Latest news with #InternationalSpaceStation
Business Insider
5 hours ago
- Science
- Business Insider
I spent 337 days in space working at NASA and left for a desk job. I don't regret giving up astronaut life.
This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Marshburn, a 64-year-old former NASA astronaut who is now a VP at Sierra Space. The following has been edited for length and clarity. I've spent a total of 337 days in space. During that time, I completed five spacewalks. Stepping out of the hatch, there was just this wide universe ahead of me and Earth 250 miles below. The spacewalks were daunting — some would say terrifying — but I felt privileged to be able to do them. While they were a great experience, I'm more than OK with not doing them anymore. These days, I work a desk job in the private sector instead. Are you someone who made an unconventional career move? If you're comfortable discussing it with a reporter, please fill out this quick form. We want to hear from people who have stepped in or out of corporate life in nontraditional ways. Becoming an astronaut I fell in love with space in high school. I majored in physics at college, and got a graduate degree in engineering. I dreamed of working with NASA building spaceships. After completing a college thesis in biomedical engineering, I realized my strengths were more rooted in the medical world. I trained in emergency medicine and practiced for about 10 years. During that time, NASA was accepting applicants from outside physicians for flight surgeon roles, whose jobs would be to take care of astronauts. The NASA selection process varies depending on the role and the makeup of the corps. In my view, they look for people with technical expertise in something, a wide skill set, and the ability to communicate well on technical and non-technical topics. NASA is also interested in how candidates have pushed themselves outside of work and the calculated risks they've taken. When I applied in 1994, I looked at what accepted astronauts had done, made a list of what resonated, and started checking off the boxes. That's how I did it — but there's not one way to become an astronaut. I joined NASA in 1994. During that time, I spent three months learning Russian before heading to Star City, the cosmonaut training center outside Moscow. There are events in training, particularly in Russia, where there was absolute exhaustion, both physical and mental. I've never been as hyperthermic or hypothermic as I was in Russia for both winter survival and summer water survival training. At one point, during water survival training, I had a core body temperature of 104°F. Another challenge was being away from my family. My wife and I have one daughter. We communicated every day that we could, even if I was exhausted, they were tired, or we just didn't feel like it. We did it anyway, because then you get used to it and it becomes a habit. I spent the next decade as a flight surgeon. I supported one crew, then various crews, before supporting NASA's entire medical program for the International Space Station. I was selected to become an astronaut in 2004 and spent 18 years in the NASA Astronaut Corps. An emergency spacewalk taught me about preparation My first flight was in 2009 — a 15-day space shuttle mission to the International Space Station, or ISS. At the launchpad, there's a huge sense of excitement. At your first launch, there's some trepidation. It's like you're about to take the biggest final exam of your life. Typically, you don't get a lot of sleep, but there's a lot of laughter and anticipation. On that mission, I did three spacewalks. My second flight was in late 2012. I flew to the ISS aboard a Russian Soyuz. I had no spacewalks planned, but about three days before I was set to come back, in May 2013, there was an emergency — a leak of ammonia coolant. If you lose the coolant, the power system can overheat, and then you have to shut it down, which is a really big deal. Preparing for a spacewalk typically takes nine weeks, and we had a matter of hours. It taught me that preparation matters. Mission control had the plan. We just followed their lead, step by step. It was one of the best examples of teamwork I've ever had the privilege of being a part of. All the years of training and experience meant we were prepared and had the confidence to handle that situation. Transition to the private sector From 2021 to 2022, I was part of the SpaceX Crew-3 mission for about six months. It was my final mission, and the first for my crewmate, Kayla Barron. Once it was over, I knew I was ready to leave the astronaut corps. I was in my sixties. There were a lot of new, good people who needed to fly, and I didn't want to take their spots. In 2022, I entered the private sector when an opportunity at Sierra Space came up. I wanted to do work that would allow others to fly into space. The company has invested a lot of money in transportation to and from space and platforms for living in space. I enjoy the variety in my work days. I'm involved in business development and human-factor requirements, which help ensure that a space vehicle for humans keeps them safe and able to do their job without injury or undue physiological stress. This job is a little more sedate in the sense that I'm usually at a desk. I miss some of the more physical aspects of being an astronaut, but it did take its toll on me. I'm OK with being able to figure out what my body can endure on my own, rather than being told I'm going to spend three nights in freezing conditions in the Russian Siberian Outback. Any regret about no longer being an astronaut is extremely momentary. It's a fleeting feeling when I see my former colleagues and hear what they're up to. I've been able to bring a lot of lessons from NASA to my current role: leadership, team building, and the technical parts of humans in space. A desk job at Sierra Space is the right place at the right time for me.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Micron Launches First Space-Ready Memory Chip To Power AI Missions In Orbit
Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) announced on Tuesday that it has launched a high-density, radiation-tolerant SLC NAND chip, marking its first space-qualified memory product and expanding its footprint in the booming space economy. This 256-gigabit die—engineered for harsh orbital conditions—is now available and positions Micron as the first major memory manufacturer to offer such a solution. Driven by rising demand for AI-enabled edge computing in orbit, Micron targets next-gen aerospace missions with technology enabling autonomous data processing aboard new NAND chip supports AI use cases like anomaly detection and real-time decision-making without relying on Earth-based infrastructure. Micron put the chip through rigorous testing that was aligned with NASA and military standards for radiation exposure, temperature extremes, shock, and vacuum pressure to ensure reliability. These include total ionizing dose (TID) and single event effects (SEE) characterizations, ensuring mission-critical durability. While this marks Micron's first officially space-qualified product, its memory is already in orbit powering NASA's EMIT instrument aboard the International Space Station. In Mercury Systems' solid-state data recorders, Micron's flash memory has supported the capture of massive spectral datasets used in Earth and climate science. As the only U.S.-based memory manufacturer, Micron offers complete supply chain control, a critical advantage for aerospace and defense clients. The company is also investing in its Manassas, Virginia, facility to expand production of NOR, SLC NAND, and long-lifecycle DRAM products. Plans are underway to launch additional space-grade memory solutions tailored for evolving AI and data demands in orbit. By combining ruggedized, high-performance memory with end-to-end supply assurance, Micron is positioning itself as a vital enabler of space-based computing and next-generation aerospace infrastructure. Micron stock gained 35% year-to-date, topping the Nasdaq Composite Index's 9%. The stock surged over 61% in the last three months, topping the index's 29%. Analysts see strong AI demand, improved DRAM pricing, and an expanding High Bandwidth Memory (HBM) portfolio as key growth drivers for Micron. The company raised guidance sharply, with fourth-quarter sales projected at $10.7 billion and EPS at $2.50, fueled by margin gains and a healthier product mix. However, muted PC and smartphone demand continues to pressure NAND prices, and analysts remain cautious. Bank of America's Vivek Arya maintained a Neutral rating, citing persistent startup cost headwinds and limited margin visibility beyond 2025 despite upbeat earnings and long-term AI tailwinds. Price Action: MU stock is trading lower by 3.72% to $109.72 at last check Tuesday. Photo via Shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? MICRON TECHNOLOGY (MU): Free Stock Analysis Report This article Micron Launches First Space-Ready Memory Chip To Power AI Missions In Orbit originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
USA Today
2 days ago
- Science
- USA Today
What are sounding rockets? NASA launch from New Mexico studies sun's mysterious chromosphere
States like Florida, Texas and California are no strangers to rocket launches, but spaceflights in New Mexico may often be overlooked. Here's what's happening in the desert. States like Florida, Texas and California are no strangers to routine rocket launches − but New Mexico? Spacecraft also sometimes get off the ground from the state. Space news coverage may be headlined by crewed missions to the International Space Station from Cape Canaveral or SpaceX's latest test of its enormous Starship spacecraft from the Lonestar State. But in the oft-overlooked state of New Mexico, smaller rockets often get off the ground from a NASA test site in the remote desert. The latest of the spacecraft, known as sounding rockets, most recently made a successful quick trip to space to study one of the most complex regions of the sun's atmosphere following a New Mexico launch. Here's everything to know about sounding rockets and the latest NASA mission from New Mexico near the Texas border. NASA launches sun-studying mission from White Sands, New Mexico The latest sounding rocket mission in New Mexico got off the ground around 3 p.m. local time Friday, July 18, at NASA's White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico, located near the border of Texas about 60 miles north of El Paso. Residents in the local area around White Sands may have been able to spot the sounding rocket and its contrail when it launched, a NASA spokesperson confirmed to USA TODAY. The mission was expected to last no more than about 15 minutes, NASA said in a press release. After launching, the sounding rocket took about 90 seconds to reach space and point toward the sun, another eight minutes to conduct the experiment on the chromosphere, and no more than five minutes to return to Earth's surface. Upon landing, the rocket was expected to drift between 70 to 80 miles from the launchpad so mission operators on the ground could ensure it would land safely in the large, empty desert, according to NASA. What are sounding rockets? NASA's sounding rocket program has for more than 40 years carried out missions to launch scientific instruments into space. Sounding rockets are much smaller than an average spacecraft that may launch on an orbital flight from major spaceports like the Kennedy Space Center in Florida or the Vandenberg Space Force Base in Southern California. NASA's fleet of sounding rockets range anywhere in height from about 16 feet tall to about 70 feet tall. The Black Brant IX, the sounding rocket selected for the most recent launch from New Mexico, stands nearly 60 feet tall. For comparison, SpaceX's famous two-stage Falcon 9 rocket – one of the world's most active for both human and cargo missions alike – stands at 230 feet tall when fully stacked. And the commercial spaceflight company's Starship megarocket, which is still in development, stands at an imposing 400-feet tall when both the crew capsule and Super Heavy rocket booster are integrated. Because of their diminutive stature, NASA says soundings rockets are ideal for quick trips at lower speeds to regions of space that are too low for satellites and other spacecraft to conduct observations. And because sounding rockets don't require expensive boosters, missions costs also tend to be substantially less than other orbiter missions, according to the space agency. Where does NASA launch sounding rockets? Missions occur in Virginia, Alaska, New Mexico Of the approximately 20 sounding rocket missions scheduled in the U.S. in 2025, most get off the ground from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia and the Poker Flat Research Range in Alaska. Occasionally, though, a sounding rocket will launch from a missile range at the White Sands Space Harbor in New Mexico. Prior to July 18, the most recent mission at White Sands came Nov. 23, 2024, when NASA launched a Black Brant IX sounding rocket to test a spacecraft's performance in Earth's low-density magnetosphere. The next sounding rocket mission is scheduled for Aug. 12 from Wallops Island in Virginia, according to NASA. Spacecraft studied solar chromosphere For the latest mission from White Sands, a Black Brant IX sounding rocket carried new technology to study the sun's mysterious chromosphere, located between the sun's visible surface, known as the photosphere, and its outer layer, the corona. The corona, which became widely visible from Earth in April 2024 during a total solar eclipse, is a region where powerful solar flares and coronal mass ejections can erupt to cause space weather that can disrupt Earthly technologies. NASA's SNIFS mission aimed to learn more about these events by observing how energy is converted and moves through the chromosphere to power such explosions. The mission was the first to carry technology combining a standard imager to capture photos and videos with a spectrograph, which dissects light into its various wavelengths, according to NASA. This reveals which elements are present in the imaged light source. Eric Lagatta is the Space Connect reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Reach him at elagatta@
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Business Standard
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Operation Sindoor to come up for discussion next week in Parliament
The government on Monday agreed to have a discussion on Operation Sindoor in the two Houses of Parliament, and it is likely to take place next week after Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi returns from his visits to the United Kingdom (UK) and Maldives. Modi is scheduled to be in the UK on July 23-24 and in Maldives on July 25-26. Indications that the government was prepared to have a discussion on Operation Sindoor came in the morning in the PM's customary remarks before the start of the session. He described Parliament's monsoon session as a 'Vijay Utsav' and expressed confidence that members of Parliament (MPs) would articulate this sentiment in one voice. 'This monsoon session is a very proud session for the country. It is like a 'Vijay Utsav' (celebration of victory) for the nation. The world witnessed the capability of armed forces. They achieved their targets 100 per cent,' the PM said in a reference to Operation Sindoor. Alluding to astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla becoming the first Indian to set foot on the facility, the PM said the Indian flag was recently unfurled at the International Space Station. He also spoke of the 'shrinking footprint of Naxalism' and that the red zone was turning into a green-growth zone, which, he said, was evidence that the Constitution was prevailing over bombs and guns. Modi spoke of the bountiful monsoon helping economic activities. He said water reservoir levels had trebled in the past 10 years, which would benefit the economy. The PM said prior to 2014, India grappled with double-digit inflation. 'Today, with inflation rates hovering around 2 per cent, citizens are experiencing relief and improved ease of living. Low inflation, coupled with high growth, reflects a strong and steady development journey,' he said. Parties in the INDIA bloc have demanded the PM address Parliament on Operation Sindoor and also clarify American President Donald Trump's claims that he got India and Pakistan to end hostilities. In his pre-session remarks Modi lauded the multiparty delegations, which comprised MPs from different parties, which visited various parts of the world to convey India's position post-Operation Sindoor. Later in the day, at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee (BAC) of the Lok Sabha, government representatives noted the PM was going abroad this week, and a debate on Operation Sindoor would take place when he was present in the House next week. Some Opposition members also called for a debate on the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Bihar and the situation in Manipur. With the impasse continuing, the Lower House was adjourned for the day as protesting Opposition members disrupted proceedings. Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi criticised the government for not including the Opposition's demand for a discussion on the Pahalgam terror attack and Operation Sindoor in this week's agenda.
Bloomberg
2 days ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Why China's $167 Billion Mega-Dam Project In Tibet Is So Controversial
China has started construction of the world's biggest hydroelectric dam, a project that's set to be far larger than the Three Gorges Dam — already the world's biggest single source of green power — and more expensive than the International Space Station. The colossal undertaking in the mountainous region of Tibet is set to cost around 1.2 trillion yuan ($167 billion), could take at least a decade to complete and would boost China's output of clean energy. It will also stir controversy over the potential impact on the local environment, and could further strain relations with its downstream neighbor, India.
