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Yahoo
3 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Quarantined ahead of 5th trip to space, Whitson inducted with trailblazer Harris to Astronaut Hall of Fame
MERRITT ISLAND — Four-time spaceflight veteran Peggy Whitson had a good excuse for not showing up Saturday for her own induction ceremony to the U.S. Astronaut Hall of Fame. She's in quarantine to go to space again. Whitson is slated to command the private Axiom Space Ax-4 mission flying in a new SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft set to launch as early as June 8. So her presence at the ceremony held under the suspended Space Shuttle Atlantis at Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex was purely virtual. 'Please know that my heart is with you. It is a privilege to be a part of such an esteemed group of individuals who have dedicated their lives to exploring the unknown,' she said in a message recorded at an undisclosed location nearby. Fellow inductee and two-time space shuttle astronaut Bernard Harris, who became the first Black person to perform a spacewalk, was on hand, though. He was joined by dozens of former astronauts and NASA officials as both his and Whitson's plaques were revealed — becoming the 110th and 111th members of the hall of fame created in 1990 by the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation and represented at the visitor complex with its own building honoring inductees. While both had significant careers with NASA, Whitson has spent a little bit more time in space — 37 times more. Chosen as an astronaut candidate in 1996, Whitson's first trip to space was in 2002 on Space Shuttle Endeavour on STS-111 for her first of four stays on board the International Space Station. She flew home on STS-113, also on Endeavour, and then returned twice on Soyuz missions in 2007 and 2016. She became the first female commander of the space station — and to date is its only two-time commander. After retiring from NASA she joined private company Axiom Space and commanded its second commercial mission Axiom 2 in 2023. The four trips have amounted to more than 675 days in space — giving her the the all-time record for women in space, as well the record for an American astronaut. That total is set to grow by another two weeks once Ax-4 is completed. 'I applied to NASA's astronaut training program four times over nine years, and was denied. After 10 years and my fifth try of applying, I finally made it. It's only in retrospect that I can say those years of rejection were good for me,' she said. 'Those years of being refused a chance at my dream gave me an incredible experience as a leader, a builder of teams and a member of international partnerships. 'As it turned out, all of those were critical to my career as an astronaut — each mission, each spacewalk and each experiment conducted on board the International Space Station has been a step toward understanding our universe and improving life here on Earth.' Harris was chosen as an astronaut candidate in 1990 and flew his first mission — STS-55 — on Space Shuttle Columbia in 1993 followed by STS-63 aboard Space Shuttle Discovery in 1995. The second flight, a dress rehearsal flight for docking missions with the Russian space station Mir, wasn't supposed to feature a spacewalk but the dominoes fell into place setting up Harris' landmark experience. 'In truth, I didn't know i was the first African American until I got back inside and I got the call that President Clinton wanted to talk to me,' he said. 'I kind of went like, 'What for?'' Both 68-year-old Harris born in Temple, Texas in 1956, and 65-year-old Whitson, born in Beaconsfield, Iowa in 1960, cited the Apollo 11 moonwalk by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin as their inspiration to become astronauts. 'The moon landing, when I was 9 years old, seemed to make space attainable,' Whitson said. 'My 9-year-old self thought that astronaut had to be the ultimate job. 'So thanks to the moon landing, maybe even a little bit Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, as well as my first ride in the Cessna 150 with my Dad, that spark grew into a passion for space exploration.' Harris, who was 13 when history was made, said he wrestled with other events of the time. 'I was old enough to go through the early 60s, the civil rights movement,' he said. 'I could turn one channel and see some of the greatest accomplishments of human beings at that time and turn the channel and see Blacks fighting for their right to vote or to exist depending on what part of the country that they were in.' He said he still marvels at how his 13-year-old mind was able to meld those events together. 'I came to the conclusion that even though I didn't see anybody who looked like me in the program — there were no women in the program, no people of color in the program that we could see … But I decided that if I didn't see someone who looked like me I would be the first to try and go break that ceiling.'
NDTV
3 days ago
- Science
- NDTV
"Space Future Begins Now": ISRO Chief On Indian Astronaut's Spaceflight
New Delhi: India's Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla is set to travel to space aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon as part of a crew that will include Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu of Hungary for the June 8 Axiom Mission 4. Dr V Narayanan, Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), shared insights on the Axiom 4 mission and its significance for India's human spaceflight ambitions. "Right now, the training of the Gaganyatri is in its final phase. I would say everything is complete, and we are waiting for the mission to happen," said Dr Narayanan. When asked about the safety of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Crew Dragon capsule, Dr. Narayanan expressed confidence in the system. "The answer is yes. Based on my knowledge of the launcher and these modules, they have undergone sufficient experimentation and flight testing. Enough Falcon 9 launches have happened. I am fully confident. I think it's the right thing. But, as with any rocket or space program, even after everything is done, we have to wait for D-Day for the final result." The Axiom 4 mission is a significant milestone for India, marking its participation in a private spaceflight to the International Space Station (ISS). Dr Narayanan highlighted the benefits of this mission for India's space program. "August 15, 2018, was a historic day for India. Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced the human spaceflight programme - the Gaganyaan programme. Until then, India had experience in launching rockets and satellites. But when it comes to human spaceflight, the human interface is critical, and we had very limited experience. Why do I say limited? Because we had never done it before. Of course, in 1984, Rakesh Sharma went to space and returned. Today, he is actively involved with us in the review process and has shared his experiences and the challenges he faced. We are learning a lot from him. With that in mind, I truly salute our Honourable Prime Minister Modi for his vision - why not send one of our Gaganyatris to the International Space Station? It was his vision." Dr Narayanan emphasised the importance of the Axiom 4 mission for building experience and confidence. "I will tell you what the benefits are. First, the Gaganyatri is undergoing a rigorous set of training sessions, so he is becoming more confident. Second, he will fly with other experienced astronauts - Americans and others. Third, he will be part of a team conducting nine experiments, some with his fellow astronauts. He will also handle mission-related management systems. This will give him valuable experience. And when he returns, he will be more confident," he said. When asked about the cost of the mission, Dr Narayanan defended the expenditure. "Let's not reduce it to something like a bus ticket. Think about a bus ticket - I want to tell you, I travel often to Delhi these days. When I first flew in an aeroplane, it was an exciting moment. In 1947, when India gained independence, we used bullock carts and walked on foot in my village. We used to walk 10 kilometres to the temple. Then, when a bus finally came to our village, you can't imagine the excitement - not just mine, the entire village's. So this moment is like that. Is it worth it? Absolutely. It is fully justified. We will gain confidence, and we will gain valuable experience. The Gaganyaatri will feel comfortable, and the outcome will be truly useful for the Gaganyaan programme," he said. Dr. Narayanan elaborated on how the Axiom 4 mission will contribute to the success of Gaganyaan. "First, the Gaganyatri is undergoing full training. Second, he will work with different colleagues. He'll conduct experiments with others, not alone. In the space station, he'll be active alongside them. So, number one: psychological preparedness. Number two: technical understanding. Number three: managerial awareness. So technical, managerial, psychological, and physical readiness - everything will be developed. And once he returns, all of this knowledge will be disseminated," the ISRO chief said. On the selection of Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla, Dr Narayanan expressed full confidence. "I have 100% confidence in the 20,000 employees of the Department of Space. I have full confidence in him as well. Whether it's Shuklaji or another Gaganyatri, I'm happy. But we have chosen someone younger, and I interact with him regularly. He is highly knowledgeable, competent, and dynamic. I am fully satisfied with the selection," he said. Dr Narayanan also spoke about the standby astronaut, Group Captain Prashant Nair. "Both were equally outstanding. Both were excellent. But when it comes to travelling, only one can go. Probably, after considering many factors, the team selected one of them," the ISRO chairman added. He concluded with optimism about the upcoming mission. "In fact, all Indians are going to be with us. We will all enjoy that flight, and we expect very good outcomes to feed into our Gaganyaan programme."
India Today
08-05-2025
- Business
- India Today
Nasa is not attending the global space meet in Delhi. Here's why
The global space exploration conference underway in New Delhi has delegates from 35 countries across the world, except one. The American space agency, Nasa, has not sent delegates to the global space meet being hosted by India where thirty-five countries, space agency officials from China, Japan, Canada and Europe, 1,700 delegates and ten astronauts representing various countries are huddled in New Delhi. When asked about Nasa's absences, officials noted that it was likely to a transition at the American space agency with US President Donald Trump rolling out a new Nasa budget and slashing manpower. Donald Trump's newly proposed budget for Nasa, unveiled as part of the White House's 2026 "skinny budget," marks the largest single-year cut to the agency in American history, slashing top-line funding by 24%-from $24.8 billion to $18.8 billion. US President Donald Trump watches the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. (Photo: AFP) The move has alarmed space experts and advocates, who warn that the cuts will have severe repercussions for US space exploration and could hand China a decisive advantage in the modern race to the Moon. The GLEX-2025 is organised by the International Astronautical Federation and the Indian Space Research Organisation. Inaugurating the global conference, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said for India, space was about exploration as well as empowerment, and listed out plans to set up the Bharatiya Anatariksh Station by 2035 and land an Indian astronaut on the Moon by 2040. "India's space journey is not about racing others. It is about reaching higher together. Together, we share a common goal to explore space for the good of humanity," he said in the video message that was recorded on Tuesday. An Indian astronaut will travel to space as part of a joint Isro-Nasa Mission to the International Space Station. The Axiom-4 mission is stated for launch on May 29 and Indian astronaut Shubhanshu Shukla and three others will undertake a 14-day sojourn to the orbital laboratory.
NDTV
06-05-2025
- Science
- NDTV
Moong Dal Halwa, Rice For Indian Astronaut's Travel To Space Station
New Delhi: Indian Air Force (IAF) Group Captain Shubhanshu Shukla will carry moong dal halwa, Indian rice and Mango nectar among other Indian delicacies, when he flies to the International Space Station (ISS) next month, becoming the first Indian to do so. According to Dr D K Singh, Director of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO)'s Human Space Flight Centre in Bengaluru, Mr Shukla will have Indian cuisine while in space. "He will have Indian food, such as moong dal halwa, Indian rice and Mango nectar, while in space," Mr Singh said. NASA's Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams had fish curry during her flight to the ISS last year, before that she carried samosas. Mr Shukla is scheduled to pilot the Axiom Mission 4, a private astronaut mission that will launch aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket. His travel to space comes four decades after Rakesh Sharma's iconic spaceflight onboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft in 1984. The mission, which is jointly being undertaken by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and ISRO, was scheduled to be launched on May 29 but has been delayed to June, ISRO Chairman V Narayanan said on Tuesday. According to Mr Narayanan, the mission, which will take off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, will cost Rs 550 crores. Mr Shukla will be accompanied by Peggy Whitson, a former NASA astronaut and mission commander, Slawosz Uznanski-Wisniewski from Poland and Tibor Kapu from Hungary. Once docked, the astronauts are scheduled to spend up to 14 days aboard the orbiting laboratory, conducting a mission comprising science, outreach and commercial activities. Group Captain Shukla will serve as the astronaut designate and Mission Pilot. A decorated test pilot with the IAF, he was shortlisted under ISRO's Human Spaceflight Program (HSP) and is among the top contenders for the Gaganyaan mission, India's first indigenous crewed orbital flight. His journey aboard the Axiom Mission 4 is expected to provide critical hands-on experience in spaceflight operations, launch protocols, microgravity adaptation, and emergency preparedness - all essential for India's crewed space ambitions. Dr Narayanan told NDTV "he has full confidence in the capabilities of Mr Shukla who would complete the mission successfully". Underscoring the significance of the upcoming human spaceflight, Minister of State (MoS) for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh said: "India is ready for its next space milestone." He also noted that the collaboration with international partners and the strategic momentum of projects like the Gaganyaan Mission reflect India's commitment to becoming a global leader in space technology. He emphasised that these efforts are not only scientific in nature but also aligned with the vision of a developed and self-reliant India. Mr Shukla will conduct seven experiments in the fields of agriculture, food and human biology when he travels to the ISS next month. India has also picked Group Captain Prasanth Balakrishnan Nair as a designated astronaut, who will become part of Ax-4 should Mr Shukla be unable to fly.
Fast Company
05-05-2025
- Fast Company
Streaming 101: Here's how millions of people are able to watch the same video
Live and on-demand video constituted an estimated 66% of global internet traffic by volume in 2022, and the top 10 days for internet traffic in 2024 coincided with live streaming events such as the Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson boxing match and coverage of the NFL. Streaming enables seamless, on-demand access to video content, from online gaming to short videos like TikToks, and longer content such as movies, podcasts and NFL games. The defining aspect of streaming is its on-demand nature. Consider the global reach of a Joe Rogan podcast episode or the live coverage of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft launch—both examples demonstrate how streaming connects millions of viewers to real-time and on-demand content worldwide. I'm a computer scientist whose research includes cloud computing, which is the distribution of computing resources such as video servers across the internet. 'Chunks' of video When it comes to video content—whether it's a live stream or a prerecorded video—there are two major challenges to address. First, video data is massive in size, making it time-consuming to transmit from the source to devices such as TVs, computers, tablets and smartphones. Second, streaming must be adaptive to accommodate differences in users' devices and internet capabilities. For instance, viewers with lower-resolution screens or slower internet speeds should still be able to watch a given video, albeit in lower quality, while those with higher-resolution displays and faster connections enjoy the best possible quality. To tackle these challenges, video providers implement a series of optimizations. The first step involves fragmenting videos into smaller pieces, commonly referred to as 'chunks.' These chunks then undergo a process called 'encoding and compression,' which optimizes the video for different resolutions and bitrates to suit various devices and network conditions. When a user requests an on-demand video, the system dynamically selects the appropriate stream of chunks based on the capabilities of the user's device, such as screen resolution and current internet speed. The video player on the user's device assembles and plays these chunks in sequence to create a seamless viewing experience.
