Latest news with #SpaceShuttle
Global News
34 minutes ago
- Politics
- Global News
Marc Garneau, former astronaut and federal cabinet minister, dead at 76
Marc Garneau, who served as a federal cabinet minister after becoming the first Canadian astronaut to go to space, has died at the age of 76. His former chief of staff Marc Roy said he was 'saddened beyond words' to share the 'gut wrenching news' in a post that included a statement from Garneau's wife confirming his death. 'It is with deep sadness that I share the news of my husband Marc Garneau's passing,' the statement from Pam Garneau says. 'Marc faced his final days with the same strength, clarity and grace that defined his life. He passed away peacefully, surrounded by the love of his family. We wish to express our heartfelt thanks for the outpouring of support, concern and kind words received over the past few days.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy Pam Garneau also thanked the medical team that cared for her husband during his 'short illness' and asked for privacy as the family grieves their 'profound loss.' Story continues below advertisement The House of Commons on Wednesday evening held a moment of silence after Mark Gerretsen, the government whip, confirmed Garneau's passing. Garneau flew on three NASA Space Shuttle missions and first entered space in 1984. He was president of the Canadian Space Agency from 2001 to 2005 before entering federal politics. He first won a seat in the House of Commons in the 2008 election, running for the Liberals. He served in former prime minister Justin Trudeau's cabinet as minister of transport and then as foreign affairs minister. Garneau was shuffled out of cabinet following the 2021 election and later retired from politics in 2023. More to come…
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
WATCH: We test - and JUMP!
'You're going to catch some air,' says Tristan England, driver of the JCB Digatron Monster Jam truck, the subject of this year's Christmas road test. This was unexpected. If you'll excuse the behind-the-scenes indulgence, sometimes we get a brief go in a Christmas road test vehicle, sometimes an extended run, but often – if it's, say, the Space Shuttle – no go at all. Our first nose around the Digatron was in JCB's test and demonstration quarry in Staffordshire, which is full of sharp immovable objects and very much 'no go' territory. But, suggested JCB, if you can come to the broad expanse of Monster Jam University, that can be amended. Watch our video above to see how we got on... ]]>
Wall Street Journal
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Wall Street Journal
The Author Whose Books Are Snapped Up By Netflix, Hulu and Prime Is Out with a Space Novel
To take readers into the music scene of the 1970s or Old Hollywood's studio system for her novels, Taylor Jenkins Reid starts with a lot of research. But for her new book out this week, 'Atmosphere,' about a woman who joins NASA's Space Shuttle Program in the 1980s, she needed to go even deeper. 'Almost every book I've written in the past eight years has required more and more research, because I keep choosing things that I know less and less about,' says Jenkins Reid, 41. 'And this was when I went, 'Oh, I went too far.' '
The Verge
21-05-2025
- Science
- The Verge
The pursuit of better drugs through orbital space crystals
In The Andromeda Strain, Michael Crichton wrote about killer alien space crystals that are (spoiler alert) ultimately stymied by Earth's breadth of pH values. In reality, crystals grown in space could be key to a new generation of cancer-fighting treatments that save lives, not threaten them. Colorado-based startup Sierra Space is nearly ready to launch its reusable space plane, Dream Chaser. It's set to carry into orbit a 3-D printed module designed by engineers at pharma giant Merck. If the test goes well, and if Dream Chaser's gentle reentry process keeps that sensitive cargo safe, this could be the start of something big — despite those crystals being microscopic. A brief history of space crystals Space crystals sound like something an astrology guru would hang over their bed to help them sleep, but there's real science here. According to the ISS National Lab, crystals grown in space are simply better: 'Scientists hypothesize that these observed benefits result from a slower, more uniform movement of molecules into a crystalline lattice in microgravity.' Research into monoclonal antibodies points towards crystallization as being key for developing more stable, subcutaneous delivery mechanisms. Theoretically, expensive chemotherapy sessions could be replaced by injections that a patient could self-administer at home. It's the stuff of science fiction — and in the case of The Andromeda Strain, it literally is — but the truth is actually closer to Back to the Future. Space crystal research actually began in the early '80s, first on one-off rocket flights and eventually on the Space Shuttle. Space crystal research actually began in the early '80s There was much hope (and hype) about the tech back then, but it was ultimately stymied by two things. The first is cost. The Space Shuttle orbiter was to be America's low-cost orbital research transporter, but that never panned out. NASA's own per-mission costs pegged each flight at somewhere around $1.5 billion. That's simply far too expensive, even in the pharma industry, where reporting quarterly profits often requires seven or more digits. The rise of SpaceX and its competitors has brought those costs down substantially, lowering the cost of getting cargo into space to a relatively paltry $2,000 per kg. But that still leaves the other problem: shock. If you're going all the way to orbit just to grow some ultrafine structures, you don't want to rattle them to pieces on the way back down. 'It's about a 20 mph car crash equivalent into the ground,' Dr. Tom Marshburn said of the experience of landing in a capsule like Dragon. He would know. Marshburn is chief astronaut at Sierra and the company's VP of human factors engineering, but before that he was a NASA astronaut. He's flown on the Shuttle, Soyuz, and Dragon. Sierra and its reusable Dream Chaser aircraft stand poised to fix both problems, cost and shock, in one fell swoop. Easy entry Those of us of a certain age will likely feel a sort of irrational affinity for Dream Chaser at first glance. Its black and white color scheme and simple, lifting body design give strong Space Shuttle orbiter vibes, but this is no retro design intended to earn throwback cred. Dream Chaser has some major advantages over Shuttle. For one thing, it's much smaller, about one-quarter the length. It fits neatly inside a payload compartment of a ULA (United Launch Alliance) Vulcan rocket, not requiring the messy combination of tanks, liquid and solid fuel boosters, and endless specialized hardware that stymied any hope the Space Shuttle had in being profitable. It also doesn't require a three-mile-long runway like the Shuttle. 'It can do a precision landing anywhere a 737 can land,' Dr. Marshburn said. 'It can do a precision landing anywhere a 737 can land.' The biggest change, though, is that it won't fly with crew onboard. For now, at least. Dream Chaser was born out of the Commercial Crew Transportation Capabilities (CCtCap) contract, a competition that also included SpaceX's Dragon capsule and Boeing's Starliner capsule. NASA selected two winners, and Sierra Space was unlucky to place third. However, seeing the potential, NASA offered enough orbital cargo contracts to make a Dream Chaser reboot worthwhile. A subtly redesigned space plane will launch and land as planned, just minus the people. Why did NASA want to keep Sierra Space in the loop? Dream Chaser's design offers some real benefits, particularly as we potentially enter an age of space manufacturing. 'A capsule like a Dragon, by the nature of the physics, of the shape of it, can bring down only half of what it takes up,' said Meagan Crawford, founder and managing partner at SpaceFund, an early-stage venture capital investment fund with a focus on commercial space. 'The space plane has the opposite physics, it can bring down twice as much as it takes up.' An ideal orbital transport and manufacturing network, then, has a combination of the two. Microgravity potential That's the potential. For now, the project with Merck is something of a proof of concept, a 3D-printed module containing a series of tubes, plungers, and capsules. Once it gets to the ISS, a willing astronaut will turn some valves in sequence, then the resulting concoction will be shuttled back to Earth for someone at Merck to examine. And they'll be able to do so quickly. Dr. Marshburn said that traditional reentry capsules like Dragon or Soyuz often spend days bouncing on boats or trucks before their cargo can be retrieved. Dream Chaser was designed for cargo to be offloaded within an hour after its wheels stop rolling. The Merck module will test that quick retrieval, plus the soft landing, ensuring the potential for this sort of crystalline growth in space. And, though the ISS is itself set to be decommissioned by the end of the decade, Sierra Space is positioning its own inflatable orbital modules as a commercial alternative, free of the politics and oversight of the ISS. Space Fund's Crawford said that the economics are sound, and the proof is in the number of players trying to capitalize on the space plane market. Startups like Venus Aerospace, Radian Aerospace, Dawn Aerospace, and Virgin Galactic each have their own aircraft in development, with goals ranging from cargo to space tourism. Space drug development has the potential to be hugely promising, but Sierra has a few other arrows in its quiver. It's partnering with Honda to get a next-gen fuel cell into space, and those of you craving smaller and better processors could be in luck too. A startup called Space Forge plans to grow processor substrates in orbit, another area where gentle touchdowns are key. In shattering today's mission cost barriers, Sierra Space might just blow through the semiconductor nanometer barrier, too. Softer cargo There's hope for one more type of cargo to come out of these missions. For now, Dream Chaser is relegated to transport only cargo, but the stumbles of the Starliner program could reopen the door to hauling humans. 'You see a winged body and of course, astronauts, especially test pilots, we want to be in that,' Dr. Marshburn said. 'At any point, we'd be able to leverage the work that's already been done to get that ready.' If that does come to pass, it'll take some time. Tenacity, the first Dream Chaser, is going through final checks at NASA, waiting for its chance to head to the ISS sometime later this year. The second, Reverence, is currently under production. In other words: Watch this space. 0 Comments
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
NASA astronauts are proud bedwetters. They even practice.
Before NASA shot astronaut Scott Kelly into orbit for the first time in 1999, he had an important order from his commander: Take one of these diapers, and go practice at home. So there he was, wearing a government-issued space diaper, lying down in his bathtub with his legs propped up. He was trying to simulate the way he'd be sitting in the Space Shuttle. After living his whole life trying to avoid peeing his pants, Kelly found it took some unlearning to be able to relax and let the good times, er, flow. But he eventually figured out how to open the floodgates. When it was his turn as commander on his next mission, he gave the same instructions to his crew: Go practice. That order, however, didn't go over so well with one male astronaut. "I actually had a crew member that wouldn't practice, refused to, and then almost had to be catheterized in space," Kelly told Mashable, adding empathetically that being an astronaut is a lot of pressure. That's why when his agent called him with a promotional opportunity to work with Goodnites, a maker of children's disposable bedtime underwear, he wanted to help reduce the stigma of bedwetting. It wasn't just the shared experience of needing to wear a diaper-like undergarment he identified with, it was the incredible pressure he realized children also must feel. Nighttime incontinence affects one in four 5-year-olds, one in five 7-year-olds, and one in 20 10-year-olds, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Kids have a lot of stuff on their plate," said Kelly, who has two adult children, "so if this could help some kids feel less embarrassed about wetting the bed, I was all in." SEE ALSO: Yes, NASA astronauts will still pee in their new spacesuits NASA astronaut Scott Kelly prepares for the Expedition 43 launch inside the Soyuz TMA-16M spacecraft at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Credit: NASA / Victor Zelentsov It's common knowledge that astronauts wear diapers. Perhaps no one brought that to the fore more than former astronaut Lisa Nowak — but that's a 900-mile story for another time. The shuttle and International Space Station have toilets, but sometimes the crew don't have access to them. During launches and landings, astronauts must stay strapped into their seats, and spacewalks — when astronauts venture outside for experiments or maintenance tasks — often require being sealed in a spacesuit for up to eight hours. Not many people can hold it for that long while continuously hydrating, so diapers have become a necessity — especially after the astronaut corps expanded to include women. The original urine collection contraptions designed for male astronauts couldn't be easily adapted for female anatomy. A sample of an adjustable Maximum Absorbency Garment, or "MAG." Credit: NASA / Center for the Advancement of Science in Space NASA donated unused MAG samples to the National Air and Space Museum. Credit: NASA / National Air and Space Museum In 1988, NASA started making MAGs — Maximum Absorbency Garments — for all its astronauts, said Kiona N. Smith, author of Peeing and Pooping in Space. The MAG uses a highly absorbent polymer compound between layers of material to remove moisture, which turns the pee into a solid gel. Perhaps deep down we're all snickering 12-year-olds, a fact that may have inspired Smith's book, but that curiosity is as innate as nature's call. "As silly as the questions and answers sometimes sound," Smith told Mashable, "it's that human urge to go, 'OK, but how does this work?'" Goodnites' new "Mission Dry" ad campaign, which launched last month, includes a commercial featuring Kelly. The video opens with the astronaut and a young crewmate doing a spacewalk and basking in the once-in-a-lifetime view of the stars. But the child can't enjoy the experience because he's distracted. He accidentally peed in his spacesuit and fears mission control will make fun of him. Child: Houston's probably laughing. Kelly: They're not laughing. Child: How do you know? Kelly: Because I just peed. Child: Just now? Kelly: Just now. Kelly, who is now retired after spending 520 days in space, was paid for the gig. As a public space agency, NASA doesn't usually endorse companies or their products. But he's not the only astronaut who liked the campaign's message. Cady Coleman, also retired from NASA, and a handful of other people who have flown on parabolic and short commercial flights, are also lending their voices. "On one of my missions, I did need to pee while I was wearing my spacesuit, and it went just fine," Coleman said in a reel on Instagram. "My suit was clean and dry, ready to go, and so was I." Retired NASA astronaut Scott Kelly and others have joined a Goodnites disposable nighttime underwear ad campaign. Credit: Goodnites For four decades, NASA has used the same spacesuit technology for astronauts. Axiom Space is designing a new one for the Artemis III crew, who will be the first people to walk on the moon since 1972. Though engineers have made several improvements, including dust-resistant materials, a compact life support system, and an HD video camera attachment, some things won't change, like wearing a MAG, said Russell Ralston, Axiom Space's deputy program manager for extravehicular activity. "If it's not broken, don't fix it," Ralston told Mashable during the news conference in 2023. "They're just honestly a very effective solution. Sometimes simplicity is best." That means a long and illustrious legacy of pants-peeing on the moon will continue, following in the boot prints of Apollo 11's Buzz Aldrin, the self-proclaimed first. "He stepped off the bottom step of the lunar lander and realized he had to go," Smith said. "So you've got this picture of him standing there on the lunar surface, and what you don't realize is he is 100 percent peeing into his urine collection device at that moment."
