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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Mark Rocket: Who is Mark Rocket? The Christchurch entrepreneur who just became the first New Zealander in space
ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT ADVERTISEMENT With a name like Rocket, it was only a matter of time. On Sunday, Christchurch aerospace entrepreneur Mark Rocket lived up to his name, becoming the first New Zealander to fly to 55-year-old soared aboard Virgin Galactic 's Galactic 07 mission, a suborbital flight launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico. As the spacecraft arced above Earth, reaching an altitude of about 88 kilometres, Rocket joined a rare group of civilians who have witnessed the planet from the edge of space and returned safely.'I've been dreaming of this for a long time,' Rocket said after the flight. 'It was surreal. The Earth looked incredible from up there.'Born Mark Stevens, he legally changed his name to Mark Rocket in 2003 to reflect his passion for space. He was an early investor and the first customer of Rocket Lab, New Zealand's prominent space launch company, although he is no longer co-founded Kea Aerospace , a Christchurch-based company developing solar-powered aircraft to collect high-altitude data. He is also the current president of the Aerospace New Zealand industry group, which supports the country's growing space sector.'This flight isn't just about me,' Rocket said. 'It's about inspiring others in Aotearoa to dream bigger, reach higher, and see space as part of our future.'The Virgin Galactic flight lasted around 90 minutes from takeoff to landing. Rocket was joined on board by passengers from the US, Ukraine, and Austria, as well as two Virgin Galactic crew spacecraft, VSS Unity , was carried into the sky by a mothership before being released to fire its rocket engine and soar into space. It was Unity's final flight, and it is now being retired after completing seven commercial said he had been training for the experience since 2022 and felt honored to represent New Zealand. 'The view, the weightlessness — it was all incredible,' he said. 'I feel extremely grateful.'Prime Minister Christopher Luxon congratulated Rocket, calling the flight 'a proud moment for New Zealand's science and technology sector.''It's only the beginning,' Rocket said. 'There's so much more we can achieve.'
Time of India
3 days ago
- Science
- Time of India
Who is Mark Rocket? The Christchurch entrepreneur who just became the first New Zealander in space
With a name like Rocket, it was only a matter of time. On Sunday, Christchurch aerospace entrepreneur Mark Rocket lived up to his name, becoming the first New Zealander to fly to space. The 55-year-old soared aboard Virgin Galactic 's Galactic 07 mission, a suborbital flight launched from Spaceport America in New Mexico. As the spacecraft arced above Earth, reaching an altitude of about 88 kilometres, Rocket joined a rare group of civilians who have witnessed the planet from the edge of space and returned safely. 'I've been dreaming of this for a long time,' Rocket said after the flight. 'It was surreal. The Earth looked incredible from up there.' Born Mark Stevens, he legally changed his name to Mark Rocket in 2003 to reflect his passion for space. He was an early investor and the first customer of Rocket Lab, New Zealand's prominent space launch company, although he is no longer involved. Rocket co-founded Kea Aerospace , a Christchurch-based company developing solar-powered aircraft to collect high-altitude data. He is also the current president of the Aerospace New Zealand industry group, which supports the country's growing space sector. Live Events 'This flight isn't just about me,' Rocket said. 'It's about inspiring others in Aotearoa to dream bigger, reach higher, and see space as part of our future.' The Virgin Galactic flight lasted around 90 minutes from takeoff to landing. Rocket was joined on board by passengers from the US, Ukraine, and Austria, as well as two Virgin Galactic crew members. The spacecraft, VSS Unity , was carried into the sky by a mothership before being released to fire its rocket engine and soar into space. It was Unity's final flight, and it is now being retired after completing seven commercial missions. Rocket said he had been training for the experience since 2022 and felt honored to represent New Zealand. 'The view, the weightlessness — it was all incredible,' he said. 'I feel extremely grateful.' Prime Minister Christopher Luxon congratulated Rocket, calling the flight 'a proud moment for New Zealand's science and technology sector.' 'It's only the beginning,' Rocket said. 'There's so much more we can achieve.'
The National
25-04-2025
- Health
- The National
UAE study on diabetes heads to space to unlock new treatments
A UAE-led medical study heading to space could help astronauts with insulin-dependent diabetes join future missions and lead to new technologies that make treating the condition easier and more effective on Earth. The research by Abu Dhabi's Burjeel Hospital and Houston-based Axiom Space will be carried out as part of the Axiom Mission 4, also known as Ax-4. It will be launched on a SpaceX rocket from a Florida spaceport, with a target launch date currently set for May 29. Ax-4 will include veteran Nasa astronaut Peggy Whitson, Shubhanshu Shukla, India's first astronaut since 1984, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski of Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary. Dr Mohammad Fityan, chief medical officer at Burjeel Medical City and clinical lead of the research, told The National that it is difficult to isolate the effects of gravity, muscle use and posture on glucose regulation, but Earth's orbit offers a unique advantage. 'In microgravity, changes in muscle mass, fluid distribution and circadian rhythm provide a new lens, through which we can study how glucose metabolism and insulin sensitivity are regulated,' he said. 'This can lead to insights that are not apparent under Earth conditions such as how quickly insulin resistance may develop without regular mechanical loading of muscles, or how hormonal and cellular responses adapt in the absence of gravity.' The astronauts will wear continuous glucose monitors, commonly used by people on Earth, during their 14-day mission to track their blood sugar levels in real time while in microgravity. They will follow a detailed schedule of tests before, during and after the mission to help researchers understand how well these monitors perform in orbit. It will also test to see how insulin behaves in space by studying the drug's exposure to microgravity and checking its strength and stability once it returns to Earth. 'These findings may help us uncover novel regulatory pathways or early biomarkers for insulin resistance, potentially leading to preventive interventions long before diabetes manifests,' said Dr Fityan. The research aims to make space more accessible for people suffering from the disease. Nasa currently does not consider patients with Type-1 diabetes eligible for spaceflight because of unpredictable blood sugar fluctuations and the challenges of administering insulin without immediate medical support. The study also builds on a breakthrough from Virgin's Galactic 07 mission in June, which proved that insulin pens can work properly in microgravity. Dr Fityan said the research could also lead to new technologies such as advanced glucose monitors designed for extreme environments, as well as artificial intelligence tools that can predict insulin needs with greater accuracy. It may also help develop medications that improve insulin sensitivity or mimic the effects of exercise, offering better treatment options for people with limited mobility. Figures from the International Diabetes Federation show that about 783 million people, or one in eight adults, will be living with diabetes by 2045, marking a 46 per cent increase. In the North America and Caribbean region, the number is expected to rise by 24 per cent, while in the Middle East and North African region, it is projected to increase by 87 per cent. 'The technologies and advances that could result from this project could also improve our ability to provide remote care for patients with diabetes and other health conditions on Earth,' said Dr Mike Harrison, chief medical officer at Axiom Space.
