assertion that materials in space are the "common heritage of mankind" and the friction of upholding this principle in the face of private space enterprises most interested in the bottom line.

We caught up with the author to see how life's going post-IE, discuss the challenges of compiling and writing 'Space Race 2.0', and what his views are on the latest developments in private space and otherwise.

The following conversation has been lightly edited for clarity and flow.

IE: Tell us a bit about the challenge of fitting such a wide-ranging topic into a book. Was there anything important you felt you had to leave out?

Brad Bergan: "I think I would have liked to write, comparatively, about things I don't know off the top of my head when it comes down to getting into the weeds of the engineering. The differences in the efficiencies of thrust and material from the Space Shuttle, for example, to things like the Falcon 1, Falcon 9, Falcon Heavy, and Blue Origins New Shepard.

"Then, I only mentioned a little bit about NASA's attempt at making reusable rockets. What happened to that? It's not completely clear in the book necessarily what happened, because there have been a lot of proposals for different kinds of vehicles over the years. It just happened to be that Elon Musk was the first of that level of prominence.

An artist's impression of Starship launching from Mars City.

"Another thing I think I would have liked to write about more is Musk's mentor Robert Zubrin. I've had a bit of a geek crush on him and have wanted to learn more about him for a long time. He proposed both the Mars Direct and Indirect [missions], and I think that's kind of the inspiration for much of SpaceXs advances namely, stripping our creature comforts and humanity down for transport in the most scientifically relevant way possible."

IE: As someone whos had to write about Elon Musk a lot not just for the book, but also at IE and for other publications do you buy into the hype surrounding him? Do you think, for example, that well have a million people on Mars by 2050?

"I think that's very unlikely. From a journalistic perspective and I have been a journalist for most of my professional life in New York City I don't exactly want to call it hype. I would just call it an idealized version of the space race.

"As a global society, if we could somehow drop everything, including the Ukraine conflict and maybe the military-industrial complex, and focus all of that money into just making us a multi-planet species, maybe [a million people on Mars by 2050] would be possible. I think thats very much what Musk wants, and a lot of other people also want that. Personally, I dont think its going to happen."

IE: In Space Race 2.0, you mention Chinas role in the space race. What did you learn about Chinas space program while writing the book? Do you think it could stake a claim as the leading space power and go toe-to-toe with NASA in the future?

"I remember how, earlier this year, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said of Chinas space advances that theyve gotten really good at stealing, and I think China does pilfer a lot of technology, if not just outright mimic it by studying. But I think theyve also shown an incredible ability to adapt to new technology. They have the Tiangong space station, for example, and that might not only rival the International Space Station (ISS), it could very easily outlive it.

An artist's impression of China's proposed Tiangong-3 orbital station.

"So, imagining a future where whatever the private-public partnership funded replacement for the ISS will take some time to reach orbit, there might very well be a time when China has the only operational space station in low Earth orbit. And they're carrying out frontier science up there and doing real work. They've been on the moon, they've been on Mars. They're going to land on the moon supposedly in the next 15 years. That might be a bit of a stretch, but it's hard to tell because there's only so much you can gander from their state-sponsored news and Twitter accounts and the random Harvard astronomer who happens to be able to interpret things better.

"The short answer is, I think there's more negative hype than positive hype on China. Personally, I think theyve shown themselves to be capable of expanding their space capabilities faster than we might like to believe. But they also have issues, like the rockets raining down on islands, space junk, and then the sort of endless bickering that's going on where the U.S. and China are both blaming each other for not being a team player in space."

IE: Something I noted in Space Race 2.0 was that the book ends on a cautionary note. The penultimate image shows something that is only indirectly related to space an Amazon workers' protest. Did you purposefully set out to warn against the potential outcome of a privatized space industry spearheaded by the likes of Jeff Bezos?

"I mainly wanted to write a timely primer on the second space race, so that was my focus for most of it. I set out the context historically, then I thought there should be some context from normal people like the everyday Joe or Jane in there. Because its something that probably wasn't reported as much during first Space Race.

"I dont know if it would necessarily be Bezos at the head of [the private space industry]. Since he lost his lawsuit against NASA, its looking like his rivalry with Musk is more symbolic than not. That could change though, and there are other new players that might one day do better than SpaceX.

"But yes, everything comes with a cost and I labeled these billionaires the heads of these aerospace firms as space barons as a comparative note to the robber barons of the 19th century. They are at the head of, not necessarily an industrial revolution, but an industrial bottleneck where Amazon is a corporate juggernaut that does literally almost everything you could want in a liberal secure lifestyle. But [then theres] the cost of space travel, courtesy of these billionaires who didnt get to the top by championing humanitarianism or humanism, really.

Jeff Bezos (second from right) with the crew of Blue Origin's first space tourism launch.

"I mean, symbolically at least, Elon Musk might say really nice things on Twitter, but we know that working conditions for SpaceX, Tesla, and Amazon workers arent necessarily ideal. The hours can be long, the pay can be underwhelming, and the way breaks are arranged can seem oddly specific in a way thats needlessly cruel.

"Theres an essay from this year in The Baffler by Corey Pein where he wrote about problems that could be faced by future space colonies. He said, vote against the boss? No rations for you. Labor unrest? Try striking without oxygen. If your boss controls the few inches between you and the deep black abyssal depths of space, it would make you second guess resisting any kind of working environment, no matter how bad it got."

IE: During your time at IE you were on the James Webb Space Telescope news beat. I have to ask, what do you make of the recently released images? Did they live up to your expectations?

"I think so. Theyre absolutely incredible. The image showing what I think was a planetary nursery was beautiful. You could see the divide between dying stars and birthing stars with unprecedented detail. Then theres the one that shows super ancient galaxies and you can see the redshift, the light bending around some kind of greater gravitational force maybe it's a black hole, or maybe just another galaxy cluster that's bending the light.

"The number one thing that's baffled me is, if I understand correctly, theyre seeing galaxies of a much greater level of maturity far earlier in time than expected. Its predicted the early galaxy shouldnt have galaxies this mature and its a kind of ex nihilo did these just pop out quickly as huge mature galaxies? So I think James Webb is already creating new questions for us that will fundamentally change how we think about cosmology and the beginning of the universe. So, so far, it couldn't be better."

IE: Lastly, if you could highlight one must-read section from your book, the section you most enjoyed writing, perhaps, what would it be?

"Firstly, Id say dont skip the section on China, because they are a growing power. Their space program, in my opinion already rivals the U.S. in capability if not in accomplishments. And I dont think it will be long before some of their accomplishments match ours.

"I think some of the most beautiful sections are included in chapter 6, The Race Itself. The protagonist is SpaceX and its knight or its hero, whatever youd like to call it, is Starship. Theres some great imagery and art there.

A photograph of SpaceX's Starship prototype taken in 2019.

"And if I could highlight one key thing, it would be the main difference between the second space race and the first space race. I try to get across to exquisite detail the fact that the private aerospace firms are not only building and contracting their vehicles for NASA to use, theyre also operating them. The biggest difference is that private companies are doing space instead of just building the rockets for [others to use]. And then a dichotomy that I'm using to relate to this symbolically is of a workshop for the human imagination. We have business engineers, and the media take turns carving a shape of our future in space. Operationally, or practically, though a space race is a pragmatic attempt to lift the world economy to the moon and back."

More here:

A new book explores how Musk, Bezos, and China are rewriting the rules on space exploration - Interesting Engineering

One year after travelling to space, 91-year-old William Shatner, the actor who played Captain Kirk in Star Trek, describes a death vision in his new book.

After experiencing space, Astronauts have often described the overview effect, a shift in awareness by seeing Earth from outer space as a tiny, fragile ball of life. The term was coined by author Frank White in 1987 in his book, The Overview Effect Space Exploration and Human Evolution. Certainly, William Shatner was not indifferent to this feeling, which he recalled after joining a suborbital space journey last year with Jeff Bezos Blue Origin.

After his memorable role on the 1960s TV show, the 91-year-old Captain Kirk from Star Trek has recently published a biography called Boldly Go, which he co-wrote with TV and film writer Joshua Brandon. His new book, published by Simon and Schuster, is filled with peculiar anecdotes about Shatners experience above the Earths atmosphere, denoting a grim vision of humankind.

I saw a cold, dark, black emptiness. It was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth. It was deep, enveloping, all-encompassing. I turned back toward the light of home. I could see the curvature of Earth, the beige of the desert, the white of the clouds and the blue of the sky. It was life. Nurturing, sustaining, life. Mother Earth. Gaia. And I was leaving her, reads an excerpt from Boldly Go that was first published by Variety. Everything I had thought was wrong. Everything I had expected to see was wrong, reads the book.

Shatner landed back on Earth in awe and he wasnt able to immediately process all the feelings and overwhelming emotions of that unique moment. Later on, he described sadness and the terrible feeling that humans are slowly destroying our home planet.

I didnt realize it [sadness] until I got down. When I stepped out of the spacecraft, I started crying. I didnt know why. It took me hours to understand why I was weeping. I realized I was in grief for the Earth.

When asked about the criticism surrounding space tourism, Shatner said the whole idea was to get people accustomed to going to space, as if its like going to the Riviera. Its not only a vanity its a business, he said. Still, Shatner referred to what Jeff Bezos ambition of moving heavy industries into orbit and get the earth back to what it was a concept that has its numbers of skeptics and critics.

More here:

William Shatner recalls death vision on travelling to space - Travel Tomorrow

AirSpace Season 6, Ep. 11: October Sky | National Air and Space Museum One museum, two locations Visit us in Washington, DC and Chantilly, VA to explore hundreds of the worlds most significant objects in aviation and space history. Visit National Air and Space Museum in DC Udvar-Hazy Center in VA Plan a field trip Group tours At the museum and online Discover our exhibitions and participate in programs both in person or virtually. What's On Events Exhibitions IMAX Dive deep into air and space Browse our collections, stories, research, and on demand content. Explore Stories Topics Collections On demand For researchers For teachers and parents Bring the Air and Space Museum to your learners, wherever you are. Learn Programs Learning resources Plan a field trip Educator professional development Education monthly theme Be the spark Your support will help fund exhibitions, educational programming, and preservation efforts. Give Become a member Wall of Honor Ways to give Host an Event

AirSpace Season 6, Ep. 11: October Sky Oct 13, 2022

On October 4, 1957 the Soviet Union successfully launched the first artificial Earth satellite, Sputnik. This early Space Race milestone sparked a lot of reaction it was unsettling for some, but for others it inspired an interest in rocketry and brought many scientists into the space industry. One of those people was Homer Hickam, a high schooler in a small West Virginia mining town who would go on to work for NASA, write a memoir, and inspire a movie. On todays episode we unpack that film October Sky. If you went to high school in the last 20 years, theres a chance you saw it in a chemistry or physics class. But, turns out, that wasnt the case for Matt, Emily, or Nick! Its rare for these three to unpack a space movie after all seeing it for the very first time. Tune in to hear their initial impressions, what was mispronounced, and what could have been better!

Listen On: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | RadioPublic | Stitcher

AirSpace is made possible by the generous support of Olay.

Related Topics Space People Rockets

Twitter Comments? Contact Us

We rely on the generous support of donors, sponsors, members, and other benefactors to share the history and impact of aviation and spaceflight, educate the public, and inspire future generations. With your help, we can continue to preserve and safeguard the worlds most comprehensive collection of artifacts representing the great achievements of flight and space exploration.

National Air and Space Museum

6th St. and Independence Ave SW

Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

14390 Air and Space Museum Parkway

Follow this link:

AirSpace Season 6, Ep. 11: October Sky - National Air and Space Museum

Fifty-three years ago, three men, with a team of nearly 400,000 people behind them, did what was previously thought impossible: they went to the Moon.

Collins, Armstrong, and Aldrins names went down in history as the crew of Apollo 11, markers of the feats of the human race. Six moon-landing missions were to follow Apollo 11, the last ending near the close of 1972.

This fall, NASA is going back. To do so, they have spent the past decade building the Space Launch System (SLS), a 70 metric tonnes, 321 foot tall rocket with 8.4 million pounds of thrust at take-off, carrying nearly 154,000 pounds of payload.

The first Orion spacecraft launch is part of NASAs new Artemis programme, named for Apollos twin sister in Greek mythology. Artemis I, as the uncrewed mission is dubbed, will be the first in a series of missions intending to take humans back to the moon, with Artemis II planned to be an all-female crew in cislunar operation following a successful Artemis I. NASA hopes to recapture public imagination through these missions, advance scientific innovation, and pave the way for deep space exploration.

... to continue reading you must be subscribed

Here is the original post:

The space race and cryogenic systems - gasworld

AUSTIN, Texas Moriba Jah, an astrodynamicist, space environmentalist and aerospace engineer at The University of Texas at Austin, has been awarded a MacArthur Fellowship, often referred to as the genius grant. The award recognizes Jahs work to track and monitor the more than 30,000 human-made objects orbiting the earth.

Jah is one of 25 individuals selected for the five-year fellowship a no-strings-attached investment in a persons originality, insight and potential.Recipients are nominated based on proven talent and extraordinary originality and dedication to their creative pursuits.

Jah, an associate professor in the Cockrell School of Engineerings Department of Aerospace Engineering and Engineering Mechanics, has developed tools for more precisely determining the locations and possible orbital paths of the active and inactive satellites, rocket bodies and other debris in space. This knowledge gives scientists a better picture of where objects are related to each other and when a collision could occur.

In tracking these objects, Jah and his colleagues have built complete catalogs of space objects in orbit. These tools ASTRIAGraph and Wayfinder, a new version designed specifically for use by the general public are online visualization tools, freely available to all, that integrate information from governments, industry and researchers.

The orbital highways are getting crowded, and the services and capabilities that we depend upon are in jeopardy of being lost due to collisions from orbiting space debris, and its very difficult to predict where and when those things might happen, Jah said.

Jah is an outspoken advocate for space environmentalism, a framework for treating Earths orbit as a finite natural resource that needs to be preserved and protected. Jah has proposed policies to create a circular space economy, preventing pollution in the form of single-use satellites and incentivizing companies to reuse satellites rather than abandon them.

In addition to his research, Jah is a co-founder and chief scientist at Privateer. His fellow co-founders in the private space venture are Alex Fielding, who co-founded technology company Ripcord, and Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple. Together they focus on similar areas to Jahs research, collecting data on objects in orbit to allow space operators to move safely and effectively.

Moriba is leading the way in one of the most important areas of space exploration navigation in the increasingly crowded space above the earth and the prevention of more pollution in space, said Roger Bonnecaze, dean of the Cockrell School. He is one of a kind, and we are proud to have him in our Texas Engineering community, advancing space environmentalism and tracking orbital debris in new and incredibly impactful ways.

Jah is the 10th UT Austin faculty member awarded a MacArthur Foundation fellowship, joining: Monica Muoz Martinez (History, 2021),Livia Schiavinator Eberlin(Chemistry, 2018),Annie Baker(Theatrical Arts, 2017),Branden Jacobs-Jenkins(Theatre Arts, 2016),Jacqueline Jones(History, 1999),David Hillis(Integrative Biology, 1999),Nancy Moran(Integrative Biology, 1997),Nora C. England(Linguistics, 1993),Philip Uri Treisman(Mathematics, 1992),Thomas G. Palaima(Classics, 1985),David Stuart(Linguistics & Archeology, 1984), andKaren K. Uhlenbeck(Mathematics, 1983).

Excerpt from:

Space Environmentalist Awarded 'Genius Grant' by MacArthur Foundation - UT News - The University of Texas at Austin

Pittsburgh has never been closer to outer space than right now. And theres a window on the North Side that you can look through to see space exploration happening in real-time.

The Moonshot Museum opens Saturday, Oct. 15, inside the headquarters of space/tech company Astrobotic, which has received more than $200 million to deliver a NASA rover to the moon.

Because the Moonshot Museum is co-located at Astrobotic, visitors will have access to all the contributors who make space exploration happen engineers, lawyers, writers, designers, says John Thornton, CEO of Astrobotic and board chair for the Moonshot Museum.

(Space lawyers! Netflix, are you listening? Dibs on that idea for a TV pilot).

Pittsburgh has a lot of great, weird museums, but getting a new one is worth celebrating.

The Moonshot Museum, which NEXTpittsburgh previewed last year, is basically an introduction to todays booming space industry, which has spawned a number of private companies such as SpaceX and Blue Origin, that often work in concert with government space agencies such as NASA.

The highlight of the museum is the glass-walled station where you can observe scientists and engineers tinkering with Astrobotics moon landers and rovers in a bright white clean room.

Moonshot Museum shows what living on the moon might be like. Photo by Mike Machosky.

A clean room is where the air is purified, more than the usual environment, says Mike Hennessy, manager of learning & programs for the Moonshot Museum. Imagine a shoebox of air might have millions of particulates in it; a clean room can get that down to 100,000 or even 10,000 particles. And when folks are working in the clean room they have to stay clean too to make sure that a speck of dust or an eyelash or a bit of makeup doesnt end up on a delicate sensor.

The museum also has models of spacecraft, including the rocket that will take the Peregrine Lunar Lander to the moon and Astrobotics CubeRover that will go forth on its surface.

Astrobotic selected a United Launch Alliance rocket to take its Peregrine Lunar Lander to the moon. Photo by Mike Machosky.

Peregrine, which will be the first American lunar lander in 50 years, will bring payloads to the moons surface later this year, including scientific instruments from three national space agencies (including 11 from NASA alone), a rover from Carnegie Mellon, and the Hope Moonshot from Penn State Outreach.

The Moonshot Museums grand opening celebration takes place on Saturday, Oct. 15, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., with local and national leaders in attendance, giveaways and special activities presented by the Carnegie Science Center, Attack Theater, Mattress Factory, BotsIQ and the Amateur Astronomers Association of Pittsburgh. North Side residents (with proof of address in the 15214, 15233 or 15212 ZIP codes) are invited for a free preview day on Thursday, Oct. 13, from 2 to 7 p.m.

Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for children 3-17, and free for children 2 and under. The museum is located at 1016 N. Lincoln Ave. in Manchester. For more information, visit the website or call 412-314-4111.

astroboticMoonshot MuseumPittsburgh museums

See the original post here:

Pittsburgh moves closer to space when the Moonshot Museum opens Saturday - NEXTpittsburgh

Hispanic men and women paving the way in the Space Program

Updated: 6:03 PM EDT Oct 10, 2022

Hide TranscriptShow Transcript

CHRISTINA: I LOVE IT. ITS AN OUT OF THIS WORLD INDUSTRY, BUT IT TAKES PEOPLE FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. WERE TALKING ABOUT THE SPACE PROGRAM. STEWART: OF COURSE. IN CELEBRATION OF HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH, WESH 2S MEGAN MELLADO SPOKE TO LEADERS AT NASA WHO ARE MAKING HISTORY. MEGAN: ITS BEEN A BIG YEAR FOR SPACE EXPLORATION, BUT THE LAUNCHES AND MISSIONS WOULDNT BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT THE TEAM MEMBERS BEHIND THEM, MANY OF WHICH ARE FROM PLACES LIKE COLOMBIA AND PUERTO RICO. WE SPOKE TO SOME OF THE HISPANIC MEN AND WOMEN HELPING US GET TO THE MOON AND BEYOND. >> IM ORIGINALLY FROM ISABELA, PUERTO RICO. >> I WAS BORN IN CARTAGENA, COLOMBIA. >> MY PARENTS GREW UP IN PUERTO RICO, SPECIFICALLY SAN GERMAN. >> I WAS BORN IN MIAMI BUT MY PARENTS ARE FROM VENEZUELA. >> I WAS BORN AND RAISED IN PUERTO RICO. I GREW UP IN A TOWN CALLED CAMUY, PUERTO RICO. I PRIMARILY SUPPORT OUR DIRECTOR, OUR PROGRAM MANAGER, AND OUR DEPUTY PROGRAM MANAGER IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF ALL THE PLANS IN SUPPORT OF THE ARTEMIS MISSION. IVE BEEN IN THIS POSITION FOR ABOUT TWO YEARS. IVE BEEN WITH NASA FOR ABOUT 20 YEARS. >> I WORK WITH DEEP SPACE LOGISTICS WHICH IS ONE OF THE , VEHICLES THATLL BE PART OF THE GATEWAY THAT WILL TAKE SUPPLIES AND EXPERIMENTS TO THE LUNAR STATION. IVE BEEN WITH NASA FOR 15 YEARS AND IVE BEEN WITH DEEP SPACE LOGISTICS FROM THE VERY BEGINNING OF THE MISSION SO THATS PRETTY NEAT. >> IVE BEEN A TEST DIRECTOR SINCE 2006, SO ITS BEEN QUITE SOME TIME. I GOT TO FLY THE LAST 25 SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS OR SO. I ALSO WAS A LAUNCH DIRECTOR FOR THE AIR FORCE, I WAS A RESERVIST BACK THEN AND I GOT TO FLY A LOT OF MISSIONS ON DELTA 4, ATLAS 5, AND SPACEX MISSIONS. ALWAYS WAS INTERESTED IN BUILDING THINGS AND WHATNOT, AND IT WAS A NATURAL PROGRESSION TO GO INTO ENGINEERING AND EVENTUALLY DOING SOMETHING WITHIN THE SPACE BUSINESS. >> WITH NASA, TECHNICALLY 15 YEARS, HERE AT KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, 22 YEARS. >> I WANTED TO ALWAYS BE AN AEROSPACE ENGINEER SINCE I WENT TO THE VISITORS CENTER WHEN I WAS YOUNG AND WANTED TO BE AN ASTRONAUT. SO HERE I AM, I MEAN I WAS REALLY, REALLY LUCKY I WAS AT THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE RIGHT TIME. DIDNT BECOME AN ASTRONAUT, BUT CLOSE ENOUGH. >> WERE ON THE CATWALK RIGHT NOW, THIS IS THE UPPER LEVEL OF THE CRAWLER. THIS IS WHERE WE MONITOR OUR STEERING, OUR HYDRAULICS RIGHT HERE. SOMETIMES WE COME OUT HERE, WE DO OPERATIONAL CHECKS, WE RUN MOTORS, ENGINES, SUBSYSTEMS. WE ALSO FOR A GOOD PORTION OF OUR JOB SUPPORT THE OPERATIONS OF THE INTEGRATED FLIGHT SYSTEMS BEST KNOWN FOR BRINGING THE ARTEMIS I ROCKET FROM THE VAB, TAKING IT DOWN THE 4.5 MILE TREK UP TO THE PAD. ITS CALLED A CRAWLER FOR A REASON, ITS NOT A FAST VEHICLE. IT TAKES -- TRAVEL TIME FROM OUTSIDE THE VAB TO PAD SLOPE, WE AVERAGE 7 TO 8 HOURS BUT IF YOURE TALKING ENTIRE OPERATION TIME WERE TALKING PROBABLY CLOSER TO MAYBE 16 TO 20 HOURS. ITS A HUGE VEHICLE. ITS 20 TO 26 FEET HIGH DEPENDING ON OUR LEVEL, ITS 131 FEET LONG, 114 FEET WIDE, AND ITS 6.5 MILLION POUNDS, SO DRIVING IT IS A VERY UNIQUE EXPERIENCE. I CANT REALLY COMPARE IT TO ANY SINGLE THING. >> I LOVE THE FACT I AM HISPANIC. WHEN IM IN MEETINGS, I GET VERY PASSIONATE, I AM LIKE IT IS BECAUSE IM HISPANIC. >> ITS AN HONOR FOR ME TO REPRESENT THE HISPANIC COMMUNITY AND AS PART OF MY JOB I GET THE CHANCE TO TALK TO HISPANIC STUDENTS ALL OVER THE NATION AND SHARE THE ARTEMIS STORY. >> I HAVE TO ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THERE HAVE BEEN HISPANICS WHO HAVE COME BEFORE ME AND THERE WILL HOPEFULLY BE MANY THAT COME AFTER ME. SO I TRY TO LEAD BY THAT EXAMPLE AND WORK TO THE BEST OF MY CAPABILITIES AND BE PART OF A SUCCESSFUL SPACE PROGRAM. MEGAN: WHAT WOULD YOU SAY IS THE MOST REWARDING PART? >> TO INSPIRE THE NEXT GENERATI

Hispanic men and women paving the way in the Space Program

Updated: 6:03 PM EDT Oct 10, 2022

Its been a big year for space exploration, but the launches and missions wouldnt be possible without the team members behind them, many of whom are from places like Colombia, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico. WESH 2 News spoke with some of the Hispanic men and women helping us get to the moon and beyond, including senior NASA Test Director Danny Zeno; NASA Landing and Recovery director, Liliana Villarreal; electrical engineer with the Crawler Transporter Group, Daniel Zapata; Exploration Ground Systems chief of staff, Sasha Sims; and Kat Vasquez with Gateway's Deep Space Logistics Project.

Its been a big year for space exploration, but the launches and missions wouldnt be possible without the team members behind them, many of whom are from places like Colombia, Venezuela, and Puerto Rico.

WESH 2 News spoke with some of the Hispanic men and women helping us get to the moon and beyond, including senior NASA Test Director Danny Zeno; NASA Landing and Recovery director, Liliana Villarreal; electrical engineer with the Crawler Transporter Group, Daniel Zapata; Exploration Ground Systems chief of staff, Sasha Sims; and Kat Vasquez with Gateway's Deep Space Logistics Project.

Read the rest here:

Hispanic men and women paving the way in the Space Program - WESH 2 Orlando