Category Archives: Space Travel

With several major celestial events left in 2022, now's a good time to up your skywatching game.

Whether you're looking for your first telescope or are looking to add to your arsenal of skywatching tools, we've got you covered with a great deal on a perfect beginner telescope package that's also well-suited for traveling or camping. This package will get you peering throughout the solar system in no time.

During Prime Day Early Access, the Celestron Travel Scope 70DX telescope is on sale for just $88.99 at Amazon (opens in new tab), a savings of 26%. Get this one while it lasts!

The Celestron Travel Scope 70DX comes with many features that make this entry-level travel telescope a worthwhile investment. From fully-coated glass optics to a capable 70mm lens, this telescope will have you in awe at the many celestial wonders throughout the cosmos.

The package includes two eyepieces (20mm and 10mm) to offer both high- and low-power views of space and even comes with a 2x Barlow lens for even more magnification, a moon filter for gazing at Earth's natural satellite, and a smartphone adapter for taking pictures of celestial objects. There's even an included Bluetooth remote for taking pictures so you don't have to disturb the telescope whenever you finally have a good picture lined up.

Best of all, the Celestron Travel Scope 70DX comes with a lightweight frame and a backpack to carry the entire ensemble in, making it ideal for kids or skywatchers who want a portable-but-powerful telescope for on-the-go adventures to dark sky areas.

The whole kit comes with a manual and free downloads for two stargazing apps: Celestron Sky Portal and Starry Night Basic Edition which we use here at Space.com for our skywatching channel illustrations!

Don't miss our best telescopes guide and best telescope deals to help you make your skywatching decisions. You can also check out more Amazon Prime Day Early Access deals (opens in new tab) to fit your needs during the event.

Be sure to also check out Space.com's Amazon Prime Day Space deals, or our guide to the best telescope deals.

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Celestron Travel Scope 70DX is an ideal beginner's telescope for just ...

Dylan Taylor is a global entrepreneur, investor and philanthropist who acts as the Chairman and CEO of Voyager Space Holdings and the founder of Space for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that seeks to democratize space exploration. He has also served as an active advocate and philanthropist in the space manufacturing industry and a strategic advisor for the Archmission and the Human Spaceflight Program while also acting as the co-founding patron of the Commercial Spaceflight Federation. He contributed this article to Space.com's Expert Voices: Opinions and Insights.

It's true that 2020 spawned a collective feeling of retreat coupled with a FOMO (fear of missing out) that inspires us to escape a chaotic world. For now, we have the silence of nature or an eventual trip abroad, but the future can provide a more adventurous escape: one to the stars.

The NewSpace industry has its sights set on space tourism, a growing market expected to be worth at least $3 billion by 2030. As companies like SpaceX test reusable rocket technology to make spaceflight more affordable and accessible for humans, other private firms, including Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin, are investing in suborbital space tourism to take Earthlings into the very edge of space and back. While only uber-wealthy passengers and private researchers will have access to space tourism in the immediate future, the long term holds promises for ordinary citizens.

The evolution of technology plays a vital role in sending more tourists to space and a few influential trends will determine the future of space tourism, along with the progress we make both on and off our home planet.

Related: Space tourists will face big risks, as private companies gear up for paid suborbital flights

Suborbital travel will likely be the space tourism subsector to materialize first, but it may also be the most short-lived. However, Blue Origin, backed by Jeff Bezos, is testing its New Shepard system that will launch customers to the edge of space in a capsule which separates from a small rocket and retreats back to Earth under parachutes. Richard Branson's company Virgin Galactic relies on a space plane, dropped from a carrier aircraft, with a rocket motor that speeds up and takes passengers high into the atmosphere.

Both companies' shuttle systems are designed to fly passengers over 50 miles above Earth's atmosphere, allowing customers to experience the feeling of weightlessness for a few minutes. Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo will launch its next human spaceflight test on Dec. 11 as Blue Origin eyes early 2021.

These brief spaceflights hold opportunities for tourism and scientific research and present unique experiences for space observation at varying trajectories and regulatory requirements. However, Axios reports concerns over declined public interest in suborbital tourism as a passing interest due to high costs and a short-lived ride. This may deflate the market as passengers await new developments in the field.

But there's some hope. Some experts look to commercial suborbital trips to take the place of long-distance air travel that can eventually cater to everyday citizens. SpaceX plans to use its Starship rocket to fly 100 people around the world in mere minutes. The company stated that a 15-hour flight to Shanghai from New York would be capable of flying in 39 minutes. According to UBS, if even only 5% of the average 150 million passengers that travel on 10 hour or longer flights pay $2,500 per trip, then returns could skyrocket to $20 billion per year in today's value.

A recent UBS report mentions, "Space tourism could be the stepping stone for the development of long-haul travel on earth serviced by space."

Related: Virgin Galactic wants to send people on superfast trips across Earth

Orbital tourism, which entails remaining in space for at least one full orbit, is another major focus of governmental agencies and private space companies, all of which have the long-term goal to inhabit the moon and Mars. Projects from Boeing, SpaceX and Axiom Space plan to start launching tourists to the International Space Station on commercial spacecraft beginning as early as this year. SpaceX is also partnering with Space Adventures to send four tourists to low Earth orbit for a few days in late 2021 or early 2022.

As more companies consider in-space tourism, orbital vacations are set to become a popular trend. Orbital vacationing infrastructure, including orbital and lunar-based hotels, is positioned to become lucrative as space infrastructure companies already hauled in a combined $3.6 billion so far this year.

Much of this infrastructure remains in preliminary stages, but the first approach may be to establish low-orbit hotels. One hotel design expects to send guests in a hydrogen-filled balloon with a pressurized capsule, utilizing Earth's gravity. Other options include designing or renovating an existing space station to accommodate guests. NASA, for instance, is opening up the International Space Station for commercial tourism. The Aurora Station, a planned luxury hotel that will host six guests for a $9.5 million, 12-day stay in low Earth orbit, will charge $9.5 million for the trip. It's pricey, but experts predict prices will fall like they did in the tech industry for computers and mobile phones.

A proposal for expandable space habitats may also serve as orbital hotels. Made of unique materials and easily stored at home, they are launched to space where they're inflated to true size. Bigelow Space invented the B330, a space habitat that enlarges to form a hotel or living area for humans in space. As demand increases, they are interconnected to other inflatable habitats to increase their size. Bigelow also plans to develop an attached inflated module to the International Space Station as one of the first hotels in space. In-space vacations will eventually be the gateway for moon and Mars habitation.

Private space companies are devotedly investing across space tourism and firms like UBS consider access to space an enabler to broader opportunities for investment.

More next-generation engineers will enter the space tourism sector for the scope of opportunities and innovation, eventually decreasing the barriers to entry that will increase competition, lower costs, and ultimately democratize space travel for everyday citizens.

Of course, there are crucial safety, comfort and health factors to consider. Training, medical screenings and liability waivers will need to be examined before tourists head to space.

Space tourism will be a small subsector of the industry, but it will bolster the entire NewSpace industry. Once space tourism does become mainstream, it will also positively impact many socioeconomic factors on Earth: creating jobs, educating citizens about space and fostering a new solar-based energy infrastructure. The sweet escape to the stars can eventually awaken us to the awe-inspiring potential of space exploration while also giving us a better appreciation of home.

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The future of space tourism: op-ed | Space

The wormhole theory postulates that a theoretical passage through space-time could create shortcuts for long journeys across the universe. Wormholes are predicted by the theory of general relativity. But be wary: wormholes bring with them the dangers of sudden collapse, high radiation and dangerous contact with exotic matter.

Wormholes were first theorized in 1916, though that wasn't what they were called at the time. While reviewing another physicist's solution to the equations in Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity, Austrian physicist Ludwig Flamm realized another solution was possible. He described a "white hole," a theoretical time reversal of a black hole. Entrances to both black and white holes could be connected by a space-time conduit.

In 1935, Einstein and physicist Nathan Rosen used the theory of general relativity to elaborate on the idea, proposing the existence of "bridges" through space-time. These bridges connect two different points in space-time, theoretically creating a shortcut that could reduce travel time and distance. The shortcuts came to be called Einstein-Rosen bridges, or wormholes.

"The whole thing is very hypothetical at this point," said Stephen Hsu, a professor of theoretical physics at the University of Oregon, told our sister site, LiveScience (opens in new tab). "No one thinks we're going to find a wormhole anytime soon."

Wormholes contain two mouths, with a throat connecting the two, according to an article published in the Journal of High Energy Physics (opens in new tab) (2020). The mouths would most likely be spheroidal. The throat might be a straight stretch, but it could also wind around, taking a longer path than a more conventional route might require.

Einstein's theory of general relativity mathematically predicts the existence of wormholes, but none have been discovered to date. A negative mass wormhole might be spotted by the way its gravity affects light that passes by.

Certain solutions of general relativity allow for the existence of wormholes where the mouth of each is a black hole. However, a naturally occurring black hole, formed by the collapse of a dying star, does not by itself create a wormhole.

Science fiction is filled with tales of traveling through wormholes (opens in new tab). But the reality of such travel is more complicated, and not just because we've yet to spot one.

The first problem is size. Primordial wormholes are predicted to exist on microscopic levels, about 1033 centimeters. However, as the universe expands, it is possible that some may have been stretched to larger sizes.

Another problem comes from stability. The predicted Einstein-Rosen wormholes would be useless for travel because they collapse quickly.

"You would need some very exotic type of matter in order to stabilize a wormhole," said Hsu, "and it's not clear whether such matter exists in the universe."

But more recent research found that a wormhole containing "exotic" matter could stay open and unchanging for longer periods of time.

Exotic matter, which should not be confused with dark matter or antimatter, contains negative energy density and a large negative pressure. Such matter has only been seen in the behavior of certain vacuum states as part of quantum field theory.

If a wormhole contained sufficient exotic matter, whether naturally occurring or artificially added, it could theoretically be used as a method of sending information or travelers through space, according Live Science (opens in new tab). Unfortunately, human journeys through the space tunnels may be challenging.

"The jury is not in, so we just don't know," physicist Kip Thorne, one of the world's leading authorities on relativity, black holes and wormholes, told Space.com. "But there are very strong indications that wormholes that a human could travel through are forbidden by the laws of physics. That's sad, that's unfortunate, but that's the direction in which things are pointing."

Wormholes may not only connect two separate regions within the universe, they could also connect two different universes. Similarly, some scientists have conjectured that if one mouth of a wormhole is moved in a specific manner, it could allow for time travel.

"You can go into the future or into the past using traversable wormholes," astrophysicist Eric Davis told LiveScience (opens in new tab). But it won't be easy: "It would take a Herculean effort to turn a wormhole into a time machine. It's going to be tough enough to pull off a wormhole."

However, British cosmologist Stephen Hawking has argued that such use is not possible.

"A wormhole is not really a means of going back in time, it's a short cut, so that something that was far away is much closer," according to NASA's Eric Christian (opens in new tab).

Although adding exotic matter to a wormhole might stabilize it to the point that human passengers could travel safely through it, there is still the possibility that the addition of "regular" matter would be sufficient to destabilize the portal.

Today's technology is insufficient to enlarge or stabilize wormholes, even if they could be found. However, scientists continue to explore the concept as a method of space travel with the hope that technology will eventually be able to utilize them.

"You would need some of super-super-advanced technology," Hsu said. "Humans won't be doing this any time in the near future."

Which of Albert Einsteins theories proved correct? Read NASA's article about 10 things Einstein got right (opens in new tab) to find out. To see an artist's impression of a wormhole, watch this short clip from ESA's movie "15 Years of Discovery (opens in new tab)".

"Phantom energy traversable wormholes". Physical Review D (2005). https://journals.aps.org/prd/abstract/10.1103/PhysRevD.71.084011 (opens in new tab)

"Wormholes in spacetime and their use for interstellar travel". American Journal of Physics (1987). https://aapt.scitation.org/doi/abs/10.1119/1.15620 (opens in new tab)

"The General Theory of Relativity". The Meaning of Relativity (1922). https://link.springer.com/chapter/10 (opens in new tab)

"Multi-mouth Traversable Wormholes". Journal of High Energy Physics (2020) https://www.researchgate.net/publication/347125665_Multi-mouth_Traversable_Wormholes (opens in new tab)

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What Is Wormhole Theory? | Space

Since the first human spaceflight by the Soviet Union, citizens of 44 countries have flown in space. For each nationality, the launch date of the first mission is listed. The list is based on the nationality of the person at the time of the launch. Only 4 of the 44 "first flyers" have been women (Helen Sharman for the United Kingdom in 1991, Anousheh Ansari for Iran in 2006, Yi So-yeon for South Korea in 2008, and Sara Sabry for Egypt in 2022). Only three nations (Soviet Union/Russia, U.S., China) have launched their own crewed spacecraft, with the Soviets/Russians and the American programs providing rides to other nations' astronauts. Twenty-seven "first flights" occurred on Soviet or Russian flights while the United States carried sixteen.

Note: All dates given are UTC. Countries indicated in bold have achieved independent human spaceflight capability.

The above list uses the nationality at the time of launch. Lists with differing criteria might include the following people:

The Soviet Union's Yuri Gagarin, the first person in space (1961)

Alan Shepard from the United States of America, the second nation to send a person into space (1961)

Mirosaw Hermaszewski of Poland, the first Polish national in space (1978)

Sigmund Jhn of East Germany, the first German in space (1978)

Helen Sharman, the first person from the United Kingdom in space (1991)

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Timeline of space travel by nationality - Wikipedia

Space travel is all extremes. The prices are highthe cheapest trips cost as much as the average home in the United Statesand the minutes spent floating weightlessly, gaping at Earths thin blue line, can be few. But more and more people are venturing into space, and the business is booming.

Three space baronsJeff Bezos, Richard Branson, and Elon Muskare at the fore of the space travel industry. So far, their passengers represent a narrow slice of humanity: celebrities like Star Treks William Shatner or uber-rich businesspeople like Jared Isaacman, who made his fortune on a payment-processing firm he started as a teenager. The days of sipping electric-blue cocktails on sleek space stations arent here for the masses just yet, but for those with the dream (and cash) for a jaunt to the nearest reaches of space, look to these companies.

Bezos founded Blue Origin in 2000 with the intention of making space travel cheaper, more accessible, and frequent.

Prep: Two days of training include touring the New Shepard rocket, experiencing launch simulations, and learning to conduct oneself in zero gravity (no re-enacting scenes from The Matrix).

Price: Bezos has kept the cost for rides under wraps. In an auction for its first crewed flight in July 2021, the winning bid was $28 million for a single rider.

Founded in 2000 by Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Blue Origin launches travelers on 11-minute excursions. Previous passengers include William Shatner, who was profoundly moved by the experience and marveled at the tenuous boundary between Earth and space. This air which is keeping us alive is thinner than your skin, he told Bezos. It would be so important for everybody to have that experience.

The reusable New Shepard rocket takes travelers 62 miles above Earth. Thats just above the Krmn linea theoretical boundary considered the start of space by the leading international aeronautical organization, the Fdertion Aronautique Internationale, since the atmosphere there is too thin to support airplanes.

At the peak of the flight, passengers enjoy a few minutes of floating weightlessly while peering out their own windows (nearly 43 by 29 inches, the biggest on the market) before the capsule glides back down to the desert.

Virgin Galactic is considered to be one of the front runners in the space race after it flew one of its space planes in the outer atmosphere in 2018.

Photo by Mark Greenberg/Virgin Galactic

Prep: A year of preparation culminates in several days of bonding and collaborating as a passenger team to create a group that is fully equipped to enjoy themselves during spaceflight. Passengers are also fitted for bespoke Under Armour space suits and boots.

Price: $450,000

British entrepreneur Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic offers an experience on its SpaceShipTwo suborbital spaceplane, which can function in Earths atmosphere and outer space. As with any flight, the journey starts on a runway. The spaceplane piggybacks on another plane to 50,000 feet before the rocket ignites and the craft ascends.

The 90-minute flight peaks at 53 miles: well below the Krmn line, but past the 50-mile-mark that NASA and the Federal Aviation Administration consider the start of space. (Initially, the SpaceShipTwo was intended to fly above the 62-mile-mark, but trouble with the motor design resulted in a model that isnt powerful enough to go that high.) Passengers enjoy four weightless minutes before re-entering the lower atmosphere and gliding back down the runway.

Virgin Galactic highlights the overview effect as a perk of its cosmic services: the cognitive transformation often sparked by viewing Earth against the void of space. Many astronauts report intense emotion as the unique perspective reveals the fragility and connectedness of life on Earth. In 2019, Beth Moses, Virgin Galactics Chief Astronaut Officer, became the first woman to fly to space on a commercial vehicle. In July 2021, she made a second trip aboard the same vessel.

In 2021, SpaceX flew the space tourism industrys first all-civilian crew into space.

Prep: To prepare for a three-day trip in orbit, one crew underwent six months of centrifuge spins and fighter jet flights, launch and re-entry rehearsals, and even climbed snowy Mount Rainier for team bonding.

Price: A reported $55 million

Led by tech magnate Elon Musk, SpaceX boasts the only tours into orbit. And they are much more exclusive. As of July 2022, only eight civilianslucky individuals, wealthy businesspeople, and a retired astronaut among themhave orbited Earth with SpaceX, circling the planet every 90 minutes. For these tours, the company uses the same rocket, Falcon 9, and gumdrop-shaped spacecraft, the Dragon, to shuttle NASA astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS). Astronauts have said SpaceXs ride brings longer, rougher g-forces, with the rocket thrusting about 4.5 times Earths gravity onto passengers.

The company has sent civilians on a three-day spin around Earth, while a handful of business executives had a two-week stay on the International Space Station (the latter trip was chartered by the company Axiom Space). In 2023, SpaceX will send Japanese billionaire Yusaku Maezawa on a trip around the moon.

On their orbiting stint in the 13-foot-wide Dragon, 357 miles above Earth, a four-person crew shared a toilet, took no showers, and slept buckled into the same seats they rode during launch. They ate cold meals of pizza, sandwiches, and bolognese. On the ISS trip, three civilians and their captaina former astronautate NASAs freeze-dried meals. During their stay, which was extended due to bad weather for landing, the crew performed a variety of science experiments, like a regenerative medicine study for the Mayo Clinic on cardiac cells. Both journeys ended with a splash into the Atlantic Ocean.

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These 3 Companies Are the Future of Space Tourism - AFAR Media

In this exclusive excerpt from William Shatners new book, Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, the Star Trek actor reflects on his voyage into space on Jeff Bezos Blue Origin space shuttle on Oct. 13, 2021. Then 90 years old, Shatner became the oldest living person to travel into space, but as the actor and author details below, he was surprised by his own reaction to the experience.

So, I went to space.

Our group, consisting of me, tech mogul Glen de Vries, Blue Origin Vice President and former NASA International Space Station flight controller Audrey Powers, and former NASA engineer Dr. Chris Boshuizen, had done various simulations and training courses to prepare, but you can only prepare so much for a trip out of Earths atmosphere! As if sensing that feeling in our group, the ground crew kept reassuring us along the way. Everythings going to be fine. Dont worry about anything. Its all okay. Sure, easy for them to say, I thought. They get to stay here on the ground.

During our preparation, we had gone up eleven flights of the gantry to see what it would be like when the rocket was there. We were then escorted to a thick cement room with oxygen tanks. Whats this room for? I asked casually.

Oh, you guys will rush in here if the rocket explodes, a Blue Origin fellow responded just as casually.

Uh-huh. A safe room. Eleven stories up. In case the rocket explodes.

Well, at least theyve thought of it.

When the day finally arrived, I couldnt get the Hindenburg out of my head. Not enough to cancel, of courseI hold myself to be a professional, and I was booked. The show had to go on.

We got ourselves situated inside the pod. You have to strap yourself in in a specific order. In the simulator, I didnt nail it every time, so as I sat there, waiting to take off, the importance of navigating weightlessness to get back and strap into the seat correctly was at the forefront of my mind.

That, and the Hindenburg crash.

Then there was a delay.

Sorry, folks, theres a slight anomaly in the engine. Itll just be a few moments.

An anomaly in the engine?! That sounds kinda serious, doesnt it?

An anomaly is something that does not belong. What is currently in the engine that doesnt belong there?!

More importantly, why would they tell us that? There is a time for unvarnished honesty. I get that. This wasnt it.

Apparently, the anomaly wasnt too concerning, because thirty seconds later, we were cleared for launch and the countdown began. With all the attending noise, fire, and fury, we lifted off. I could see Earth disappearing. As we ascended, I was at once aware of pressure. Gravitational forces pulling at me. The gs. There was an instrument that told us how many gs we were experiencing. At two gs, I tried to raise my arm, and could barely do so. At three gs, I felt my face being pushed down into my seat. I dont know how much more of this I can take, I thought. Will I pass out? Will my face melt into a pile of mush? How many gs can my ninety-year-old body handle?

And then, suddenly, relief. No gs. Zero. Weightlessness. We were floating.

We got out of our harnesses and began to float around. The other folks went straight into somersaults and enjoying all the effects of weightlessness. I wanted no part in that. I wanted, needed to get to the window as quickly as possible to see what was out there.

I looked down and I could see the hole that our spaceship had punched in the thin, blue-tinged layer of oxygen around Earth. It was as if there was a wake trailing behind where we had just been, and just as soon as Id noticed it, it disappeared.

I continued my self-guided tour and turned my head to face the other direction, to stare into space. I love the mystery of the universe. I love all the questions that have come to us over thousands of years of exploration and hypotheses. Stars exploding years ago, their light traveling to us years later; black holes absorbing energy; satellites showing us entire galaxies in areas thought to be devoid of matter entirely all of that has thrilled me for years but when I looked in the opposite direction, into space, there was no mystery, no majestic awe to behold . . . all I saw was death.

I saw a cold, dark, black emptiness. It was unlike any blackness you can see or feel on Earth. It was deep, enveloping, all-encompassing. I turned back toward the light of home. I could see the curvature of Earth, the beige of the desert, the white of the clouds and the blue of the sky. It was life. Nurturing, sustaining, life. Mother Earth. Gaia. And I was leaving her.

Everything I had thought was wrong. Everything I had expected to see was wrong.

I had thought that going into space would be the ultimate catharsis of that connection I had been looking for between all living thingsthat being up there would be the next beautiful step to understanding the harmony of the universe. In the film Contact, when Jodie Fosters character goes to space and looks out into the heavens, she lets out an astonished whisper, They shouldve sent a poet. I had a different experience, because I discovered that the beauty isnt out there, its down here, with all of us. Leaving that behind made my connection to our tiny planet even more profound.

It was among the strongest feelings of grief I have ever encountered. The contrast between the vicious coldness of space and the warm nurturing of Earth below filled me with overwhelming sadness. Every day, we are confronted with the knowledge of further destruction of Earth at our hands: the extinction of animal species, of flora and fauna . . . things that took five billion years to evolve, and suddenly we will never see them again because of the interference of mankind. It filled me with dread. My trip to space was supposed to be a celebration; instead, it felt like a funeral.

I learned later that I was not alone in this feeling. It is called the Overview Effect and is not uncommon among astronauts, including Yuri Gagarin, Michael Collins, Sally Ride, and many others. Essentially, when someone travels to space and views Earth from orbit, a sense of the planets fragility takes hold in an ineffable, instinctive manner. Author Frank White first coined the term in 1987: There are no borders or boundaries on our planet except those that we create in our minds or through human behaviors. All the ideas and concepts that divide us when we are on the surface begin to fade from orbit and the moon. The result is a shift in worldview, and in identity.

It can change the way we look at the planet but also other things like countries, ethnicities, religions; it can prompt an instant reevaluation of our shared harmony and a shift in focus to all the wonderful things we have in common instead of what makes us different. It reinforced tenfold my own view on the power of our beautiful, mysterious collective human entanglement, and eventually, it returned a feeling of hope to my heart. In this insignificance we share, we have one gift that other species perhaps do not: we are awarenot only of our insignificance, but the grandeur around us that makes us insignificant. That allows us perhaps a chance to rededicate ourselves to our planet, to each other, to life and love all around us. If we seize that chance.

Boldly Go: Reflections on a Life of Awe and Wonder, co-authored by Josh Brandon,was published by Atria Books on Oct. 4, 2022.

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William Shatner: My Trip to Space Filled Me With Overwhelming Sadness (EXCLUSIVE) - Variety

Scott Kelly, a former NASA astronaut and retired United States Navy Captain, speaks from the stage to the near-capacity crowd during a public lecture and discussion event held in Shannon Hall inside the Memorial Union at the University of WisconsinMadison on Oct. 4. Colton Mansavage

One hundred forty-three million miles, 520 days and four flights thats what it took for NASAs Scott Kelly to set a new record in 2016 for most days spent in space by an American astronaut during his final flight when he spent a year on the International Space Station.

Kelly has since retired from NASA, and these days he travels more modest distances, crisscrossing the country to inspire young scientists.

Kelly detailed his life story and his year in space for a University of WisconsinMadison audience recently as a part of the Wisconsin Union Directorates Distinguished Lecture Series.

If we can dream it, we can do it, Kelly said to a packed house at Memorial Union. The sky is definitely not the limit.

Kelly answered questions from audience members, including Rachel Rauth, a fifth year kinesiology student, during a the lecture. Colton Mansavage

Despite his many honorable distinctions as a U.S. Navy pilot and astronaut, Kelly stressed that his life has not been a nonstop success story. He spoke candidly about his academic struggles growing up and the substantial effort he put into his naval flight training. Kelly described his mindset going into every new opportunity, knowing the possibility of failure. Without that perspective, he shared, he would never have gone to space, much less broken spaceflight records. Reflecting on his own determination to persevere through uncomfortable challenges, Kelly encouraged the audience to take risks, be willing to make mistakes and even be willing to fail. In his experience, the willingness to risk failure is what distinguish those who are truly successful.

Kelly meets with a group of student reporters following the lecture. Colton Mansavage

Extended time in zero-gravity has drastic effects on the body, and indeed, enduring prolonged exposure to microgravity and the radiation of space was a central component of Kellys mission. He was specifically chosen because his twin brother Mark also worked at NASA. As twins, Mark and Scott have nearly identical genetics, so when Scott went up to space, Mark stayed behind and acted as a control to see exactly how the year in space affected Scott. By comparing the two brothers, scientists sought to learn how the body changes after prolonged space travel, in preparation for one day sending astronauts to Mars.

The genetic results were quite surprising. Normally as humans age, the ends of their chromosomes, called telomeres, shrink. Scientists hypothesized that given his lengthy stay on the International Space Station, Scotts telomeres would shorten more compared to Marks.

Despite predictions, Scotts telomeres elongated by an average of 14.5%. However, the telomeres reverted to shorter lengths almost immediately after he returned to earth. NASA researchers are still seeking an explanation for this surprise finding. Additionally, Kelly noted that 7% of my gene expression changed.

The effects on his overall physical condition were also profound, if less surprising. It was really hard to just stand up. My joints and muscles were really stiff, he said. You know, had I not been in space for a year, I probably would have gone to the emergency room. Thats how bad I felt. I was nauseous. I was tired. I was dizzy.

A lot more work has to be done before humans embark for Mars, but Kelly has paved the way for this research to continue.

While he takes pride in doing his part to send humans to a new planet, Kelly made a point to emphasize the need for environmentalism on Earth.

We have to take care of this planet. Im a big believer in going to Mars, but I hate to tell you, were not all walking to Mars, and Mars is not the lifeboat for planet Earth, Kelly said. No matter how bad we screw this place up. Its always gonna be easier to live here.

A new perspective on his home planet may be the most profound, lasting impact of his mission.

When you look at planet earth from space, you dont see political borders, and you realize its not that big of a planet, Kelly said. Were all in this thing called humanity together and big problems take cooperation to solve.

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NASA Astronaut Scott Kelly speaks at UW on his Year in Space - University of Wisconsin-Madison

In Mootoa's Moons: The Other Woman, a bright and healthy love story in space was realized with enthralling romantic twists that specifically highlighted gender norms and LGBTQ issues.

The book is a space opera about the Mootoa, a planet far away in another star system where non-humans led more prosperous lives. Three comparable engines were in high demand as soon as Earth learned of interstellar travel to distant stars. The crew of the spaceship Lorili inexplicably perished. One of them was the captain's wife, Jacob Grimm, also known as Jake.

The quest of Captain Jake and Lorili to find new engines and an engineer in Mootoa, the only location where they could be found, was then followed in Mootoa's Moons: The Other Woman.Evidently, the Earthmen knew very little about Mootoa. More importantly, the people of Mootoa didn't think that Earthmen could handle the responsibilities of running a spaceship, especially with a male human as the captain. As Captain Jake worked to establish his credentials, he was also confronted by a fresh engineer from Mootoa who wanted to join his crew, get his favor, and have her life become intertwined with his as they continued their adventure through space and in love.

Readers seeking interstellar romance and adventure with fascinating mechanical insights are advised to pick up this book. Readers looking for LGBTQ romance will find this to be an interesting read as well.

Buy the book at: https://youronlinepublicist.com/product/mootahs-moon-the-other-woman-by-susan-quilleash/

Mootoa's Moon: The Other WomanAuthor: Susan QuilleashPublisher: Your Online PublicistPublished Date: April 2022Book Genre: Science Fiction, Romance

About the AuthorSusan Quilleash, a retired army sergeant living in Colorado Springs, when not writing spends her time in volunteer work for her church and the local GLBT community. Also retired from 19 years in the public schools as a high school math teacher and substitute. She has lived and worked on four continents. A boy until she grew up to be a woman, she has worked as a cowboy, cook, soldier, carpenter, teacher, politician, and writer.

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In Her Work, Susan Quilleash Examines the Intriguing Facets of Space Travel, Extraterrestrial Life, and L - Benzinga

TUSTIN, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) (Virgin Galactic or the Company), an aerospace and space travel company announced today that it will report its financial results for the third quarter 2022 following the close of the U.S. markets on Thursday, November 03, 2022. Virgin Galactic will host a conference call to discuss the results that day at 2:00 p.m. Pacific Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time).

A live webcast and replay of the conference call will be available on the Companys Investor Relations website at investors.virgingalactic.com.

About Virgin Galactic Holdings

Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. is an aerospace and space travel company, pioneering human spaceflight for private individuals and researchers with its advanced air and space vehicles. It is developing a spaceflight system designed to connect the world to the wonder and awe created by space travel and to offer customers a transformative experience. You can find more information at https://www.virgingalactic.com/

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Virgin Galactic - Virgin Galactic Announces Date of Third Quarter Fiscal Year 2022 Financial Results and Conference Call - Virgin Galactic - Investor...

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Space Technologies states that psychedelics could be useful to treat astronauts who have spent long durations in space. Entitled A long trip into the universe: Psychedelics and space travel, researchers believe that due to the known physiological and psychological effects that astronauts experience while above our atmosphere, psychedelics could be beneficial.

According to Back of the Yards Algae Sciences Founder Dr. Leonard Lerer, and Chief Innovation Officer Jeet Varia, psychedelics could very well be useful to our astronauts now, as well as those of the future who may be sent on long-distance space travel missions.

We propose a role for psychedelics (psychoactive fungal, plant, and animal molecules that cause alterations in perception, mood, behavior, and consciousness) and in particular psychedelic mushrooms to facilitate extended sojourns in space, wrote Lerer. Psychedelics research is in the midst of a renaissance and psychedelics are being explored not only for their therapeutic potential in psychiatry but also for their ability to promote neuroplasticity, modulate the immune system and reduce inflammation.

The study is one of many to identify the burden and harms of long-term exposure to living in space. According to its authors, there will come a day when we must seek outside of our solar system for resources, and with the rise of both publicly and privately funded space initiatives, and when long-distance space travel becomes a reality, the next frontier in space travel is ensuring the health and wellbeing of astronauts on long-duration space missions.

Researchers state that maintaining wellness in space is difficult, and NASA notes at least 30 health risks to humans through its Human Research Program. Space station astronauts have suffered transient, reactive psychological distress causing sometimes critical lapses in attention, sleep disorders, emotional lability, psychosomatic symptoms, irritability towards fellow crew members and mission control staff, a decline in vigor and motivation, and possibly increased risk of anxiety, depression and psychosis, psychosomatic symptoms, emotional problems, and post-mission personality changes.

However, researchers of this study argue that psychedelics could be a useful treatment toward some of these symptoms. Given the psychological pressures of long-duration space travel at an individual and group level, it is useful to consider the potential positive, adaptive effects of the psychedelic experience that include enriched states of consciousness, enhanced cognitive flexibility, heightened creativity, enhanced ability to attribute meaning and value, empathy, enhanced insightfulness, and self-awareness.

They add that in some cases, astronauts who have returned from space report experiencing transcendental experiences, religious insights, or a sense of unity with humankind to some extent attributed to viewing the Earth below and the cosmos beyondwhich is not unlike how some people might describe their psychedelic experiences. They even go so far as to suggest that using psychedelics could prepare space travelers to meet other forms of life, if they exist.

Researchers conclude that studies on psychedelics are in the early stages of development, but the benefits shouldnt be overlooked. While there is no empirical evidence to support the application of psychedelics in space exploration, we should be aware that our species has a longstanding history of using psychedelics to explore the fluid interface between ourinner space(including our consciousness) and the universe orouter space, the authors concluded.

In April, High Times wrote about former International Space Station astronaut Chris Hadfield, who joined the board of BioHarvest Sciences, a biotech firm involved in medical cannabis, and the company CEO, IlanSobel, in an interview with Futurism. We see the potential ability for valuable minor cannabinoids to be grown at significantly higher quantities compared to its growth on Earth, Sobel said.

For Hadfield, he says he joined BioHarvest Sciences because of the the scalability of the biotech platform, and how it can solve a lot of the agricultural problems we face in feeding 10 billion people. In reference to cannabinoids, those are just one of the things we grow, although its still a long ways out.

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New Theory Believes Psychedelics Could Benefit Long-Term Space Travelers - High Times