Category Archives: Space Travel

In looking back at the month of July, space milestones and events took center stage. Not only did July see the most important American accomplishment in space the Apollo XI landing on the Moon on July 20th, 1969 but it also saw the successful launch of two private industry human spaceflight operations

The first was the July 11suborbital spaceflight of the Virgin Galactic VSS Unity spaceplane, with Richard Branson and five other crew members. The second was the July 20 flight of the rocket-powered New Shepard spacecraft developed by Jeff Bezos company Blue Origin LLC carrying Bezos, his brother, Mary Wallace Wally Funk of the 1960s Mercury 13 Women in Space program and one paying passenger (his payment went to charity).

But this July commemorated another historically important, albeit somewhat bittersweet, space event as well it was the 10 year anniversary of the last U.S. Space Shuttle flight. On July 8, 2011, NASA launched STS-135, which took the shuttle Atlantis and her crew of four veteran astronauts Commander Chris Ferguson, Pilot Doug Hurley, and Mission Specialists Sandy Magnus and Rex Walheim on a routine trip to the International Space Station or as routine as any Shuttle flight could be. It was the 37th flight to dock at the space station, with the primary objective being to deliver supplies and spare parts to the International Space Station. After several days in orbit, Atlantis successfully returned to Earth on July 21, touching down at Kennedy Space Center for the last time.

STS-135 was the final tour of duty in what was NASAs 30 year shuttle program, which performed a wide range of unique and groundbreaking missions for the U.S. space program from 1981 to 2011. Over those three decades which also saw the tragic Columbia and Challenger disasters the shuttle kept Americans moving up into space and allowed us to secure new gains in scientific advancement, exploration and understanding. At the same time, the shuttle program served as an immense point of national pride and interest not only did legions of Americans tune in regularly to watch shuttle launches, but in the context of larger geopolitical events, the shuttle program stood as a highly visible reminder of Americas space leadership, technological acumen, and adventurous spirit. In fact, over the course of the shuttle programs lifetime, Americas dominance in space was virtually unmatched.

But that all ended with Atlantis last run in midsummer a decade ago. And in the 10 years since that last mission, we have learned and perhaps relearned some painful lessons regarding space. On one level, after STS-135, we would be completely without an American-owned and operated human spaceflight system. After the retirement of the shuttle, the Russian Soyuz served as the only mode of human space transport to reach the International Space Station literally leaving American astronauts, their safety, and our role in space at the hands of the Russians. This gap endured until the first flight of SpaceXs Crew Dragon Demo 2 in May of 2020. And while we are now, thankfully, moving seriously forward on reestablishing our own serious space transport system, having to seek favor from Russia seems compromising at best and lacks dignity at worst.

At the same time and on a more strategic level, the fact that the U.S. which had led the world in space for generations now had to rely on Russia for space access smacked as a real step backward. Maintaining and operating a successful, reliable and safe space program that can transport human beings beyond Earths atmosphere is the insignia of modern, leading world powers. Conversely, not being able to make that claim, even if only temporarily, gives adversaries a talking point. This is a lesson our pacing competitors particularly China understand and take very seriously.

And on a final level, terminating the shuttle program without a coherent, funded plan regarding a ready backup had the effect of further delaying and dragging out the process for a replacement. In the intervening years, efforts to establish U.S. human spaceflight options for reliable and ready access to space have been costly, disruptive and elusive, with several presidential administrations and congresses differing on approach and underfunding NASA and its programs. One could argue that without space-focused billionaires, we still wouldnt be there.

Of course, the reasons for retiring the shuttle seemed to make sense to many policymakers at the time. The expense of the program was deemed too significant and some of the initial visions of the program were never met. And, safety concerns loomed large after the Challenger disaster, and even more so following the loss of Columbia. But the criticism of killing the shuttle program from some corners was notable.

In fact, at the time, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong commented in testimony before Congress that, We will have no American access to, and return from, low Earth orbit and the International Space Station for an unpredictable length of time in the futureFor a country that has invested so much for so long to achieve a leadership position in space exploration and exploitation, this condition is viewed by many as lamentably embarrassing and unacceptable.

Fast forward to the present, we are seeing what that half-generation gap in capability has brought. Fortunately, American efforts to get back to space on our terms, with our own technology look promising particularly with the private sector taking a significant lead to make American-driven human spaceflight a reality. But if the period after STS-135 is any reminder, a broad spectrum of complications, crises, funding concerns, or global distractions, could significantly challenge our ability to stay on track to reestablish and advance a human spaceflight program remember, even the private sector is reliant on NASA-paid demand. Congresss decision in late 2020 to cut funding for the Human Landing System is a perfect recent example.

So this year, as we marvel at the recent notable strides made by the private sector in moving humans back into space and which may help usher in a new era of interest in space and space travel we also need to reflect on what the last 10 years since STS-135 have meant. We also need to remember that last flight of Atlantis and what it represented as well as what the entire U.S. Space Shuttle program achieved and meant for our nation. In looking 10 years back on the last mission of July 2011, and at the lack of an American spaceflight option after STS-135, we need to learn our lesson. With peer competitors deadly serious about their roles and ambitions in space, it would serve us well to not leave any gaps for our adversaries to exploit whether to Earth orbit, to the moon or even to Mars.

Grant Anderson, P.E. is the president & CEO of Paragon Space Development Corp., a leader in life support and thermal control in extreme environments. He holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an M.S. in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Stanford University.

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Op-ed | The Last Shuttle Flight A 10-Year Lesson - SpaceNews

Blue Origins successful launch and landing of New Shepard may be a step closer to fulfilling the promise of space for all, but who really benefits? Jeff Bezos does.

It has been pointed out that no taxpayer money was used to fund this launch, but although no direct taxpayer money was used, Jeff Bezos used his private wealth accumulated from Amazon to found Blue Origin, which he owns privately. I would argue that, because Amazon does not pay its fair share of taxes, the American taxpayer subsidized Amazons bottom line which, in turn, funded Jeff Bezos wealth, which he used to found Blue Origin. He even thanked his customers and (underpaid) employees. How about thanking the taxpayers?

Now I probably wont utilize space travel in my time, but do you know who will? The ultra wealthy (who cares) and Big Business. I watched an interview Mr. Bezos had with NBC in which he said We need to take heavy industry, polluting industry, and move it into space. I equate that with selling your home and moving to a new one because your current house is messy.

Friends, we need to learn how to clean up our messes before we move them into space. Its a new and exciting frontier, but lets remind our leaders in big business and government that most of the inhabitants of Earth will always live here. Its dangerous and naive to think that space industry wont affect our planet. Please tell Jeff Bezos.

Kelly MilewskiWestbrook

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Letter to the Editor: Only Bezos benefits when Bezos goes to space - pressherald.com

Gone are the days of Salman Khan-hosted Big Boss and Keeping Up With The Kardashians, reality television producers are eyeing the International Space station as the location for the hottest new shows. Word is that The Discovery Channel is considering Who Wants to be an Astronaut while a competitor, Space Hero is hoping to land somewhere else.

Who Wants to be an Astronaut relies on traditional reality television tropes, whereby contestants will vie for an all-expenses paid trip to live on the ISS for eight days. According to CNN, the as-yet unknown variety of extreme challenges are designed to determine which competitors have what it takes to be a real astronaut, and passage to space will be provided by Axiom Space.

The Discovery Channel on the other hand has enlisted former astronaut Mike Massiminos consulting services. Massimino, on a mission to repair the Hubble Telescope in 2019, had personally shot footage of the ISS for the Hubble documentary via a IMAX camera giving viewers a close-up and realistic look at what goes into the process of repairing the telescope. He predicts a future where more people with special, non-astronaut skills like filming, are trained for missions. Hopefully, well get better movies out of it, and better entertainment thats what Im hoping for.

However, Massiomino also highlights a challenge the ISS is narrow and cramped, and it wasnt built with big cameras in mind. You cant have a whole crew. You are not going to be able to launch 50 people to the space station. But advancements in camera technology and a reduction in barriers to space travel have broadened the scope of what is possible on the ISS.

The report says that Who Wants to be an Astronaut is entirely US-based, but Space Hero is attempting to bring a global component to the TV-in-space sector. Creators Deborah Sass and Thomas Reemer plan to make sure that space travel isnt limited to countries that already have a stake in ISS. Space Hero, which is privately-funded, plans to feature 24 contestants 12 men and 12 women from around the world. Twelve men and twelve women, twelve from underdeveloped countries and twelve from developed countries, says Sass. And they will be put into a Space Village, kind of like the Big Brother house, but with wearable technology and biometrics testing.

Also Read: Climate change will prove catastrophic for the world

In Space Hero house, activities and challenges will narrow down the list of candidates until only one person remains. The global audience, naturally, will be encouraged to vote for their favorite would-be astronaut. Reemer predicts that the demand for an astronaut from lesser-known countries is there. There is Nigeria with two hundred million inhabitants, never had an astronaut. Thats where the hunger comes from. India, the last astronaut from India was 1985it means something to be the first astronaut of your country.

The minds behind the global reality show have already started reaching across borders to foster relationships with other space agencies. Space Hero claims that multiple agreements have already been forged internationally. Furthermore, NASA is on board with the expansion of uses for the ISS. Who Wants to be an Astronaut is currently taking applications through its online portal and Space Hero will open on December 21, 2021.

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Reality television producers are eyeing the International Space Station. - Plunge Daily

Popularity in civilian space travel is increasing as several of the worlds billionaires have an ongoing friendly competition. As the space exploration companies send their first crewed vehicles to the edge of space, how soon will space tourism becomes widely available?

The Virgin Galactic SpaceShipTwo space plane Unity returns to earth after the mothership separated ... [+] at Spaceport America, near Truth and Consequences, New Mexico on July 11, 2021. - Billionaire Richard Branson took off July 11, 2021 from a base in New Mexico aboard a Virgin Galactic vessel bound for the edge of space, a voyage he hopes will lift the nascent space tourism industry off the ground.A massive carrier plane made a horizontal take-off from Spaceport, New Mexico at around 8:40 am Mountain Time (1440 GMT) and will ascend for around an hour to an altitude of 50,000 feet (15 kilometers).The mothership will then drop a rocket-powered spaceplane called VSS Unity, which will ignite its engine and ascend at Mach 3 beyond 50 miles (80 kilometers) of altitude, which marks the boundary of space according to the United States. (Photo by Patrick T. FALLON / AFP) (Photo by PATRICK T. FALLON/AFP via Getty Images)

Virgin Galactic Space Flight

The Virgin Galactic VSS Unity is the most recent civilian spacecraft to push the envelope. Several final suborbital test flights are happening in late 2021 before the company gets clearance to take commercial passengers.

Company founder Richard Branson, three Virgin Galactic senior leaders, and two pilots flew to the edge of outer space on July 11, 2021. The VSS Unity flew to what the United States considers the beginning of outer space at 80 kilometers (approximately 262,000 feet).

To spark a little controversy, most nations consider the Krmn Line at 100 kilometers to be the official start of space. Other space tourism companies are striving to reach this boundary instead of where Virgin Galactic currently flies to.

The successful trip means Virgin Galactic is one step closer to letting civilian flights begin with the first flights departing in early 2022. So far, the company reports 600 active reservations, with each ticket selling between $200,000 and $250,000.

The company is having a raffle drawing for two seats on the first flights. Entrants can make a donation to Space for Humanity by September 1, 2021, to enter the giveaway.

The Virgin Galactic space experience takes place on the VSS Unity craft built for six passengers and two pilots. Flights depart from Spaceport America in Truths or Consequences, New Mexico.

Guests can enjoy the view of a lifetime and spend several minutes at the edge of space. There are 17 ship windows to look outside. The craft also has several in-cabin cameras to record the experience for posterity.

Blue Origin

Blue Origin is also sending its first crewed suborbital space flight on July 20, 2021. Thats nine days after Virgin Galactics first flight, but the Blue Origin vehicle will fly an additional 20 kilometers to the Krmn Line.

The July 20 test flight is Blue Origins 16th voyage for the New Shepard vehicle but its first with passengers. Its possible to watch the flight live online at BlueOrigin.com. New Shepard will launch from Launch Site One in Van Horn, located about 120 miles away from El Paso, Texas.

The passenger manifest includes Amazon.com and Blue Origin founder Jeff Bezos and three passengers. Two of the other passengers are Mark Bezos (Jeffs younger brother) and Wally Funk, an 82-year-old female test pilot from the 1960s space training missions.

The identity of the third passenger hasnt been revealed yet. However, the lucky passenger paid $28 million in a charitable auction. The proceeds go to the Club for the Future philanthropic foundation to support STEM education.

Currently, Blue Origin has a Federal Aviation Administration license for human space travel through August 2021. If the first crewed flights are successful, the public can potentially start space tourism flights in early 2022.

Just like it was a race between Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin to see which company founder can go suborbital first, it can be a fierce competition to see which company successfully launches the first space tourism flights.

SpaceX

SpaceX is the third American competitor for space tourism. The company doesnt have plans to send its founder, Elon Musk, to space yet as its space travel model is a little more exciting. In typical Elon Musk fashion, SpaceX plans on sending travelers into actual outer space for a multi-day journey. Travelers might be able to stay aboard the spacecraft while orbiting around Earth.

The other possibility is visiting the International Space Station. SpaceX already has the claim of the first post-Space Shuttle crewed spaceflight. This flight took place in May 2020 with two astronauts. Another successful trip Crew-1 Mission in November 2020 that successfully docked four astronauts at the International Space Station.

Theres no official word when civilians will be able to partake in these overnight missions. Due to the complexity of this travel itinerary, tickets can also cost more than $1 million each.

For now, Elon Musk bought a ticket to take a future Virgin Galactic spaceflight. In time, SpaceX hopes to take missions to the Moon and also to Mars. The Moon landings could happen as soon as 2024, according to the company.

Summary

Aspiring space tourists should first focus on flying either Virgin Galactic or Blue Origin. These flights are easier to do as they only go to the edge of space and will be significantly cheaper. If everything goes according to plan, space tourism can become a reality in 2022.

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Space Travel Updates: When Will We Be Able To Travel To Space? - Forbes

July 15 (Reuters) - An 18-year-old physics student whose father heads an investment management firm is set to take the place of a person who put up $28 million in an auction to take part in the inaugural space tourism flight for billionaire Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin company.

Blue Origin said on Thursday Oliver Daemen will join the four-member all-civilian crew for Tuesday's scheduled flight after the auction winner, whose name had not been made public, dropped out due to unspecified "scheduling conflicts." Daemen becomes the company's first paying customer.

His addition means that the flight is set to include the oldest person ever to go to space - 82-year-old trailblazing female aviator Wally Funk - and the youngest, Daemen, according to Blue Origin. Joining them for Blue Origin's suborbital launch will be Bezos and his brother Mark Bezos.

Daemen is working to obtain his pilot's license and is set to attend the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands to study physics and innovation management in September, Blue Origin said. His father is Somerset Capital Partners CEO and founder Joes Daemen.

The elder Daemen "paid for the seat and chose to fly Oliver," Blue Origin said. The company declined to say how much was paid.

"Flying on New Shepard will fulfill a lifelong dream for Oliver, who has been fascinated by space, the Moon, and rockets since he was four," the company said in a news release.

Bezos has been locked in a race with billionaire rivals Richard Branson and Elon Musk as they seek to usher in a new era of commercial space travel in a tourism market that Swiss bank UBS estimates could be worth $3 billion annually in a decade.

New Shepard is a 60-foot-tall (18.3-meters-tall) and fully autonomous rocket-and-capsule combo that cannot be piloted from inside the spacecraft. The launch is set for a site in West Texas.

Branson, the British billionaire businessman, was aboard his company Virgin Galactic's rocket plane for its pioneering suborbital flight from New Mexico on Sunday. read more

Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Will Dunham

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Teenager to fly with Bezos in inaugural space tourism flight - Reuters

Virgin Galactic already has 650 people signed up to fly on its vehicle, including musician Justin Bieber and actor Leonardo DiCaprio, but while only accessible to the rich and famous for now, there is hope such flights may one day be more affordable for the general public.

Yesterdays flight wasnt only about bragging rights. Suborbital flights also allow for important scientific work to be done too. Researchers flying with their own science is very , very valuable, says Laura Forczyk from the space consulting firm Astralytical. On this first flight was an experiment from the University of Florida tosee how plants respond to microgravity. Future missions will study how dust behaves on asteroids, and practice techniques for performing surgery in space.

Crucially that can be led by the researchers themselves, such as Alan Stern from the Southwest Research Institute in Texas and the lead on NASAs New Horizons mission to Pluto, rather than relying on remote systems or astronauts on the International Space Station. Stern, for example, will test an astronomical imaging systempreviously used on the Space Shuttlethat could perform useful observations of the solar system.

For 150 years theres been a theorised population of [asteroids] inside the orbit of Mercury, says Stern. The best way to look at them is at twilight from space. On the space station, the twilight phenomenon only lasts 30 seconds as youre traveling at 18,000 miles per hour. But on SpaceShipTwo or New Shepard, the phenomenon persists for minutes.

There are, of course, plenty of valid criticisms of two billionaires racing to space amid a pandemicand it's unlikely many of us will ever be able to afford the trip for years to come. But the childish Branson/Bezos competition should still pave the way for more people to get up there than ever before, scientists included.

This is not just billionaires and rich people, says Forczyk. This could be the dawn of really true commercial space tourism.

It shows that commercial space is ready for primetime, adds Williams.

Correction: We amended the location of Spaceport America. It is in New Mexico, not California.

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Richard Branson just flew to the edge of space. Heres what it means for space travel. - MIT Technology Review

Kellie Gerardi, a Jupiter native, will test products as a 'citizen' space traveler aboard a flight that costs around $600,000.

Space tourism: Richard Branson, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk racing to stars

The newest space race features billionaires who are investing in commercial space tourism.

STAFF VIDEO, USA TODAY

JUPITER, Fla. When people told Kellie Gerardi to shoot for the stars, they didn't think she'd be so literal about it.

But she took it seriously, and the 32-year-old woman fromJupiter, Florida, is heading to space.

Gerardi will be aboard a future spaceflight on the VSS Unity outofNew Mexico operated by Virgin Galactic as part of her role as abioastronautics researcher with the International Institue for Astronautical Sciences.

The Unity's initial launch took place Sunday, carrying Virgin Galactic founder Richard Branson and five others to the edge of space.The company has plans for two more test flights before commercial service is expected to begin in 2022.

The details of Gerardi'sresearch mission are still under wraps, like the date and exactly where the flight will go, but shesaid she doesn't have an ounce of nervousness about the trip.

"I'm so excited, and so ready to fly," she told The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Network, via email.

Aside from her work as an aerospace, defense and technology professional, Gerardi has also gainedsocial media popularity as an influencerand science communicatoron TikTok and Instagram, where she publishes content about her work and family, including details about the upcoming launch.

'It was just magical': Virgin Galactic space plane carrying Richard Branson reaches edge of space, returns safely

When Gerardi was growing up, she had plenty of access to rocket launches that piqued her interest in space travel, having been raised just a few hours from Cape Canaveral.But she said it wasn't until she became an adult that she realized she could be a part of it.

Gerardi said she first became involved with The Explorers Club, a group founded in New York in 1904 to promote scientific exploration and field study. She thenconnected with networks of people trying to open commercial access to space.

She started working with the Commercial Spaceflight Federation, a private spaceflight industry group headquartered in Washington, D.C., first in communications and then business development of companies like Virgin Galactic.

She considers herself a citizen scientist who represents a "new breed" of astronaut. Gerardihas studied bioastronautics throughtheInternational Institute for Astronautical Sciences, a citizen-science institute based in Boulder, Colorado, that specializes in space-related fields.

"I'm excited to help ensure that this becomes a consistent pipeline of researchers flying to space with their experiments," she said.

As a payload specialist, Gerardi will carry multiple experiments with her on her flight.

One is a biomonitoring experiment using a wearable sensor system developed by Montreal-basedCarr Technologies. The sensor system is a "smart undershirt" outfitted with sensors designed to measure the biological effects of spaceflight on humans.

The Astroskin sensor system currently is being used on the International Space Station, where it helps monitor the effects of microgravity on ISS astronauts, Gerardi said.

"My spaceflight will be the first time well be able to collect data during launch, re-entry, and landing, though, so Im excited to contribute to that novel data collection," she said.

Gerardi isn't just interested in space in her professional life. She's obsessed with the final frontier at home, too.

One of the most exciting parts of her trip is the ability to share the news with her husband, Steven, and their 3-year-old daughter, Delta Victoria, whose name is a nod to theDelta-Vsymbol used in spaceflight dynamics.

"I get emotional when I think about what it means for her to watch me, her mommy, become an astronaut," Gerardi said. "In Deltas mind, flying to space is just another thing moms do. Shes going to grow up knowing that not even the sky is a limit. That mental framework is something I wish for all children."

Gerardi's flight will be historic in another way: She'll be the first female payload specialist to travel to space with Virgin Galactic.

"Less than 100 women in history, and only a handful of moms,have ever flown to space," Gerardi said. "And I really believe representation matters."

As she joins the likes of Sally Ride and Kathleen Rubins, Gerardi said she hopes to continue the push to "democratize space" for people beyondgovernment-trained astronauts.

"I want to see people from all backgrounds experience spaceflight. I think humanity will be better off for it," she said. "To me, the Space Age is a broader cultural movement, and our next giant leap will require the contributions of artists, engineersand everyone in between."

Follow Katherine Kotal on Twitter:@katikokal

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A 'new breed' of astronaut: Meet the citizen space traveler who'll be on Virgin Galactic's next flight - USA TODAY

This past weekend, billionaire Richard Branson fulfilled his childhood dreams of becoming an astronaut. His venture, Virgin Galactic, aims to bring space travel to the public and the trip marked the debut of an optimistic future for space tourism.

The Unity 22 mission carried a six-person crew including two pilots, three researchers and Branson himself in ab id to evaluate the customer experience of such a trip. Virgin Galactics SpaceShipTwo completed an airlaunch from 50,000 feet above Spaceport America in New Mexico. The craft then ascended to nearly 300,000 feet for the climax or apogee phase of the trip, before returning to Earth and landing on a runway.

Although Branson is not leading this new era of space travel alone, Unity 22 is the first commercial spaceflight mission bringing private astronauts to the edge of space to experience weightlessness and a heightened view of our planet. With other billionaires Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos also setting their sights on the next frontier for humankind, many are concerned about the long-term environmental impacts of these expeditions.

The 21st century space cannon has fired and innovators are racing towards an interstellar future for humans. As technologies emerge and develop, visionaries and policymakers are entering unexplored entrepreneurial territory. It is incumbent on the trailblazers to decide what constitutes a worthwhile expenditure of Earths resources in pursuit of space travel. While some seek cosmic capital, others are merely trying to extend the half-life of the human race.

Bezos founded his own aerospace company in 2000 called Blue Origin, which is to launch its first human crew into space July 20. Their mission statement reads:

In order to preserve Earth, Blue Origin believes that humanity will need to expand, explore, find new energy and material resources, and move industries that stress Earth into space.

Next week, Bezos will board the New Shepard spacecraft joined by his brother, and once overlooked female astronaut, Wally Funk. The mission will bring the organization one step closer to fulfilling its founding vision of tapping into galactic space assets.

On the other side of the launchpad, Tesla CEO, Elon Musk, is working to colonize Mars, thereby making humans a multi-planetary species.

You want to wake up in the morning and think the future is going to be great and thats what being a spacefaring civilization is all about. Its about believing in the future and thinking that the future will be better than the past. And I cant think of anything more exciting than going out there and being among the stars.

Musks SpaceX, has been making strides in the innovation of reusable rockets and self-landing technology. The company has launched 127 rockets since its founding and has successfully delivered private astronauts to the International Space Station.

Virtuous philosophies and paths guiding humans towards the stars have been laid out by the first entrepreneurs but many possibilities and applications of these new technologies have yet to be imagined.

Though many dreams of becoming astronauts may be fulfilled by this space-tech boom, some researchers are raising concerns regarding the environmental costs entailed.

The annual carbon footprint of rockets has never compared to that of planes, but the possibility for their mass private use is bound to make the contrast less insignificant. Space tourism poses a danger to the ozone layer, because of the huge amount of fuel burned to reach space, Eloise Marais, an associate professor of physical geography at University College London, said in a recent interview.

Soot from burnt fuel is not washed out of the atmosphere at the extreme altitudes where these spacecraft fly. Researchers say different fuels are more harmful to Earths atmosphere, but there are no regulations on the use of the most environmentally toxic options. Virgin Galactics use of solid polyamide fuel is more threatening to the ozone layer than a fuel type like SpaceX Starships liquid methane and oxygen combination.

Space scene has a fundamental need for self-directed ethical innovation while legislatures scramble to catch up to those who have already launched.

While the race for the stars has begun, minimal headway is being made in the necessary reorganization of governments and societies to keep up.

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Rocket men: Unregulated space travel posing a threat to the fragile environment of the blue planet - capitalcurrent.ca

The space travel calculator is a comprehensive tool that allows you to estimate many essential parameters in theoretical interstellar space travel. Have you ever wondered how fast can we travel in space, how much time will it take to get to the nearest star or galaxy, or how much fuel does it require? In the following article, we'll try to answer questions is interstellar travel possible? and can humans travel at the speed of light? using a relativistic rocket equation. Explore the world of light speed travel of (hopefully) future spaceships with our relativistic space travel calculator!

If you're interested in astrophysics, check out our other calculators. Find out the speed required to leave the surface of any planet with the escape velocity calculator or estimate the parameters of the orbital motion of planets using the orbital velocity calculator.

Interstellar space is a rather empty place. Its temperature is not much more than the coldest possible temperature, i.e., an absolute zero. It equals about 3 Kelvins - minus 270 C or minus 455 F. You can't find air there, and therefore there is no drag or friction. On one hand, humans can't survive in such a hostile place without expensive equipment like a spacesuit or a spaceship, but on the other hand, we can make use of space conditions and its emptiness.

The main advantage of future spaceships is that, since they are moving through a vacuum, they can theoretically accelerate to infinite speeds! However, this is only possible in the classical world of relatively low speeds where Newtonian physics can be applied. Even if it's true, let's imagine, just for a moment, that we live in a world where any speed is allowed. How long will it take to visit the Andromeda Galaxy, the nearest galaxy to the Milky Way?

We will begin our intergalactic travel with a constant acceleration of 1 g (9.81 m/s or 32.17 ft/s) because it ensures that crew experiences the same comfortable gravitational field as the one on Earth. By using this space travel calculator in Newton's universe mode, you can find out that you need about 2200 years to arrive at the nearest galaxy! And, if you want to stop there, you need an additional 1000 years. Nobody lives for 3000 years! Is intergalactic travel impossible for us, then? Luckily, we have good news. We live in a world of relativistic effects where unusual phenomena readily occur.

In the previous example, where we traveled to Andromeda Galaxy, the maximum velocity was almost 3000 times greater than the speed of light c = 299,792,458 m/s, or about c = 3 * 10 m/s using scientific notation. You can always use our speed converter to find its value in any other speed units.

However, as velocity increases, relativistic effects start to play an essential role. According to special relativity proposed by Albert Einstein, nothing can exceed the speed of light. How can it help us with interstellar space travel? Doesn't it mean we will travel at a much lower speed? Yes, it does, but there are also few new relativistic phenomena, including time dilation and length contraction to name a few. The former is crucial in relativistic space travel. Time dilation is a difference of time measured by two observers, one being in motion and second at rest (relative to each other). It is something we are not used to on Earth. Clocks in a moving spaceship tick slower than the same clocks on Earth! Time passing in a moving spaceship T and equivalent time observed on Earth t are related by the following formula:

T = * t,

where is the Lorentz factor that comprises the speed of the spaceship v and speed of light c:

= 1/(1 - ) = 1/(1 - v/c),

where = v/c.

For example, if = 10 (v = 0.995c), then every second passing on Earth corresponds to ten seconds passing in the spaceship. Inside the spaceship, events take place 90 percent slower; the difference can be even greater for higher velocities. Note that both observers can be in motion, too. In that case, to calculate the relative relativistic velocity, you can use our velocity addition calculator.

Let's go back to our example again, but this time we're in Einstein's universe of relativistic effects trying to reach Andromeda. The time needed to get there measured by the crew of the spaceship equals only 15 years! Well, this is still a long time, but is more achievable in a practical sense. If you would like to stop at the destination, you should start decelerating halfway through. In this situation, the time passed in the spaceship will be extended by about 13 additional years.

Unfortunately, this is only a one-way journey. You can, of course, go back to Earth but nothing will be the same. During your interstellar space travel to the Andromeda Galaxy, about 2,500,000 years have passed on Earth. It would be a completely different planet, and nobody can foresee the fate of our civilization. A similar problem was considered in the first Planet of the Apes movie, where astronauts crash landed back on Earth. While these astronauts had only aged by 18 months, 2000 years had passed on Earth (sorry for the spoilers, but the film is over 50 years old at this point, you should have seen it by now). How about you? Would you be able to leave everything you know and love about our galaxy forever, and begin a life of space exploration?

Now that you know whether interstellar is travel possible and how fast can we travel in space, it's time for some formulas. In this section, you can find the "classical" and relativistic rocket equations that are included in the relativistic space travel calculator. There could be four combinations since we want to estimate how long it takes to arrive at the destination point at full speed as well as arrive at the destination point and stop. Every set contains distance, time passing on Earth and in the spaceship (only relativity approach), expected maximum velocity and corresponding kinetic energy (if you turn on the advanced mode), and the required fuel mass (see Intergalactic travel - fuel problem section for more information). The notation is:

Relativistic space travel calculator is dedicated to very long journeys, interstellar or even intergalactic, in which we can neglect the influence of the gravitational field, e.g., from Earth. We didn't include in destination list our closest celestial bodies like Moon or Mars, because it would be pointless. For them, we need different equations that also take into consideration gravitational force.

Newton's universe - arrive at destination at full speed

It's the simplest case because here T equals t for any speed. To calculate distance covered, at constant acceleration during a certain time, you can use the following classical formula:

d = 1/2 * a * t.

Since acceleration is constant and we assume that the initial velocity equals zero, you can estimate the maximum velocity using this equation:

v = a * t,

and the corresponding kinetic energy:

KE = m * v / 2.

Newton's universe - arrive at destination and stop

In this situation, we're accelerating to the half-way point, reaching maximum velocity and then decelerating to stop at the destination point. Distance covered during the same time is, as you may expect, smaller than before:

d = 1/4 * a * t.

Acceleration remains positive until we're half-way there (then it is negative - deceleration), so the maximum velocity is:

v = a * t/2,

and the kinetic energy equation is the same as the previous one.

Einstein's universe - arrive at destination at full speed

The relativistic rocket equation has to consider the effects of light speed travel. These are not only speed limitations and time dilation, but also how every length becomes shorter for a moving observer which is a phenomenon of special relativity called length contraction. If l is the proper length observed in rest frame and L is length observed by a crew in a spaceship, then:

L = l / .

What does it mean? If spaceship moves with the velocity of v = 0.995c, then = 10 and the length observed by a moving object is ten times smaller than the real length. For example, the distance to the Andromeda Galaxy equals about 2,520,000 light years with Earth as the frame of reference. For a spaceship moving with v = 0.995c, it will be "only" 252,200 light years away. That's a 90 percentage decrease or 164 percentage difference!

Now you probably understand why special relativity allows us for intergalactic travel. Below you can find relativistic rocket equation for the case in which you want to arrive at destination point at full speed (without stopping). You can find its derivation in the book by Messrs Misner, Thorne (Co-Winner of the 2017 Nobel Prize in Physics) and Wheller titled Gravitation, section 6.2. Hyperbolic motion. More accessible formulas are in the mathematical physicist's, John Baez, article The Relativistic Rocket:

t = c/a * sh[a*T/c] = [(d/c) + 2*d/a],

T = c/a * sh[a*t/c] = c/a * ch[a*d/c + 1],

d = c/a * [ch(a*T/c) - 1] = c/a * [(1 + (a*t/c)) - 1],

v = c * th[a*T/c] = a*t / [1 + (a*t/c)],

EK = mc * ( - 1)

The symbols sh, ch and th are respectively sine, cosine, and tangent hyperbolic functions, which are analogs of the ordinary trigonometric functions. In turn, sh and ch are the inverse hyperbolic functions that can be expressed with natural logarithms and square roots according to the article Inverse hyperbolic functions on Wikipedia.

Einstein's universe - arrive at destination point and stop

Most websites with relativistic rocket equations consider only arriving at desired place at full speed. If you want to stop there, you should start decelerating at the halfway point. Here, you can find set of equation estimating interstellar space travel parameters in situation when you want to stop at destination point:

t = 2*c/a * sh[a*T/(2*c)] = [(d/c) + 4*d/a],

T = 2*c/a * sh[a*t/(2*c)] = 2*c/a * ch[a*d/(2*c) + 1],

d = 2*c/a * [ch(a*T/(2*c)) - 1] = 2*c/a * [(1 + (a*t/(2*c))) - 1],

v = c * th[a*T/(2*c)] = a*t / (2 * [1 + (a*t/(2*c))]),

EK = mc * ( - 1)

So after all of these considerations, can humans travel at the speed of light, or at least at a speed close to it? Jet-rocket engines, used e.g. by NASA, taught us that rockets need a lot of fuel per unit of weight of the rocket. You can use our rocket equation calculator to see how much fuel you need to obtain a certain velocity (e.g., with an effective exhaust velocity of 4500 m/s).

Hopefully future spaceships will be able to produce energy from the matter-antimatter annihilation. This process releases energy from two particles that have mass (e.g., electron and positron) into photons. These photons may be then shot out at the back of the spaceship, and accelerate the spaceship due to the conservation of momentum. If you want to know how much energy is contained in matter, check out our E = mc calculator which is about the famous Albert Einstein equation.

Now that you know the maximum amount of energy you can acquire from matter, it's time to estimate how much of it you need for intergalactic travel. Appropriate formulas are derived from conservation of momentum and energy principles. For the relativistic case:

M = m * (exp(a*T/c) - 1),

where exp(x) is an exponential function, and for classical case:

M = m*v / (2*c) + m*v / c.

Remember that it assumes 100% efficiency! One of the promising future spaceships sources of power is the fusion of hydrogen into helium which provides energy of 0.008 mc. As you can see, in this reaction, efficiency equals only 0.8%.

Let's check whether fuel mass amount is reasonable for sending a mass of 1 kg to the nearest galaxy. With space travel calculator you can find out that, even with 100% efficiency, you would need 5,200 tons of fuel to send only 1 kilogram of your spaceship. That's a lot! So can humans travel at the speed of light? Right now it seems impossible, but technology is still developing. For example, photonic laser thruster is a good candidate since it doesn't require any matter to work, only photons. Infinite and beyond is actually within our reach!

The rest is here:

Space Travel Calculator | Relativistic Rocket Equation

You will know more about space travel after reading and understanding this part of the journey. Since the early part of the 20th century and even before scientists have been trying to discover how space travel would be possible.In the late 20th century after much research and testing, space travel has become a reality.Year after yearthrough advances in technology humans are making major advances in space travel.

How we get to anywhere we can possibly get to in space is by specially built rockets, using rocket power. There are many different things that are sent into space by rockets. We send people into space on these speciality rockets thesepeople that train all their lives for this are called Astronauts or Cosmonauts, but we can only send people so far into space before their lives come into danger.

So before space rockets were ever invented, we needed to understand how space travel could work and how people could spend periods of time in space without it becoming dangerous.

We needed to put a lot of time, effort and energy into educating people to create and use telescopes to firstly explore the skies from Earth before we would get to the point where we coulduse rockets to take people into space to further explore, even if we have up until now reached only a small distance of space outside of Earth compared to the size of the universe.

We will go into more detail ina different section about space travelon telescopes and how telescopes were invented to aid space exploration, however let usdelve further into the endless possibilities of space travel.

It is very difficult to explain all the concepts of space travel without being an expert on space, so that is why the people in space agencies like NASA (National Aeronautics and Space Administration) spend their entire work lives figuring things like this out. So, rather than getting you all tangled up with this, let ussimply explain space travel.

This is generally how space travel works, it is way more complicated than how its explained simply here on this website. You should however get an understanding of the concepts of space travel as we know it now.

Kids Fun Facts Corner

# 1. In order to understand if humans could travel and survive in space, scientists first sent animals.

# 2. The average journey time for a space shuttle to reach space from Earth is around 8 minutes.

# 3. Space starts at 62 miles above the Earth.

# 4. There is no sound in space because there is little to no air in space.

Q&A Corner

Q. When was space travel first thought of?

Q. What is the name of the thingattached to the rocket that breaks off after launch?

Q. What is the name of the thing attached to the shuttle that makes the space landing?

Q. What is the name of the agency inthe USAthat focuses on space travel?

Q. How far in miles is space from Earth?

Download questions aboutspace travelhere: space travel(answers are on this page)

For further reading and more information onspace travelvisit http://www.easyscienceforkids.com/space travel

If you like this post and article on space travel,check out article on howtelescopes work in space and what amazing things have been discovered in space be reading space telescope discoveries You can learn more about space telescopes at https://telescopicwatch.com/

Key VocabularyAstronauts. Cosmonauts. Telescopes. Rockets.

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Fun Space Travel Facts for Kids