ScientistPankaj: Blue Origin sets date for next crewed space trip, names 2 passengers

Monday, September 27, 2021

Blue Origin sets date for next crewed space trip, names 2 passengers

Created for ceo.studentlike.spuniv@blogger.com | Web Version

September 27, 2021

CONNECT WITH SPACE.COM

Something amazing every day.

The Launchpad

NASA will launch a new Earth-observing satellite today, here's how to watch

(Bill Ingalls/NASA)

NASA is gearing up to launch a new Earth-observing satellite and you can watch the action live online. Called Landsat 9, the satellite is a joint endeavor by NASA and the United States Geological Survey (USGS). The satellite is set to blast off today (Sept. 27) at 11:12 a.m. PDT (2:12 p.m. EDT; 1812 GMT) from Space Launch Complex 3 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California aboard a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V rocket.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

Spaceflight

Blue Origin sets date for next crewed space trip, names 2 passengers

(Blue Origin)

Blue Origin will send its second batch of space tourists on a suborbital flight on Tuesday, Oct. 12. The company has revealed two of the four crewmembers will be Chris Boshuizen, co-founder of Earth observation company Planet Labs, and Glen de Vries, vice chair for life sciences and healthcare at French software company Dassault Systèmes. The remaining two crewmembers will be announced in the coming days, Blue Origin said in a statement.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

William Shatner releases new album, may reach space with Blue Origin

Actor William Shatner, known in every corner of the galaxy as Captain James T. Kirk from "Star Trek," has a new album out — and he may be planning a trip to space. with Blue Origin, according to a report from TMZ. According to the entertainment news site, the 90-year-old actor is slated to join the second crew that goes up in the New Shepard, which would make him the oldest person ever to fly into space.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

Do space tourists really understand the risk they're taking?

Who makes sure space tourists get back safe? Space tourism industry representatives argue that stringent safety oversight would hamper the companies' ability to innovate.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

Science & Astronomy

Astronomers reveal strange clouds on 'fluffy' alien planet

(NASA)

The atmosphere of an alien planet called WASP-127b has been observed in greater detail than ever before, surprising scientists taking a close look at the exoplanet.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

Arctic sea ice hits its minimum extent for the year

As NASA scientists, we analyze the causes and consequences of sea ice change. In 2021, the Arctic’s sea ice cover reached its minimum extent on Sept. 16. While it wasn't a record low, a look back through the melt season offers some insight into the relentless decline of Arctic sea ice in the face of climate change.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

How neutron star collisions flooded Earth with gold and other precious metals

The universe is pretty good at smashing things together. All kinds of stuff collides — stars, black holes and ultradense objects called neutron stars. And when neutron stars do it, the collisions release a flood of elements necessary for life. Let's explore how astronomers used subtle ripples in the fabric of space-time to confirm that colliding neutron stars make life as we know it possible.

Full Story: Space (9/27)

SpaceX

SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket will launch internet satellite to serve Alaska in 2022

(Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

SpaceX's Falcon Heavy rocket just got another passenger. The powerful Falcon Heavy is now scheduled to loft Astranis' first commercial communications satellite to orbit next spring, Astranis representatives announced Thursday (Sept. 23). The satellite — which will beam internet service down to Alaskans from geostationary orbit, about 22,200 miles (35,730 kilometers) up — had previously been slated to ride atop a SpaceX Falcon 9.

Full Story: Space (9/25)

SpaceX's Starlink broadband satellites could be used for GPS navigation

SpaceX's Starlink satellites may be used for navigation and global positioning in addition to their core function of broadband Internet, a new research study suggests.

Full Story: Space (9/25)

Skywatching

Brilliant dashcam fireball videos help scientists find 3 meteorites in Slovenia

(Denis Vida et al.)

By diligently tracing dashcam footage from a particularly spectacular fireball seen over central Europe in February 2020, a team of scientists identified the possible source of the space rock. The fireball, which appeared on Feb. 28 and 10:30 a.m. local time, was recorded by a handful of cameras spread across Slovenia, Croatia, Italy, Austria and Hungary. And the footage appeared to show a space rock breaking into 17 smaller pieces during an airburst event, when an asteroid survives the harsh passage through Earth's atmosphere but explodes before hitting the planets' surface.

Full Story: Space (9/26)

Solar eclipse looks otherworldly in 'Golden Ring' astrophotography shot

An otherworldly photograph of a solar eclipse took top prize in this year's Astronomy Photographer of the Year competition. The highly sought-after award is given by the Royal Observatory Greenwich in England. The winning photographer, Shuchang Dong of China, captured the shot during an annular solar eclipse from the Ali region of Tibet on June 21, 2020. Titled, "The Golden Ring," the photograph looks like just that - a circle of light against a dark, moody sky.

Full Story: Space (9/26)

Entertainment

Best lightsaber fights: Epic duels from across the Star Wars universe

(Disney/Lucasfilm)

It's time to rank the best lightsaber fights from across the Star Wars universe. You won't find anything as random and clumsy as a blaster here, these are pure lightsaber battles.

Full Story: Space (9/27)