Latest news with #STEMBoard
Yahoo
17-04-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Did Gayle King and Blue Origin Actually Travel Out of Space? We Have Answers!
After the all-female Blue Origin spaceflight came back from launching beyond the sound barrier, a lot of people have been accusing the expedition of being a farce. A lot of people have even challenged the expedition asking, 'Did they even go to space for just 11 minutes?' Technically also no. Singer Katy Perry, journalist Gayle King, bioastronautics research scientist Amanda Nguyen, former NASA rocket scientist and CEO of STEMBoard Aisha Bowe, film producer Kerianne Flynn and vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund Lauren Sánchez were the six lucky ladies to board the New Shepard vehicle which launched into a threshold between Earth's atmosphere and outer space called the Kármán line on Monday (April 14). Here is all the tea about their short but fascinating trip in five points: Virgin Group Founder Richard Branson said that, for 96 percent of the world and the United Nations, space is considered to begin 100km at the Kármán line. However, the U.S. military and NASA consider the Kármán line to rest at the 62-mile mark above Earth's surface, per CNN. By definition, the Kármán line is the boundary between the Earth's atmosphere and space, according to Swiss organization Fédération Aéronautique Internationale. This line is where your typical airplane can no longer fly safely as the air thins out, per Astronomy Magazine. The name was coined by Hungarian space pioneer Theodore von Kármán who worked on designs for aircrafts during the first World War, per the magazine. He is credited for calculating the altitude where a plane could no longer be supported by aerodynamic lift. For the Federal Aviation Administration, people who fly 60 miles altitude receive their astronaut wings, per CNN. Private adventurers who flew above that altitude also received wings but are now just listed on the website instead of given physical wings as of 2021, the report says. Elon Musk's SpaceX gifted silver wings on their own to non-government passengers who fly on the Crew Dragon. Each layer of the atmosphere between Earth and space blend into one another. However, if the Kármán line had to be categorized, researchers place it in the lower thermosphere. The thermosphere as a whole was found to be way higher in temperature, being able to reach 4,500 degrees Fahrenheit, according to NASA. However, they also say if you were to chill in that atmosphere long enough you'd get cold due to the lack of gas molecules to transfer said heat to your body. In the viral videos, we saw the six women go airborne inside the aircraft. This happened due to the cancellation of the energy produced by the rocket and capsule by earth's gravity, giving the crew a couple of minutes of air-swim time, per CNN. At that point, the feeling is described as those butterflies in your stomach when you reach the top of a rollercoaster. The report says the Earth's gravitational pull still tugged on the capsule. If they'd stayed longer than 11 minutes, for a more lengthy expedition, the lack of gravity could've resulted in severe loss of muscle mass and bone strength, per BBC. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Yahoo
14-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Blue Origin launches all-female, star-studded crew to edge of space: ‘Godspeed, ladies'
VAN HORN, Texas – A six-person commercial launch blasted off from West Texas on Monday morning, sending up the first mission consisting entirely of women, all with impressive resumes that now include spaceflight. Blue Origin's New Shepard mission 31 (NS-31) launched from Jeff Bezos' company's facilities in Van Horn, Texas, just after 8:30 a.m. CT. The crew inside the New Shepard capsule's six seats included journalist Gayle King, global popstar Katy Perry, filmmaker Kerianne Flynn, bioastronautics scientist and advocate Amanda Nguyễn, STEMBoard CEO Aisha Bowe and journalist and author Lauren Sánchez. "Godspeed, ladies," Blue Origin webcast host and journalist Kristin Fisher said at takeoff. Monday's launch drew a star-studded crowd to view the event, including King's best friend, Oprah Winfrey, and Kris and Khloe Kenner. Perry's young daughter, Daisy, wore a spacesuit to cheer her mom on for the launch. "Gayle has been there for me for hundreds of events. I can't even remember them all, but I will never forget this day," Winfrey said. The spaceflight took the women 65 miles above Earth, about 3 miles over the internationally recognized boundary of space known as the Kármán line. During weightlessness, Perry sang some of Louis Armstrong's "What a Wonderful World," surprising her fellow crew members, who expected one of her original hit songs. "It's not about me. It's not about singing my songs, it's about a collective energy in there, it's about us, it's about making space for future women and taking up space and belonging," Perry said. "It's about this wonderful world that we see right out there and appreciating it." Telescope Reveals Star-planet Collision Unfolded Differently Than Scientists First Thought King was candid about her fear of flying on airplanes, let alone a rocket ship, ahead of the launch. Blue Origin flight trainers told King she was their "best success story" because of her fears. "I stepped out of my comfort zone in a way that I never thought was possible for me," King said of overcoming her fears. "Now that I've done it, I really do feel that I can do anything." The New Shepard touched down in the West Texas desert around 9:45 a.m. CT after about a 10-minute spaceflight. Cheers and celebrations could be heard over the mission control audio. Each woman celebrated their return to Earth as they stepped out of the capsule where they were greeted by friends and family. Perry held up a daisy to the sky as an ode to her daughter while she exited the hatch. King and Perry both kissed the Earth. "I just want to have a moment with the ground," King said, touching her hands to the ground. "Thank you, Jesus."Original article source: Blue Origin launches all-female, star-studded crew to edge of space: 'Godspeed, ladies'
Yahoo
13-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Countdown underway for rocket launch of star-studded all-female crew
VAN HORN, Texas – The countdown is underway for the launch of a star-studded, all-female crew aboard a Blue Origin rocket from West Texas. According to Jeff Bezos' aerospace company, if all goes as planned, liftoff of the New Shepard rocket -designated NS-31 - will take place around 8:30 a.m. CDT on Monday. On board will be a high-profile crew of six, ranging from pop superstar Katy Perry to Jeff Bezos' fiancée, Lauren Sánchez. The all-female crew consists of: Aisha Bowe: A former NASA rocket scientist and CEO of STEMBoard Amanda Nguyễn: A bioastronautics research scientist and advocate for sexual violence survivors Gayle King: An award-winning journalist and co-host of CBS Mornings Katy Perry: A global pop superstar and a best-selling female artist Kerianne Flynn: A community filmmaker Lauren Sánchez: A bestselling author and fiancée to Jeff Bezos Future Of Nasa's Mega Moon Rocket Appears In Doubt Following Major Boeing Announcement Unlike trips to the International Space Station, which can last weeks or even months, the NS-31 flight will be brief, with a total duration of around 11 minutes. Blue Origin says less than 3 minutes into launch the booster will separate from the New Shepard capsule, which will continue on its space odyssey. The capsule will reach an altitude of approximately 62 miles above Earth's surface, where the crew will experience several minutes of weightlessness and take in breathtaking views of the planet. The capsule is said to feature windows measuring 2.4 feet wide by 3.6 feet tall, designed to provide unobstructed views while in space. After reaching its peak altitude, the capsule will descend back to Earth, deploying parachutes to slow its return before landing near the launch site in rural West Texas. According to Blue Origin, the crew capsule uses reverse thrusters and parachutes to land at a speed of just 1 mile per hour. Previous notable passengers on Blue Origin flights have included Jeff Bezos, actor William Shatner and former NFL player and broadcaster Michael Strahan. While Blue Origin has not publicly disclosed the ticket prices, they are estimated to range from zero dollars - when gifted to public figures - to as much as $30 million, according to a 2021 auction. Watch live coverage of the trailblazing mission after liftoff on YouTube. Spacex Starship Explosion Causes Scrambled Flights As Debris Rains Down Over AtlanticOriginal article source: Countdown underway for rocket launch of star-studded all-female crew
Technical.ly
19-03-2025
- Science
- Technical.ly
Arlington entrepreneur who makes STEM kits for kids is headed to space with Blue Origin
With the number of people in STEM occupations projected to grow over the next decade, an Arlington startup wants to lower barriers to that career path. Lingo develops and sells educational, STEM-focused kits to teach students in middle and high school, as well as in college. Projects highlight both software and hardware, with one kit showing how to build and code a backup sensor for a car. Aisha Bowe, CEO and founder of Lingo and a former NASA rocket scientist, wanted to provide hands-on learning to students — an option she wished she had growing up herself. The traditional school model of memorizing and repeating information didn't work for her, she explained. 'It really was a labor of love,' Bowe told 'It was almost as though we were making something for our younger selves.' About 10,000 students have used Lingo kits across the US and in England, per Bowe. She and her team of three, who all have extensive engineering backgrounds, develop the kits themselves. Cofounder and COO Jarvis Sulcer has a master's and PhD in nuclear science and engineering from Cornell University, for example. Bowe is also heading to space on a celebrity-filled Blue Origin flight, which will launch sometime this spring. The trip, hosted by the aerospace technology company that Amazon leader Jeff Bezos founded in 2000, will also include popstar Katy Perry and award-winning journalist Gayle King. While on the mission, Bowe will work with the astrobotany lab out of Winston-Salem State University to research plant health and molecular changes when exposed to microgravity. 'It's a dream come true,' Bowe said. 'From someone who never thought that they would be in this field, to say that not only am I here, but I'm going to space, and I'm taking an experiment — it's an honor.' To pair with this flight, Lingo released new kits related to space exploration earlier in March. One is a countdown timer for a rocket launch, while an 'Earth Observer' set teaches students how to prototype and use a remote sensing satellite. These are tools, not toys, explained cofounder Sulcer, who came on board shortly after Bowe started the company. Lingo originally launched under the umbrella of STEMBoard, also founded by Bowe. That firm, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Arlington, conducts tech advisory work for the public and private sectors. In 2022, Lingo spun out of STEMBoard as its own company and began raising funds. In November, the startup announced that it had amassed a $2.25 million seed. Prior to that, Lingo bootstrapped, per Sulcer, who previously joined STEMBoard in 2015. Both Sulcer and Bowe have seen a wide range of kids of all ages use the kits via their work with local schools, including Bowie State University in nearby Prince George's County, Maryland. They are also collaborating with Arlington County Public Schools to experiment with introducing it to fourth and fifth graders soon, said Sulcer. Bowe sees the robust school systems as a plus for the company's roots in Northern Virginia. She also referenced the region's various engineering companies and tech-focused government contractors, which all feed off of each other, she said. 'It reminds me, in many respects, of what I saw in Silicon Valley,' she said, 'where you would have all these complimentary businesses so close to each other and helping each other thrive.' Bowe's main goal is to continue getting her kits into the hands of students. She eventually wants one million students to have used them. 'I want to be the leading provider of hands-on STEM activities to students, regardless of where they are,' Bowe said, 'and have content that's right-size so we can meet them where they are.'
CNN
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- CNN
Gayle King prepping for her trip to space with a little help from her friends
Gayle King has been talking to some fellow celebs about her upcoming space flight. In an interview with 'Entertainment Tonight,' the journalist talked about her upcoming Blue Origin flight into space. King is scheduled to be part of a six person, all-female crew that will include singer Katy Perry, former NASA rocket scientist and chief executive officer of STEMBoard Aisha Bowe, civil rights activist Amanda Nguyen, film producer Kerianne Flynn and pilot and vice chair of the Bezos Earth Fund, Lauren Sánchez, who is engaged to Amazon executive chairman Jeff Bezos. King told 'ET's' Nischelle Turner that she is 'going to space and I'm really psyched about it. Nervous, but really psyched.' Turner asked what she is most nervous about. 'The obvious, you just don't want anything to go wrong' King said. 'If favorite daughter Kirby or favorite son Will or Oprah had said 'Uhhhh, no,' I really would not have done, but they're all like, 'Yup' and they're all going to be there.' The 70-year-old co-host of 'CBS Mornings' said she recently did a Zoom call with her felliow crew members and had a moment with Perry. 'I had a funny thing with Katy Perry,' King said. 'She said 'Gayle, may I interrupt for a second?' because we had been on the phone for well over 30 minutes. [Katy said] 'Our flight is going to be shorter than this frigging phone call.'' A total of 52 other people have made a similar flight, including actor William Shatner and 'Good Morning America' co-host Michael Strahan. 'I went to Michael Strahan's house and sat down and looked him in his face and he was very reassuring to me,' King said. 'And so I feel good about it.'
