Category Archives: Space Travel

Current as of Dec. 29, 2021

For the latest information on restrictions and requirements related to COVID-19, visit the Air Mobility Command website.

Service members and their families can use Space-Available flights formally known as Military Airlift Command or MAC flights to travel around the country and world at little or no cost. Though sometimes unpredictable, military flights are perfect for families with flexible plans and limited travel budgets. With the right planning and documentation, Space-A travel can be the best way to take a trip with your family.

Learn how to take Space-A flights like a seasoned pro with these seven tips.

These flights are not commercial, but rather military flights with a mission. That means there are certain restrictions to travel, including:

Once you sign up for a Space-A journey, youll be put into a category that determines your priority for a flight. DOD Instruction 4515.13 provides the complete list of eligible passengers by category. For the most recent instruction, search theDOD Directives Divisionwebsite for Air Transportation Eligibility. Categories include:

AMC has atravel pagethat includes the following important information about Space-A travel. You should review this travel page for up-to-date information, including what type of identification is required for you and your family, baggage allowance for checked and hand carried baggage, and prohibited items.

If Space-A travel isnt right for your plans, take advantage ofTSA PreCheckto expedite your time at the airport when flying commercial. Use your Defense Department ID as your known traveler number.

Youll bypass long security lines without removing your shoes or jacket or taking your laptop from your bag. Family members under the age of 12 can pass through expedited screening with you.

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Space-A Travel for Military Families Military OneSource

The eyes of the nation have been on NASAs Artemis I, a shuttle designed largely utilizing 1960s-era technology with the goal to put a human, once-again, on the moon.

The shuttle has had two failed launches following pre-launch issues including a liquid hydrogen leak. The next window available for scientists is now set for late September.

Managing risks has become a major issue for NASA in the wake of incidents like Columbia, Challenger, and Apollo. UNO instructors Dave Pares, from the Department of Geography and Geology, and Kyle Finley, from School of Interdisciplinary Informatics, believe the costs in terms of materials and personnel can largely be avoided by rethinking how we approach space travel by moving from fuel to electromagnetic power.

The current approach used for shuttles, space-based telescopes, the International Space Station, satellites, and launches use chemical propellants, Pares said. Nearly 90 percent of the weight of the rocket is propellant the rest is payload.

Much like the in the same way the world is rethinking its energy consumption due to cost, as well as impact on the environment, Pares and Finley have been exploring options that, until recently, have been only seen as science fiction.

According to Einsteins Theory of General Relativity, matter and energy can bend spacetime, Pares said. If we could induce artificially-generated electromagnetic fields that overlap at certain angles to cause that compression, a craft using that energy could be pushed forward in terrestrial and space environments.

This concept, known as a warp bubble supposes that, much like a conveyer belt physically moves stationary objects forward by carrying them along a path where the space in front of the object vanishes and more space appears behind the object.

By compressing the fabric of space in front of the craft you create a warp bubble around the craft and in the back of the bubble it expands, which allows the bubble to move through spacetime, Pares said.

While warp drives and warp speed have been largely theoretical and depicted in stories out of Star Trek and Star Wars, Pares and Finley have conducted research showing that the concept is measurable, albeit on a small scale, with what they call the VEM (Variable Electro Magnetic Drive). Similarly, late last year, a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) scientist accidentally discovered a microscopic, but measurable warp bubble.

With finite natural resources and the massive amounts of it needed to create the proper amount of fuel needed to launch a rocket into space, Pares and Finley said it only makes sense that scientists begin truly investing in experiments that can potentially prove the theoretical to be applicable. Also, in applying Einstein theory, time and space would be able to move faster outside a space-bound craft than inside if it were encased in a warp bubble.

The potential economic gains for a space-faring nation are staggering, Pares said. However, you need efficient means to get from point A to point B. Right now, it takes 10.5 months to get to Mars. A VEM Drive could get us to Mars in 18 days.

Pares said that there is still a big hill to climb in considering alternative energy sources for space travel. Much like other major transformations, change is often resisted because of perceived risks involved; however, he said, existing practices have shown risk as well.

Using technology that creates warp fields is definitely a paradigm shift in our thinking and practice of using chemical or solid fuel-propelled vehicles in space. As more engineers, scientists, and businesses get educated on the benefits and utilizations of warp technology, they will eventually use and advance it for operational use in space.

Science fiction first gave us the idea of traveling to the moon more than a century ago, but it took until 1969 for it to become a reality. Now, more than 50 years since, it seems like only a matter of time before, once again, science fiction becomes science fact.

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UNO Researchers Explore Future of Space Travel | News - University of Nebraska Omaha

Madrid/Marbella - The world space and underwater tourism Summit reiterates its success with the celebration of the third edition of this pioneering event bringing together prestigious institutions and international stakeholders in space and underwater qualifications on 28, 29 and 30 September at Les Roches Marbella.

Last year saw the beginning of a revolution in the history of the cosmos. Jeff Bezos, founder of Amazon, flew his rocket to an altitude of 106 kilometers for ten minutes, ushering in the era of commercial space travel. The search for original and personalized experiences is propelling the future of luxury tourism towards new destinations that cross known borders, reaffirming the entrenchment of premium tourism across the world.

Luxury tourism in Europe is in fact worth between 130,000 and 170,000 million euros a year, 22% of the sector's total income, according to consultancy firm Bain & Company.

Taking place in a hybrid format, with the first day in person and two other virtual days, SUTUS ("Space & Underwater Tourism Universal Summit") has positioned itself as the benchmark forum for the world's main space agencies, last year attracting the American NASA, the European Space Agency (ESA) and the Japanese JAXA. They will be joined this year by the International Space University (ISU), the Space Tourism Society (STS) and the Swiss Space Tourism Agency (Swiss Space Tourism).

As far as the business sector is concerned, more than 30 companies will be present to present the progress of their projects. All of these enjoy international recognition and nurture ambitious plans, some of them even already put into practice.

Orbital Assembly, the first hotel with accommodation for tourists in space, Space VIP, is dedicated to space literacy and inspiring the next generation of private astronauts, Axiom Space, which aims to create cities in space, and the Space Tourism Society, focused on commercializing the growing range of space experiences(real spaceflight, movies, games and even virtual worlds), are just a few examples.

A number of women such as Nancy Vermeulen, private astronaut trainer at the Space Training Academy, and retired astronaut commander Susan Kilrain, who will talk about her experience beyond planet Earth, will also be present.

Meanwhile, the still unexplored marine world will be evoked by international speakers such as Fabien Cousteauand his International Ocean Station, which is slated to be operational by 2026; Aaron Olivera, founder and CEO of Earth 300, a global environmental and scientific project created in a futuristic superyacht whose main objective is to combat climate change; and Scott Waters, president of Pisces VI Submarine, who will talk about diving tourism in the Canary Islands.

The creation of the Spanish Space Agency (AEE) is the main theme of the Spanish presence at the third edition of this pioneering international summit. lvaro Gimnez Caete, Special Delegate for the Spanish Space Agency, will be responsible for presenting the action plan for the creation of this new organization, whose headquarters a dozen cities including Seville, Tres Cantos (Madrid), Teruel, Len, Puertollano (Ciudad Real) as well as the Canary Islands are vying to host.

In addition, this annual event will welcome renowned speakers such as underwater archaeologist Carlota Prez Reverte, aspiring ESA astronauts Carmen Garca-Roger and Jorge Pla-Garca as well as Spanish companies internationally renowned in the space race. The latter will include Green Moon Project, an undertaking committed to space agriculture as an asset for all humanity; and Zero 2 Infinity, a company that develops high-altitude balloons to provide access to the area around space and the low-Earth orbitusing a capsule and launcher transported by balloons.

Organized by Les Roches Marbella, a leading hotel training school in our country and one of the most important in the world, together with Medina Media Events, the event will host a demonstration area on the Marbella campus where representatives of each company participating will be able to present their tourism-related projects, thus opening up the experience to all those visiting the school's facilities.

Carlos Dez de la Lastra, CEO of Les Roches, says: "We are delighted that we have managed to bring the best agencies and representatives of the most exciting projects in the world to this congress, the most important in the world in the discussion of tourism in the two borders we have over our heads and under our feet".

Virtual attendees and registered companies will be able to follow all sessions via streaming and schedule video meetings with other participants and speakers, as well as visit exclusive online demos. All details, along with the official agenda and registration for the three days are now available through the Medina Media Events platform.

For further information: http://www.sutusummit.com

Sommet Education is the world's leader in hospitality management education. Its global network of prestigious institutions comprises Swiss originated hospitality business schools Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches, together with culinary and pastry arts school cole Ducasse. In April 2021, Sommet Education acquired South African Education leader Invictus Education, adding four new schools to its portfolio: International Hotel School, IHS Gaming dedicated to the gaming industry; SAE Institute specialized in creative media education and Summit focused on B2B training and development. In August 2021, Sommet Education also expanded in India through a majority stake in the Indian School of Hospitality (ISH) with a campus in Gurugram (Delhi NCR).

These institutions offer 400 undergraduate, graduate and technical training programs to 9,000 students from 100 different nationalities and 10,000 learners. Teaching is offered across four continents on 18 campuses, as well as through state-of-the-art remote learning platforms. Between them, the schools have a network of 60,000 influential alumni in hospitality and beyond.

Sommet Education is the only education group with two in the Top 5 globally-ranked institutions for hospitality education and by employer reputation (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2022).

http://www.sommet-education.com

Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Tourism leads the Saudi Tourism ecosystem.The Ministry sets the Kingdom's tourism sector strategy and is responsible for the development of policies and regulations, developing human capital, gathering statistics, and attracting investment.

It works in partnership with the Saudi Tourism Authority, which promotes Saudi Arabia as a global tourism destination, and the Tourism Development Fund, which executes the Ministry's investment strategy by providing funding for the sector's development.

Headed by His Excellency Ahmed Al Khateeb, the Ministry was founded in February 2020, following the opening of Saudi Arabia to international leisure tourists for the first time in its history in 2019. Saudi Arabia aims to welcome 100 million tourism visits by 2030, increasing the sector's contribution to GDP from 3% to 10%.

Anouck WeissChief Communication Officer, Sommet EducationSommet Education

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SUTUS 2022: The first space hotel planned for 2027 and the creation of cities in space are among the projects at the world's largest space and...

At a distance of around 80 million miles from Earth, Earths planetary neighbor Mars has become the latest target for future space missions. While some like Elon Musk hope to terraform the planet and make it suitable for long-term living, others are looking at the prospects of what shorter mission lengths could yield.

The mission is likely to be a year and a half, says Dr. Michael Hecht, the Associate Director at MITs Haystack Observatory and a Project Manager for JPLs Mars Environmental Compatibility Assessment (MECA). With the challenges presented by exploring the Red Planet, many researchers are trying to find ways to make Mars more habitable, with one of the biggest focuses being to develop a method to produce oxygen there.

In a new paper published in Science Advances, Hecht and other scientists from MIT have announced the development of the Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment (MOXIE) to create oxygen from the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which they say can be done with a device the size of a car battery.

Oxygen is ever present in our atmosphere, and its easy to think it would be easy to either bring along for space travel. However, having enough oxygen to facilitate both air for breathing and fuel calls for tons of Oxgyen, all of which must be loaded and stored. This can quickly add a lot of extra weight to a payload.

Its a lot more than you think, Hecht told The Debriefin an interview.To give you an example, if you were to burn a log that weighs a pound in your fireplace, you would be burning maybe four or five pounds of oxygen. Not surprisingly, the weight of oxygen needed for a rocket to launch is significantly higher.

The rocket, for its five or six minutes of firing, will use more like 27 or 28 tons,Hecht explains. Because of this staggering amount of oxygen needed for successful space travel, many researchers are trying to find ways to minimize this need by producing oxygen right on Mars, using resources that the planet already has.

While Mars atmosphere is very thin, it contains a high percentage of carbon dioxide. Hecht and his colleagues at MIT saw carbon dioxide as a pathway to produce oxygen; taking this idea with them into production, MOXIE was designed to useelectricity to split carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide and oxygen.

People that think about chemistry, the words carbon dioxide tells you theres carbon and two oxygens in every molecule, Hecht says. So why not take both oxygens? Well, we dont want to make carbon because it gums up the works and makes the instrument stop working. While the current methods employed with MOXIE remove carbon monoxide as a waste product, Hecht hopes in the future that it can be repurposed for fuel production.

MOXIE is currently at work on Mars as part of NASAs Perseverance rover mission, and as its engineering team looks to the future, one of their aims will be to see how MOXIEs capabilities might be useful in a variety of future missions. Hecht believes that the next steps after successfully producing oxygen on the red planet will be to harvest the planets water in the form of ice.

Then you can combine the ability to process carbon dioxide from the air with water, which as you know is dihydrogen oxide, and make more complicated chemicals starting with methane for fuel, Hecht says. But moving on from there to all sorts of useful chemical plants.

Hecht and his colleagues are hopeful that their efforts with MOXIE are just the beginning of a journey that will eventually bring us to the red planet. As for what MOXIE might be capable of producing for prospective Mars colonists of the future, there are a lot of possibilities.

Its hard to envision it, but it could be anything from wax to vodka, Hecht says. I mean, who knows?

Kenna Hughes-Castleberry is a staff writer at the Debrief and the Science Communicator at JILA (a partnership between the University of Colorado Boulder and NIST). Her writing beats include deep tech, the metaverse, and quantum technology. You can find more of her work at her website: https://kennacastleberry.com/

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Could MITs MOXIE Device Be the Future of Oxygen Production on Mars? - The Debrief

For most people, Kathryn D. Sullivan is best known for her years with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). After all, she was selected as one of the first group of six women astronauts for the U.S. in 1978. She is a veteran of three Space Shuttle missions, including the flight where she performed the first extra-vehicular activity (EVA) by an American woman and participated in the mission that launched the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) into space.

Beyond her years as an astronaut, Sullivan has also ventured into many other fields of work and study. She is a trained scientist with a Ph.D. in geology. In addition, she has carried out extensive oceanographic research on the floors of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. She has also served in the U.S. Naval Reserve (USNR) first, as a lieutenant commander and eventually, captain. Her duties with the U.S. Navy included command of a unit of oceanographers and meteorologists based at Naval Air Station Dallas.

Sullivans public service extended beyond NASA and the USNR. In 2011, the Obama administration nominated, and the U.S. Senate confirmed, her as Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Environmental Observation and Prediction and Deputy Administrator for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). Moreover, starting in early 2013, she served as acting NOAA Administrator. The following year, she was confirmed by the Senate as the Under Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and simultaneously, as NOAA Administrator. She remained in these positions until early 2017.

Sullivan also served as President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Ohios Center of Science and Industry (COSI). Under her leadership, COSI enhanced its impact on science teaching in the classroom, as well as its national reputation as an innovator of hands-on, inquiry-based science learning resources. Moreover, Sullivan was selected for the 2017 Charles A. Lindbergh Chair of Aerospace History Fellowship, at the Smithsonian Institutions National Air and Space Museum (NASM). During her time with the museum as a Fellow, she focused her research energies on the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). Based on this research, Sullivan wrote her book, Handprints on Hubble: An Astronauts Story of Invention, which was released in 2019.

In 2020, she ventured aboard a specially equipped submarine to the bottom of the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean, becoming the first woman to reach the deepest known point of all of Earths oceans. Moreover, she became the first person to travel to both the Challenger Deep and aboard the Space Shuttle, Challenger (and, later, Discovery) into outer space. Also, late that year, Sullivan was named a volunteer member of President-Elect Bidens presidential transition Agency Review team to help facilitate transition efforts connected to the Commerce Department. In 2021, President Biden appointed her to the Presidents Council of Advisors on Science and Technology. As can be seen from her very busy life and multiple careers, Sullivan is certainly a true renaissance woman.

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Kathryn D. Sullivan: From Outer Space to Under the Sea - National Air and Space Museum

Stratoflight and Expleo will unveil a new sustainable transport project for space travel at the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC), which takes place in Paris from 18-22 September 2022.Passenger flights by balloon to the stratosphere at an altitude of 35km

Unique ogive-shaped capsule includes extravehicular viewing platform allows passengers to step out into space Green and economical solution uses recycled/recyclable materials, reusable capsule, and no fuel for zero emissions

Stratoflight models on display at the Expleo stand (F3) and CNES stand (F6/G7) of the International Astronautical Congress (IAC) in Paris

Tying closely to the event theme of Space for @ll, Stratoflight is a new sustainable mode of transport that will allow passengers to reach the stratosphere, 35km above ground level, in a unique capsule complete with an external viewing platform. The French-based company has partnered with Expleo, an engineering, technology and consulting provider with deep expertise in the space industry, for the development of this project.

For its ascent, the spacecraft uses tried-and-tested zero-pressure balloon technology, filled with green hydrogen, like that used for many years by space agencies such as CNES and NASA for scientific flights. To ensure a zero-carbon footprint, hydrogen will be produced locally at the take-off site via renewable energy, including solar and wind.

The vehicle, which measures 8m in length, 4m wide and 3m high, can accommodate up to six people, including two pilots.

Reservations for passengers will open in early 2023, with the first flight scheduled for 2025.

Expleo is designing the flight capsule for Stratoflight, which includes an extra-vehicular viewing platform, or balcony. Passengers wearing a pressurised suit will be able to step out into space to view the Earth from the stratosphere, at an altitude where the planets curvature will be visible and a horizon spanning from Barcelona to Amsterdam is visible, approximately 1239km.

Engineers at Expleos innovation laboratory have had to consider numerous parameters to ensure a safe and immersive experience for passengers in a capsule with large glass areas in its structure, including structural sizing, interior and exterior panels, design of onboard electronics, safety, and aerodynamics.

The cockpit, made of bio-sourced, recycled or recyclable materials, will be able to fly at speeds of up to 140 km/h for the return to land, thanks to its aerodynamic shape with both straight and curved lines. Descent to land is made under a piloted paraglider.

The programme is being developed with several European partners, including Swing for the parachutes and Spartan Space for the pressure suit.

Arnaud Longobardi, airline pilot and co-founder of Stratoflight, commented: Stratoflight provides passengers with multiple exceptional experiences: the ascent to space that feels like a hot-air balloon flight, stepping out on to the viewing balcony, moving into space like an astronaut, and the landing, similar to free flight in a paraglider; all this in a capsule similar to a spacecraft. For me, this mission is not only the realisation of my dreams as a pilot but also a technological innovation respectful of the planet.

Making space accessible to all, while respecting the environment, is at the heart of what we believe in at Expleo. Our teams of space engineers have designed this capsule with this dual objective in mind. And we intend to go further. We are currently investigating the possibility of making the capsule out of new green composite materials based on bamboo, which would further reduce its carbon footprint. We are proud of our work with Stratoflight and of our contribution to this innovation, explains Frdrique Rebout, Head of Space, Expleo.

Stratoflight will also offer, each year, several flights to people involved in the areas of preservation of Earth, science and space, in the world of education, and the charity sector.

Meet the Stratoflight team and see a 1/6 scale reproduction of the capsule at the CNES stand F6/G7 Meet the Expleo team and seethe Stratoflight model in the Aerospace Valley, stand F3 To arrange a meeting or a visit of our stands, please contact Valentine Eman: valentine.eman@expleogroup.com

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Stratoflight And Expleo Join Forces To Take Passengers Into Near Space By Balloon - Space Ref

Hypothetical travel between galaxies

Intergalactic travel is the hypothetical crewed or uncrewed travel between galaxies. Due to the enormous distances between the Milky Way and even its closest neighborstens of thousands to millions of light-yearsany such venture would be far more technologically demanding than even interstellar travel. Intergalactic distances are roughly a hundred-thousandfold (five orders of magnitude) greater than their interstellar counterparts.[a]

The technology required to travel between galaxies is far beyond humanity's present capabilities, and currently only the subject of speculation, hypothesis, and science fiction.

However, theoretically speaking, there is nothing to conclusively indicate that intergalactic travel is impossible. There are several hypothesized methods of carrying out such a journey, and to date several academics have studied intergalactic travel in a serious manner.[1][2][3]

Theorized in 1988,[4] and observed in 2005,[5] hypervelocity stars move faster than the escape velocity of the Milky Way, and are traveling out into intergalactic space.[6] There are several theories for their existence. One of the mechanisms would be that the supermassive black hole at the center of the Milky Way ejects stars from the galaxy at a rate of about one every hundred thousand years. Another theorized mechanism might be a supernova explosion in a binary system.[7] Intergalactic travel using these stars would involve entering into an orbit around them and waiting for them to reach another galaxy.[8][9]

Another proposal is to artificially propel a star in the direction of another galaxy.[10][11]

While it takes light approximately 2.54 million years to traverse the gulf of space between Earth and, for instance, the Andromeda Galaxy, it would take a much shorter amount of time from the point of view of a traveler at close to the speed of light due to the effects of time dilation; the time experienced by the traveler depending both on velocity (anything less than the speed of light) and distance traveled (length contraction). Intergalactic travel for humans is therefore possible, in theory, from the point of view of the traveler.[12] For example, a rocket that accelerated at standard acceleration due to gravity toward the Andromeda Galaxy and started to decelerate halfway through the trip would arrive in about 28 years, from the frame of reference of the observer.[13]

The Alcubierre drive is a hypothetical concept that is able to impulse a spacecraft to speeds faster than light (the spaceship itself would not move faster than light, but the space around it would). This could in theory allow practical intergalactic travel. There is no known way to create the space-distorting wave this concept needs to work, but the metrics of the equations comply with relativity and the limit of light speed.[14]

A wormhole is a hypothetical tunnel through space-time that would allow instantaneous intergalactic travel to the most distant galaxies even billions of light years away. Wormholes are allowed by general relativity.[15]

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Intergalactic travel - Wikipedia

We're not too far away from a future where anyone can travel to outer space. In fact, some space tourism companies will allow you to experience that final frontier right nowfor a cost.

With the rapid growth of space tourism, traveling to outer space could soon be as easy as booking a flight to Europe. Experts even say that in just a matter of years, this industry could change the world, much like other NASA inventions, including real-life robots.

When aviation started [in the mid-1900s] it was for governments and those who could afford it, says Jane Poynter, founder and co-CEO of space tourism company Space Perspective. People then could not imagine the myriad ways air travel would be used to positively impact billions of peoples lives. The same can be said for the future of space tourism, according to Poynter.

Curious to learn more about space tourismand maybe even try it for yourself in real life, not just the metaverse? Heres everything you need to know about how space tourism works, the pros and cons of space travel, and what is expected to come for the space tourism industry.

Space travel is defined as any air travel beyond 50 or 60 miles above sea level. But experts disagree over exactly how far space is from the Earth. While many international organizations consider the Krmn linewhich is 60 miles highto be the edge of the Earths atmosphere, the FAA and NASA define everything above 50 miles to be outer space.

When booking space tours, companies offer either orbital or suborbital flights.

There is one universal reason often cited by people who want to go to space. Seeing the iconic thin blue line of our planets atmosphere against the stark blackness of space affects [astronauts] deeply, Poynter says. This quintessential astronaut experience is why most people want to travel to space. Just imagine all the things you can see from space, including capturing incredible pictures of city lights from above.

Astronauts describe it as personally transformational and say that when they return, they are compelled to get more involved in social and environmental causes, Poynter continues. Imagine thousands of people having that experience. It will have a ripple effect across society. Even if you cant make it on a spacecraft right now, you can still check out one of the best virtual space exhibits in the world without getting off your couch.

Russias Soyuz spacecraft has been ferrying private citizens to the ISS since 2001, at a reported cost of $90 million for a seat. Now, thanks to newly emerging U.S. space tourism companies, it will soon be possible to join the exclusive club of those who have traveled to spacethat is, for anyone who can afford the still very steep ticket price.

For those seeking a less expensivealbeit still very priceyoption, other companies offer zero-pressure balloons that will take tourists to an altitude of up to 20 miles, which is high enough to see the curvature of the Earth. Rides on Space Perspectives balloon, called Spaceship Neptune, cost $125,000 per seat. World View charges $50,000 per seat.

These trips will last for six to eight hours and even include dining services, cocktails and music in a sleek lounge. Heads up: You probably wont be able to eat these foods that are banned from space during the ride.

Both companies have flights scheduled to launch in 2024, but neither has been approved by the FAA yet.

If youre not ready to blast through the Earths upper atmosphere, you can still experience space travel with less risk. Companies like Zero G recreate the feeling of zero gravity on specially modified Boeing 727 flights. These experiences are also easier on the wallet, going for around $8,200.

Taking a flight into space will require some training, but the programs are less rigorous than those faced by real astronauts. To prep for Virgin Galactics three-hour trips, for example, tourists will be required to attend a multi-day training program with pilot briefings and spacesuit fittings. Trips on zero-pressure balloons will require a simple informational and safety course.

Among space enthusiasts and experts alike, space tourism opinions are varied.

However, Poynter argues that not all space travel is environmentally harmful. She notes that Space Perspectives Spaceship Neptune is the only zero-emissions, carbon-neutral spacecraft, and Space Perspective is a carbon-neutral company.

When it comes to the future of space tourism, the skys the limitliterally. We are at the very beginning of space travel, Poynter says. We simply cannot imagine now the ways people will use spaceflight to improve life right here on Earth, close to home at first and increasingly farther out into our solar system.

Experts predict that travelers might want to stay and live in space, and many companies have launched plans to build properties and accommodations for space tourists to spend the night. Some of these space hotels will even have offices and research spaces for rent, opening up the possibility of working from space as well.

Whats more, space tourism programs can also encourage further innovation and exploration of our solar system and beyond. Taking more people into space creates opportunities to invent new space technology, conduct groundbreaking research and establish new frontiers in galaxies beyond our own. And thats just the startin fact, scientists have already made these 12 amazing space discoveries in the last decade.

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How Space Tourism Will Change the Future - Reader's Digest

Arguably one of the very best original creations to come out of the Netflix streaming studio, "Love, Death + Robots" has been given the green light for a fourth season.

Each season is a collection of short stories, ranging from eight minutes to 18 minutes, and each episode is a different style of animation with the occasional live action one thrown in. They usually incorporate technology and/or robots in the plot and often take place in a dystopian future. Many episodes focus on themes related to space exploration and spaceflight.

Netflix made the announcement via Twitter, writing that "Volume IV is a GO! (opens in new tab)" This is the best original sci-fi series Netflix has produced since "Lost in Space." Each story is totally different and while some follow a familiar theme, or perhaps feature some ideas seen before, every episode has a totally unique twist. Some are dark and disturbing, while others exhibit a very dark, but hilarious, sense of humor and every installment is creative, well written and beautifully produced. The first season contains 18 episodes, the second just eight and the third has nine, and quite often there are very subtle nods to well known sci-fi franchises, including "The Terminator" and "Aliens." It captures your imagination and never lets go.

Related: Netflix's 'Love, Death + Robots' season 3 stars alien bugs, giant crabs and an ancient evil

In other sci-fi news, creator of HBO's space travel comedy "Avenue 5" Armando Iannucci confirmed on Twitter (opens in new tab) that season 2 of the underrated show will soon be coming to HBO writing, "Done! Season 2 of #Avenue5 is complete. Coming to @HBO soon."

The series is set on a luxury space cruiser called the Avenue 5 while it makes an eight-week flight around Saturn. Everything looks "OK-to-go" at first, but when the ship unexpectedly develops technical difficulties, it's up to Capt. Ryan Clark (Hugh Laurie) and his crew to calm the upset passengers and find a way to deal with the unfortunate events unfolding on board.

Season 2 of the space-based side-splitter was confirmed all the way back in February 2020, but the show has suffered more than its share of bad luck; first, Variety reported that a major fire (opens in new tab) all but destroyed the studio sets in Watford, England before the last two episodes of the first season were shot. The COVID pandemic caused additional delays.

Even worse, Deadline reports (opens in new tab) that the show will more than likely be ending after this second season writing, "Given the time that has passed, the options on the cast, led by Hugh Laurie, came up, and the actors were released ... Some of them have moved on, signing as series regulars on new shows."

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'Love, Death + Robots' and 'Avenue 5' will return for new seasons - Space.com

In the coming decade, in 2033, NASA and China intend to send astronauts to Mars for the first time in history. This presents numerous challenges, ranging from logistical and technical issues to ensuring that astronauts can deal with waste and have enough food and water for the months-long transit to and from Mars. But of course, theres also the health and safety of the astronauts, who will be spending months traveling through space where theyll be exposed to cosmic radiation and microgravity. There are even concerns that after months of exposure to microgravity, astronauts will have trouble adapting to Martian gravity.

To determine if these fears have merit, a team of space medicine experts from the Australian National University (ANU) developed a mathematical model to predict whether astronauts can safely travel to Mars and perform their duties once they arrive on the Red Planet. This model could be immensely valuable alongside all the other preparations that need to happen before astronauts set foot on Mars. It could also be used to assess the impact of short- and long-duration missions that take astronauts far beyond Low Earth Orbit (LEO) and the Earth-Moon system in the future.

The paper that describes their mathematical model and conclusions recently appeared in npj Microgravity, a scientific journal published by Nature. The research team was led by Dr. Lex van Loon, a Research Fellow from the ANU College of Health and Medicine (CHM). As he and his colleagues note in their study, the potential hazards for missions bound for Mars are numerous, but the greatest threat is arguably the time the astronauts will spend in microgravity. Combined with damaging radiation from the Sun and cosmic sources, the experience will cause fundamental changes to their bodies.

Based on extensive research conducted aboard the International Space Station (ISS), microgravity is known to cause muscle and bone density loss and affect organ function, eyesight, and the cardiopulmonary system the heart and its ability to pump blood through the bodys system of arteries and veins. As Van Loon described in an ANU news release, their research is not only essential because of proposed missions to Mars, but for the burgeoning commercial space sector as well:

We know it takes about six to seven months to travel to Mars and this could cause the structure of your blood vessels or the strength of your heart to change due to the weightlessness experienced as a result of zero gravity space travel. With the rise of commercial space flight agencies like Space X and Blue Origin, theres more room for rich but not necessarily healthy people to go into space, so we want to use mathematical models to predict whether someone is fit to fly to Mars.

Co-author Dr. Emma Tucker, an astrophysicist and emergency medicine registrar, added that prolonged exposure to zero gravity could cause the heart to become lazy because it doesnt have to work as hard to overcome gravity and pump blood throughout the body.

When youre on Earth, gravity is pulling fluid to the bottom half of our body, which is why some people find their legs begin to swell up toward the end of the day. But when you go into space that gravitational pull disappears, which means the fluid shifts to the top half of your body and that triggers a response that fools the body into thinking theres too much fluid. As a result, you start going to the toilet a lot, you start getting rid of extra fluid, you dont feel thirsty and you dont drink as much, which means you become dehydrated in space.

This, says Tucker, is why astronauts returning from the ISS are seen fainting when they set foot on Earth again or need to be transported using wheelchairs. The longer they stay in space, the more likely they will collapse when they return to Earth, and the more difficult the process of readjusting to Earths gravity. In the case of the NASA Twins Study, Mark Kelly spent over a year in orbit and experienced terrible pain, swelling, and other symptoms upon his return (as he described in his book Endurance: A Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery).

When it comes to missions bound for Mars, theres the added complication imposed by the communications delay between Earth and Mars. Depending on the alignment of the Sun, Earth, and Mars, these delays can last as long as 20 minutes, which means astronauts must be able to perform their duties without immediate assistance from mission controllers or support crews (which includes medical emergencies). As Van Loon explained:

If an astronaut faints when they first step out of the spacecraft or if theres a medical emergency, theyll be nobody on Mars to help them. This is why we must be absolutely certain the astronaut is fit to fly and can adapt to Mars gravitational field. They must be able to operate effectively and efficiently with minimal support during those crucial first few minutes.

Their model relies on a machine learning algorithm based on astronaut data collected from past Expeditions aboard the ISS and the Apollo missions to simulate the risks associated with traveling to Mars. Testing showed that it could simulate key cardiovascular hemodynamic changes after prolonged spaceflight and under different gravitational and fluid loading conditions. And the results are encouraging, as they indicate that astronauts can function after months spent in microgravity.

While the current model is informed by data derived from middle-aged and well-trained astronauts, the researchers hope to expand its capabilities to include commercial spaceflight data. Ultimately, their goal is to create a model that can simulate the impact of prolonged space travel on relatively unhealthy individuals with pre-existing heart conditions (in other words, untrained civilians). They hope this model will provide a more holistic picture of what would happen if an everyday person were to travel to space.

Further refinements could be made to incorporate age-related health issues, which would make sense given the number of celebrities that have flown to space recently (Wally Funk, William Shatner, Laura Shepard, Richard Branson, etc.). Who knows? Perhaps it will be possible to simulate the effects of long-term exposure to microgravity on children and fetal development. This research is crucial if we ever want to send humans to the Moon, Mars, and other destinations to live someday.

Further Reading: ANU

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How Weak Will Astronauts Feel When They First set Foot on Mars After Months in Space? - Universe Today