Category Archives: Space Travel

Chabot Space and Science Center is preparing to reopen its telescope and campusin November.

Longtime fans of Oaklands Chabot Space and Science Center will experience a much different museum and educational facility when it reopens next month. Thanks to a close relationship with NASAs Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, the NASA Experience at Chabot Space and Science Center will be a major attraction for students and families.

Everyone who visits will have an ever-changing experience, says Liz Austerman, vice president of museum experience at Chabot. They can come several times a year and have entirely new experiences on each visit.

Initial exhibitions at Chabot will focus on the rovers and robotics that NASA uses in space exploration. Visitors will also recognize adjustments to Chabots layout. Designers have updated the center with modular installations, which can be moved and altered quickly to accommodate various interactive activities.

NASAs brainpower will be a constant element at the new Chabot as well, with speaking engagements and panel discussions featuring top researchers and scientists.

Austerman says that the NASA Experience and its STEAM environment will interact with students and community members at schools and other locations throughout the East Bay. She hopes this outreach will recruit young students to pursue careers in science and space exploration.

Our intention is to demystify the ivory tower of being a researcher at NASA and show kids that they can do it as well, says Austerman. I recently heard a researcher say, I dont do math at my job, and I thought, A 12-year-old might be interested to hear that, and realize, Maybe I can do this, too! chabotspace.org.

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Space Age Changes in the Oakland Hills | Travel + Places | diablomag.com - Diablo Magazine

Leonard Nimoy as Spock playing 3-d chess game on the set of Star Trek: The Original Series. One of ... [+] the many inventions to later be powered by AI in the iconic series.

Humanity is finally going where no one has gone before more than a half century after Star Trek first entered the pop culture psyche.

The successful splash down of SpaceX over the weekend with four tourists who orbited Earth for three days has spurred a surge in interest in space travel. SpaceX told reporters it can fly five to six private missions a year and will increase that number as demand dictates. At the same time, NASA is gearing up to build habitats on the moon by 2024 and Mars by 2030. Suddenly, planetary joyrides are a reality and no longer limited to the science fiction that inspired them.

After decades of stagnation, the commercialization of space is accelerating at a rapid pace, thanks to billionaires Elon Musk of SpaceX, Richard Branson of Virgin Galactic, and Jeff Bezos of Blue Origin all sci fi fans.

So when I was offered an interview with George Takei, who played Sulu in Star Trek: The Original Series, I jumped at it. His mobile game, Star Trek Fleet Command, has just gone cross-platform, taking us one step closer to the metaverse.

A social justice activist, Takei shared with me his thoughts on the promise and perils of AI, space tourism, and the biggest challenges facing humanity as we begin to venture off planet.

This conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.

PARIS: Science fiction is often credited by technologists for inspiring the innovation powering our future. SoundHound cofounder Keyvan Mohajer is a Trekkie with a voice AI startup valued at more than a billion dollars. In an interview with me, he said that when he was ideating his company, he took inspiration from Star Trek and considered developing the holodeck, replicator and transporter.

Which technology from the show would you most like to see made into a product?

TAKEI: The transporter. As an avid traveler Ive come to hate the way airports are mismanaged losing luggage, switching gates, canceling flights. Anything that gets me there sooner without the hassle would be great, including stepping on a pad, sparkling for a brief moment, then bopping out at my destination. I'm sure Luddites like Dr. McCoy would object to having their molecules messed with, but I welcome it.

Starship Enterprise Transporter Room exhibit from Star Trek The Adventure | Photo by Scott ... [+] Barbour/Getty Images

One of the most memorable AI characters in the original series is a transporter called The Guardian of Forever which takes Captain Kirk and Spock back in time. Kirk falls in love and must chose between his own personal happiness and the consequences of messing with the timeline.

Throughout the generations, sinister AIs appear as supercomputers that attempt to wrestle control of the ship and androids that try to seduce the crew. Do you think Gene Roddenberry, the shows creator, had concerns about AI becoming an existential threat?

Science fiction aside, I personally believe that AI can never be the enemy. Its merely a tool for which human judgment determines the outcome.

The Guardian of Forever exhibit from Star Trek The Tour | Photo by Axel Koester/Corbis via Getty ... [+] Images

Theres a great New York Times article about AI writing its own code and poetry, but its doing so based on information given to it by humans.AI should not be seen as a creative thinking being, rather its a valuable aid that can help us explore the complexities of the universe.

Weve now entered the age of space tourism. Do you have any interest in going up?

SpaceX Tesla roadster launched from the Falcon Heavy rocket with a dummy driver named "Starman" ... [+] heading towards Mars | Photo by SpaceX via Getty Images

In some respects, I feel like Ive already gone. Genes son Ray Roddenberry took me and my husband Brad to the Zero-G experience in Las Vegas. After an unbearable crushing feeling where some people actually lost their breakfast, there was this incredible sensation of feeling lighter than air as we floated around. I can imagine how that must feel in space.

Star Trek was ahead of its time in so many ways, but most people dont realize it was produced by the comedian Lucille Ball, best known for her role in the sitcom, I Love Lucy. Whats the backstory?

Lucille Ball was a smart businesswoman who, along with her husband and co-star Desi Arnaz, negotiated the rights to their show and parlayed the profits into Desilu Productions. After their divorce, she took over the studio and named Hollywood screenwriter Herb Solow head of production who brought her the Star Trek pitch from Gene. When the network rejected the first pilot, she agreed to a second, which was unusual, but it was that one that got picked up by the network and I was in it.

An interesting side story is that Genes girlfriend (and later wife) appeared in the first pilot as the second in command, but the network wanted that role recast as a man, so Gene gave her a blonde wig and made her a nurse to keep her in the series. Other than that, the show had a lot of diversity for the era. Gene felt television was being wasted on mindless quiz shows and wanted to address the civil rights and anti war movements. Thankfully, Lucille Ball made it possible.

How do you feel about being a playable character in the game Star Trek Fleet Command?

I love that Sulu, a swashbuckling fencer and number one graduate of Starfleet Academy, got to achieve his ambition of becoming the captain of his own starship. I hope players enjoy the journey.

What do you see as the biggest threats to humanity as we set out on voyages to explore the unknown?

Well, wherever we go, we need to stay vigilant of the fallibility of humans as we have the potential to become our own worst enemy.

When I was five years old, soldiers came to the front door of our house and at gunpoint forced us out of our home under orders from the U.S. president in reaction to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Ill never forget the terror of that morning and being crammed onto that truck with my mother, my little brother, my baby sister, and father, with only the belongings we could carry with us.

We were American citizens, but for no other reason than our race, we were labeled enemies of the state. The government froze our bank account, took our house, and sent us far from Los Angeles where had been living a comfortable life. We were sent to the swamplands of Arkansas and held captive behind a barbed wire fence for four long years.

When we were finally released, we were given $25 each and a bus ticket to Skid Row to live in abject poverty. We struggled for years, but my father worked hard as a dishwasher and was able to move us into the barrio where he started a business that ultimately got us back to the area where we once lived.

This is the story of the 120,000 innocent Japanese Americans who had their lives taken from them in an instant. We must never forget that the order came from Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the very president who said we have nothing to fear but fear itself, yet he himself so easily succumbed to mass hysteria over an imagined alien threat and with a stroke of his pen abandoned the rule of law meant to protect us all.

What would you like your legacy to be?

Despite the treachery I lived through as a child, at 84 years I feel Ive had an amazing life. Star Trek has given me a platform to tell this tale and remind people that democracy is fragile. I have made it my mission to make America a true peoples democracy with equal rights for everyone, and that is what I want my legacy to be.

Star Trek fan Jimmy Chi with George Takei signing his book, They Called Us Enemy

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Star Trek Legend George Takei On AI, Space Travel, And TV Inventions - Forbes

Earlier this month NASA announced that on December 18, after years of delays, the James Webb Space Telescope will finally leave Earth on a mission to revolutionize astrophysics and cosmology.

But before this $10-billion observatory can begin its work, it must survive a daunting commute that includes a voyage at sea, a rocket launch and a 1.5-million-kilometer flight to its destination: Lagrange Point 2, or L2. Far beyond the orbit of the moon (and out of reach of any near-term rescue mission), L2 is a region where the gravitational tugs of Earth and the sun balance out to create a perfect long-term parking place for telescopes. As Webb leaves our planet and moon behind, it must also deploy key components that were folded up to fit inside its rocket. This high-tension process involves some 178 release mechanisms, each of which must operate flawlessly for the telescope to complete its 40 or so major deployments.

This is the most complex scientific mission that we've done, says Nancy Levenson, deputy director of the Space Telescope Science Institute (STSci). Theres a lot that has to go right.

Webb is without question the most advanced space telescope ever built. The spacecrafts infrared gaze will penetrate cosmic clouds of dust to reveal the hidden details of stellar nurseries and embryonic protoplanets midway through formation. It will also gather the faint photons effused by the first stars and galaxies to form after the big bangwhich were initially emitted as visible light but have since been stretched, or redshifted, by the expansion of the cosmos.

Its going to help us unlock some of the mysteries of our universe, says Greg Robinson, Webbs program director at NASA. I want to say its going to rewrite the physics books.

But that assumes all goes according to plan.

Webbs journey will begin in Redondo Beach, Calif., at the Northrop Grumman facility where its construction and final tests were completed. There the spacecraft, which is currently folded up, will be placed into a specialized shipping container called the Super Space Telescope Transporter for Air, Road and Sea, or Super STTARS. The custom travel pod will protect Webb from humidity, vibrations and fluctuating temperatures.

Later this month, while housed within its high-tech cocoon, Webb will be transported to the citys harbor and placed on a boat. The exact date of departure has been kept under wraps to stifle piracy, says Massimo Stiavelli, head of Webbs mission office at STScI.

Details about the security accompanying the telescope have not been made public. Even so, Stiavelli says that he is unconcerned about pirates stealing the precious cargo, thanks to numerous undisclosed but very real security measures put in place for the maritime trip. In the event of a high-seas heist attempt, he says, I would worry about [the safety of] the pirates themselves.

After departing from shore, the telescope, still contained in Super STTARS, will voyage south along the coast and through the Panama Canal. Webb will likely enter the Caribbean sometime in early Octoberthat is, during hurricane season.

Safe harbors have been identified all along the spacecrafts shipping route. And weather conditions will be monitored closely to ensure that it does not unexpectedly find itself caught vulnerable in a storm, Stiavelli says.

After about two weeks at sea, the telescope will arrive at the port and European Space Agency (ESA) launch site of Kourou, French Guiana. There Webb will undergo launch preparations, which include fueling it, performing final electronics checks and, of course, mounting the spacecraft on its celestial steed: ESAs Ariane 5 rocket.

Still folded, the 6,500-kilogram telescope will be secured inside the top of the rocket, within a chamber called the fairing. Once positioned, Webb will be ready to take to the skies.

Presuming no further delays in its path to the launchpad, early in the morning of December 18, Webb will blast off with a slight eastward trajectory over the Atlantic Ocean. Its Ariane 5 rocket is considered a reliable workhorse, and the telescope itself has passed tests meant to mimic the stresses of a launch, so confidence is high that the journey to orbit will go smoothly, Robinson says.

Still, one of the largest sighs of relief will be a successful launch, says Heidi Hammel, a vice president at the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy. As we say in the business, this is rocket science. Were putting this incredibly precious resource on top of a rocket and setting the fuse, so to speak.

Once it is about 10,400 kilometers into its trip, Webb will detach from the Ariane 5s second stage, signifying the end of the launch. Nevertheless, the most nerve-racking part of Webbs journey will have only just begun: a 1.5-million-kilometer cruise to L2, during which the folded telescope will slowly begin to unfurl.

That's when the nail biting starts, Hammel says. We arent there. We cant make adjustments, so things must work well.

Just moments after separating from its rocket, Webbs solar-power array will unfold to begin supplying electricity to the spacecraft. Although the solar-array deployment is a relatively simple procedure, its success is critical to power all following operations, Stiavelli says.

About 12 hours after launch, the crafts thrusters will fire for the first time to correct its trajectory. Course corrections must be efficient to preserve the telescopes fuel and maximize its life span, Stiavelli says. Confirmation of a successful course correction will not arrive until well after the fact, although subsequent tweaks to Webbs flight trajectory can be made if needed.

As the telescope nears its third day in space, Webb will begin to deploy one of its most intricate and prominent instruments: the sunshield. If unspooled without a hitch, a stack of five enormous kite-shaped sheets of polyimide film will block sunlight and heat from reaching the telescopes infrared sensors, which must remain at extremely low cryogenic temperatures to function properly.

The sunshield is crucial for keeping the telescope sufficiently cold so that it can sense the infrared glow of cosmic dawn, Hammel says. The deployment has got to go well, she adds.

But to open the sunshield, around 150 release mechanisms must fire correctly over the course of three days. The complicated deployment involves around 7,000 parts, including 400 pulleys, eight motors and 140 release actuators. The sunshields deployment is key to achieving scientists wildest dreams for the observatory. But for aerospace engineers, the procedures complexity and high number of single-point failures are the stuff of nightmares.

Its a big task: getting these five extremely thin layers that are each the size of a tennis court all stretched out and separated from each other, Hammel says. And the anxiety will not fade with a nominal sunshield deployment. Six days into the flight, the telescopes secondary mirror, positioned at the end of three long arms, will lower into place. Despite its name, the secondary mirror is a critical component for Webbs success, Hammel says. If other deployments do not work out perfectly, there may be work-arounds. But if the secondary mirror doesnt deploy successfully, we have no telescope, she says. We got nothing.

On the seventh day Webbs 6.5-meter primary mirror, a collection of 18 beryllium-hewn, gold-plated hexagonal segments, will begin to unfurl. First, two wings will swing out and lock into place like pieces of a folding table. Then tiny actuators will push or pull each of the mirror segments into a micron-precise alignment, producing the primary mirrors singular focus. Deploying and aligning the primary mirror will involve 132 actuators and motors, each of which must function properly.

Finally, a month after launch, Webb should reach L2, concluding one of the most audacious spaceflights ever attempted and allowing the worlds astronomers to collectively exhale.

Weve been practicing for this for years, Hammel says. This is like an orchestra concert with hundreds of people all playing different instruments. Everybody has to have practiced their part and all the instruments have to be ready. And then we play the music.

Excerpt from:

The Nail-Biting Journey of NASA's James Webb Space Telescope Is About to Begin - Scientific American

British artist Luke Jerram takes viewers to space like the NASA Apollo astronauts as part of the new "Gaia" exhibit at Founders Hall in Uptown Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. Space travel hasn't been around all that long compared to the number of years people have dreamed about touching the stars, but everyone can marvel at the blue marble hanging in outer space at a new art exhibit in Charlotte.

The new exhibit insider Founders Hall is called Gaia, after the Greek goddess of Earth.

"For tens of thousands of years, mankind has been able to look up," artist Luke Jerram said. "But it was only 58 years ago that man could see the earth from outer space. And now everyone has that chance."

Jerram said he was inspired by something called the "overview effect," which is what astronauts experience when they first go into space and look down at Earth. He's had exhibitions around the world in 117 countries.

His latest features images taken from Apollo 8 in 1968, when it was circling the moon. Gaia provides an amazing experience as if you were looking down on Earth from space.

"They realize that the planet is this really fragile beautiful ecosystem," Jerram said. "We've only got one planet, and we have to look after it and the reason I made this artwork is to try to give the public the sense of what it might be like to float in space and look down on the Earth."

From British artist Luke Jerram, experience the world in a whole new way, this is Gaia. Gaia will be presented by Blumenthal Performing Arts until Oct. 1.

Contact Larry Sprinkle atlsprinkle@wcnc.comand follow him onFacebook,TwitterandInstagram.

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All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.

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'Gaia' art exhibit brings out-of-this-world views of Earth to Charlotte - WCNC.com

Mila Kunis Updates: Ashton Kutcher was scheduled to take Richard Bransons next space flight. When we were kids we were told that going into space takes a lot of time in school and really hard preparation.

Richard Branson had the chance last week to test his own Virgin Galactic starship in interesting ways, even though it didnt actually go into space (it was just high in the sky and close enough to space to show off). discovered that another wealthy person would go into space with Branson: Ashton Kutcher.

In a meeting with the Cheddar News, Ashton Kutcher announced that he would have been important for the next space flight, but Mila Kunis was too concerned to even think about releasing him.

When I got married and had kids, my partner essentially supported the fact that going into space with young children was anything but a smart family decision, so I sold my ticket back to Virgin Galactic, he said. says Cheddar. He adds, I should be on the next flight, but I wont be on the next flight. However, Kutcher says that eventually it will actually make room.

As announced by CNN, Virgin Galactic spent nearly twenty years wrecking a spaceship that would make it conceivable to go to the edge of space. Just 6 people took their first test trip last week: Branson, Virgin Galactic leader Sirisha Bandla, astronaut instructor Virgin Galactic Chief and Interior Program Manager Beth Moses, Virgin Galactic lead operations engineer Colin Bennett, and pilots Dave Mackay and Michael Masucci.

However, Virgin Galactic has plans for these somewhat standard space excursions and a few rich folks. figured out how to save anywhere from $ 200,000 to $ 250,000 on tickets for a chance to fly off earth. And considering that may sound expensive, CNN says the organization will soon be selling more tickets at a much higher price.

Since this is the new diversion between very rich and exhausted people, Jeff Bezos is also supposed to fly into space on Tuesday with a spaceship of his organization Blue Origin. Bezos aviation organization downloaded a $ 28 million pass to join the trip. Undeniably more than it costs to go to Virgin Galactic.

These rich people, who have ample freedom not to pay reviews by leaving Earth whenever they want, are really screwed up, yet we trust them to take part in your space travel. that we no longer have to deal with the fact that they are destroying our planet.

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Mila Kunis talked Ashton Kutcher out of being one of- Daily Research Plot - Daily Research Plot

image:China is reaching for new heights in space exploration with its world-class space transportation systems. LM-5B is one its flagship launch vehicles. view more

Credit: Prof. Xiaojun Wang from the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology

Today, China stands at another historical node, and in doing so faces new opportunities and challenges. The country must have the courage to seize these opportunities, continue to innovate, and make breakthroughs, says Dr. Xiaojun Wang, President of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology.

In 2021, China became the second nation to successfully land and operate an unmanned rover on Mars. Around the 2030s, China plans to become the first nation to send a Sample Return Spacecraft to Mars. These are only two of Chinas milestones in its journey to become a top space nation. It has many more planned. To realize all those plans, Chinas aerospace agencies have been working on innovative technologies for over 60 years. Crucial among these are the transportation systems, specifically, the launch vehicles.

In an article published in Space: Science & Technology on 29 June 2021, Dr. Wang explores Chinas recent advances in space transportation systems, future prospects, and the challenges that remain to be met.

Over the past few years, with a new generation of space launch vehicles, China has launched rockets from the sea, sent multiple satellites into space, landed on the Moon and Mars, and conducted human spaceflight, garnering international attention. The latest among these launch vehicles, LM-11 of the Long March series, has a record-low preparation time of less than 24 hours, and is a great step towards meeting the rapid transportation needs that a space station will bring; China has begun the construction of its space station in low-earth orbit in April 2021.

To make its space program more environmentally sustainable, Chinas aerospace agencies are upgrading toxic traditional petroleum-derived rocket propellant-based propulsion systems to liquid-based cryogenic propulsion systemswhich uses cleaner fuels like hydrogen or oxygenor the new high-power electric propulsion systems. Launch vehicles are also being made highly specific in terms of propulsion technology and efficient in terms of the thrust to weight ratios and engines, which could save energy and fuel expenditure and make missions safer. Reusable technology involving the control of landing zones and enabling horizontal take-off and landing are being developed as well, to reduce the junk generated by space missions as well as stay relevant on the global stage. Reusable launch technology will also enable China to stay competitive in the commercial space travel industry, which is rapidly gaining speed.

With deep space missions in mind, scientists are also working on developing lightweight metal composites that can withstand the test of time and improve the energy efficiency of vehicle bodies. This will be necessary for stellar and nuclear-powered crafts, which are the only known kinds of vehicles capable of exploring beyond the solar system.

Furthermore, scientists have combined the power of the latest advances in aerospace engineering with artificial intelligence to develop smart technology that can predict and identify errors during space missions and even take corrective steps as needed. Using big data and cloud computing, platforms that can offer better remote control and improved communications with spacecrafts, are being built. Space vehicle production, testing, launch, flight operation, reconfiguration, and docking are being automated.

With significant monetary investment and specific year-on-year targets for meeting each of these research developmental goals, spanning across the 2020s to the 2040s, China has set its sights on becoming a powerful space nation by the first half of this century. It even plans to set up a manned base station on the moon and a space solar power station to better power its space products.

From single satellite launch vehicles to manned spacecrafts, from near-Earth orbit missions to deep space exploration, Chinas space transportation systems have developed by huge leaps in the last few decades and will continue to do so in the decades to come. China seeks to intelligently empower aerospace transportation systems, create efficient propulsion technologies, and develop digital management systems to realize its goal of emerging as a space power nation, China will devote itself in peacefully developing the space and encouraging international cooperation says Dr. Wang.

Space may be where humanitys future lies. And with this acceleration in the development of space technology, China is launching itself to the top of the race to get there.

***

Reference

DOI: https://doi.org/10.34133/2021/9769856

Author: Xiaojun Wang

Affiliation: China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, Beijing , China

About Professor Xiaojun Wang

Dr. Xiaojun Wang is the President and Deputy Secretary of the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology. He is also the Vice President of the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) Bureaus Societies and Museums.

Space Science & Technology

Systematic review

Not applicable

Prospects for the Future Development of Chinas Space Transportation System

29-Jun-2021

Disclaimer: AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert system.

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Advancements in transport technology that are launching China - EurekAlert

Space travel is no longer the dream of a few well-trained astronauts, but even if you did manage to bag yourself a spot on a spacecraft it could set you back 300,000

Image: Inspiration4/AFP via Getty Image)

Since Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space in 1961, space travel has captured the imagination of so many from across the globe.

Technology has advanced far beyond the point of the creaking silver shell of Vostok 1, Gagarin's trusted but flawed space capsule.

Space travel also relied upon highly trained astronauts, who typically had a background in various fields of science or were experienced air force pilots. First person on the moon Neil Armstrong was originally a test pilot, for instance.

Now we have the means and ways of travelling up into orbit and returning safely to earth and it is no longer a dream that is completely out of reach.

On September 18 Elon Musk's SpaceX company returned safely to Earth. Those aboard the Inspiration4 mission became the first crew to become astronauts in a non-professional capacity. But how can you do it?

Image:

We are still perhaps a little way off a Ryanair flight to the moon - it would be hard even for Michael O'Leary to charge extra for heavy luggage in the weightless void of space - but the basics of regular space travel now seem doable.

You will need a sizeable chunk of spare cash, however. A place aboard Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic programme will currently set you back a cool 330,000 at least. So, unless you're willing to sell your house, it is unlikely for most of us just yet.

It currently only takes a limited number of passengers too and a there is flight time of just under two hours.

Image:

When air travel first became popular, it was generally only available to those in the upper echelons of wealth and prosperity. Soon after, though, entrepreneurs came in and drove costs down.

The same will likely happen for space travel, but by how much and when is still unclear.

Space hotels are planned for the future as well. The SpaceX flight differed from Virgin Galactic and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin by sending crew members to space for three days, rather than a few minutes and is a step in the right direction in that regard.

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SpaceX are also planning a mission to the moon in 2023, but onboard are billionaire investors.

A company called Space Perspective is aiming to undercut the billionaire club of Bezos, Musk and Branson by using a pressurised capsule hoisted by several balloons.

Over 450 seats are already reserved and spaceflights are sold out for 2024. But if you have around 90,000 and a few days off in 2025, then you can enquire here.

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How much does it cost to travel to space and how can you do it? - The Mirror

Majd Mayyasi (GRS09,13), a BU Center for Space Physics senior research scientist, discusses the future of civilian space travel and how it would impact the study of space with BU Today editor Doug Most. She also shares her experience training for suborbital flight as part of an inaugural program for scientists.

You can also find this episode onApple Podcasts,Spotify,Google Podcasts, andother podcast platforms.

Dana Ferrante: This is Question of the Week, from BU Today.

With space tourism now a reality, will civilians travel to space, and when? This summer, billionaires Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson each took a suborbital flight in their respective supersonic rockets, launching a new era of space travel, where a ticket to space is available to anyone who can afford it.

In this episode, Doug Most asked Majd Mayyasi, a senior research scientist at the Center for Space Physics at Boston University, about the future of civilian space travel. Mayyasi also shares her experience training for suborbital flight as part of an inaugural program for scientists.

Doug Most: Hi, Majd. Okay, lets talk space.

So when I read the stories about Bezos and Branson, I admit that I wondered, if given the opportunity, would I want to go up to space? Seeing Earth from above and experiencing weightlessness would be incredible, thats not really debatable, but is that enough? What do you think? Will space tourism become a real thing?

Majd Mayyasi: Well, Doug, this is a really good question. And one that Ive been thinking about for a long time, way before Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson made interesting flights. About 11 years or so ago, there was an opportunity for scientists to train for suborbital flight. And the reason they were doing this was because they knew that ultimately this would become a reality, space tourism and space travel.

And also they wanted to get scientists engaged in this opportunity, so its been a project that has been in the workings for a very long time. And I actually partnered up with a group that was training scientists to do these suborbital flights. And so I was lucky to be a member of one of the first groups of scientists that got the train for this.

And we trained for the Virgin Galactic module, so its been something Ive been thinking about for a long time. And since that time, you know, would I actually go to space if I had the opportunity? And the answer is most definitely yes. It is by far one of the coolest things Ive ever done.

Its extremely engaging to talk about with other people, especially when I do outreach to communities. And in talking to children about what you can do as an astronomer, or how to engage them in astronomy, its super fun to tell them that you can potentially go to space somedayif thats something that youre interested inwithout having to go through all the rigorous training that an astronaut would go through [to become] a full-fledged astronaut.

And so theres a lot of cool opportunities, and Im happy to see that this is starting to become more and more of a tangible reality.

Most: Can you just take us inside that training? What was that like? How hard was it and sort of what were you doing?

Mayyasi: It was about a week long or so. It involved a lot of technical background that we first needed to be aware of before we engaged in any of the actual physical training. The physical part involved going into an altitude chamber and seeing what would happen when oxygen levels dropped to a certain level.

With a lot of tests that we needed to undergo or to take, mental tests to see what our thinking capacity would look like with less oxygen. Another test was in the centrifugewe got to go into the centrifuge, and I think that center has one of the only centrifuges meant for this kind of training in the country.

We got to experience three times the force of gravity going down, which is what people would experience going into space and suborbital flight for the Virgin Galactic module. And we also got to experience six times the force of gravity and going inwards into our chest. And that is to simulate what we would feel going back down during reentry.

Most: What were those like? What was it like to experience the three times and the six times?

Mayyasi: The three times the force of gravity was challenging; we didnt have any special suits on, which is I think what a lot of fighter pilots would typically wear. And they undergo this kind of challenge with different times the force of gravity and sometimes more than three.

For the purposes of three, the challenge was not to pass out, because at three times the force of gravity, the blood is more challenged and being pumped up to your head. And say youre more likely to start seeing stars before you actually get to them, physically. And so there are maneuvers that you try to basically activate the larger muscles in your body to constrict the blood to enforce it basically to stay up in the upper half of your body.

And that will help you not pass out ultimately, which works, I have to say. The six times the force of gravity on GX, so going into your chest, was really fun and I think a lot of people see that sometimes on TV. When someone has just plastered to their chair and their skin on their cheek is rippling back, thats a lot of exactly what it looks like and feels like.

Its pretty interesting, its like getting, its actually kind of soothing, because your bodys just plastered up against this chair. And it feels like an interesting kind of full body massage.

Most: Almost sounds like a supersonic roller coaster?

Mayyasi: Yeah, thats really close to it. The challenge is not to turn your head, because that will make you extremely dizzy.

There are cells in your ear that are very sensitive to that kind of force, and it can make people very dizzy for a few days after the fact if they accidentally gets stimulated in the wrong way. So there are some challenges, some restrictions, but it is so much fun, and it was so exciting to be able to train with that program.

And more interestingly, it was very, I think it was very convenient, to be able to be given that opportunity to be able to go into space. And when were talking about scientists going into space, were not going for the ride; I mean, thats in and of itself, very cool, obviously. But were also going to able to do some science. And youre gonna be in zero gravity or in that part where you feel weightless for about four minutes. And so the challenges are in being able to design an experiment that you can do in four minutes: designing something that you can debug potentially in four minutes, if anything should go wrong, understanding how to mitigate those issues because youre gonna be in microgravity.

So youre gonna be flying around and then your pencil is gonna be in one place and your notebook is in another place. So, mitigating all of that should you have to debug anything is also something to keep in mind. And we did have training for that as well.

Most: It sounds like you think that there will be a day when civilians may actually get a chance to travel into space? You sound somewhat confidenthow far out is that?

Mayyasi: Thats a great question. I think that depends on the business model of these companies.

Because currently, as I understand it, the ticket is about a quarter of a million dollars. And so its definitely beyond my budget, both personally and professionally. If I were to put this on a science grant to fund my project, for example, it would have to be 10 times less than that, something closer to the $25,000 range.

And if it becomes more commercial, I would say, the prices need to be competitive and something that a person can reasonably afford to spend on a trip like this. Its definitely super exciting, its definitely something that is unique for us today, and I think its definitely tangible. And I think its just a matter of time until the businesses get to a point where they can facilitate these kinds of trips in an affordable way.

Currently, people have gone to the edge of space with this program. So just at that time cutoff, Im gonna use SI units here, its 100 kilometers, that defines the edge of space more or less. And so thats where these spacecraft have gone to. To go beyond that, there are other factors to take into consideration also.

A bit higher than that you start going into low Earth orbit, where you have satellites, and how high do you wanna go basically? Are you gonna start interacting with space debris? Are you going to start maybe orbiting alongside a spacecraft? What is the goal for that basically? Are you gonna go pass by the International Space Station, wave at the astronauts, and come back?

It all depends on what the application is. And there are also certain guidelines I think one should be aware of, in terms of whats already out there at different altitudes. When I was given the opportunity to join this team, it was through a competitive process at BU. They had offered us one seat at BU, the group that was organizing this, and the scientists that ultimately got chosen were from all over the US.

And so, this one seat given at BU was offered by competition and I proposed a certain experiment that I could do at that altitude. I also have a young child and when I talked to him about this, hes like, No, you should never go into space, thats too scary, its too risky, and so on.

But so is driving in your car and so is going on a plane, right? Those are all risky things. I would most definitely go, because its so exciting. And because, for me, as a scientist, it offers a lot of opportunities that are not accessible through other means.

This 100-kilometer altitude, its not easily accessible by many other methods; I mean, there are maybe sounding rockets that can go up that high. And you can maybe look down at that region from spacecraft that are higher up, but actually physically be there, in situ, and to be able to do your experiment at that altitude, I think, is a remarkable opportunity, and I would take it without hesitation.

Ferrante: Thanks to Majd Mayyasi for joining us on Question of the Week.

If you liked the show, please remember to rate, share, and review us on your podcast app of choice. Im Dana Ferrante; see you next week.

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With space tourism a reality, will civilians travel to space? And when? - BU Today

Associated Press

Space, we have a problem of fairness.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday that when three billion millionaires jumped into space this summer, they did more than escape the unfriendly bonds of the Earth and plagued the hungry world. He said he helped spread the illness.

In his opening speech to the General Assembly, Guterres slammed the gap between the rich and the poor, saying, Millionaires are joyful in space while millions are hungry on Earth. I emphasized.

In July, billionaires Richard Branson and Jeff Bezos jumped into space with their private rockets and gained worldwide attention on a short trip that didnt go into orbit. Both are funding the space travel business from fellow space fans with large wallets.

After returning to Earth, Branson, 71, Spray GH Mumm Champagne Stir it over his crew and then from the jar.

Billionaires Jared Isaacman led the first all-private orbital mission that splattered on Saturday in three-day orbit. His flight was a dragon capsule and a SpaceX rocket made by Elon Musk, the fourth billionaire who is obsessed with space. Unlike the other two missions, Isaacmans ride raised more than $ 200 million at St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. This includes $ 100 million from Isaacman and $ 50 million from Musk.

Guterres has put together a millionaire space hop with despair, corruption, diminished personal freedom, and the illness of when parents see the future of children who look even darker than todays struggle.

After Branson and Bezos made a space flight and it was revealed that the worlds wealthiest Bezos did not pay federal income tax in 2007 and 2011, critics wanted to tax from the 10-digit income level. I asked the millionaires to tax. So far, these proposals, unlike millionaires, are not on track.

Billionaires jumping into space attract the red glare of UN chiefs

Source link Billionaires jumping into space attract the red glare of UN chiefs

Original post:

Billionaires jumping into space attract the red glare of UN chiefs - Floridanewstimes.com

Elon Musk has always envisioned space travel to be as economical as air travel, though naturally still more expensive. SpaceXs mission is to make that true not just for government-funded missions and research but also for commercial space tourism. The company has already gotten most launches and landings down to a T, but there are still some goals to be checked off from its list. At least two of those have been completed now that the Inspiration4 mission is underway, transporting four civilians around the Earth for about three days at a record-breaking altitude.

The Crew Dragon carrying these four non-professional astronauts successfully took off from the Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 8:02 pm EDT on September 15. For the next three days, it will be circling the Earth before finally splashing down somewhere along the Florida coast, hopefully safely as well. At this point, however, SpaceX already achieved some historical firsts, putting it once again at the top of the space race.

This mission has been billed as the first to involve only civilians without any trained astronaut onboard. Of course, civilian can mean different things, and at least two of the four passengers are trained pilots. They are, of course, professionals in their own fields, including mission commander Jared Isaacman, the CEO of a payment processing company.

The other historical milestone is the Dragon capsules altitude of 575km (360mi) above the Earths surface, the highest that a crewed mission has ever gone in over a decade. Thats higher than the Hubble Telescope at 540 km where the last record-setting crewed mission went in 2019. That mission naturally involved NASAs retired Space Shuttle, which the space agency is working to replace with private commissions from companies like SpaceX.

While the Inspiration4 mission is focused on research, particularly on the effects of spending days in orbit on the body, it also paves the ground for less noble pursuits. In the near future, SpaceX plans on providing commercial space travel to similarly untrained passengers. In fact, the company is scheduled to take a Russian movie director and an actress to the International Space Station in October as its next private mission.

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SpaceX Inspiration4 launch reaches another space travel milestone - SlashGear