Look, guys. I don’t know for sure whether or not aliens exist. But I do know that if they come after us, I want someone in charge of protecting the planet from harm. NASA wants that too, so they’re hiring a Planetary Protection Officer tasked with keeping us safe from outerspace threats. [More]
space
SpaceX Planning To Send Tourists On A Trip Around The Moon In 2018
By 2.28.17
Who knew all you’d have to do to get a lift into space is ask Elon Musk for a ride? ride? The CEO of SpaceX (and Tesla) says two private citizens approached the company — ostensibly wearing trench coats and carrying suitcases of cash — and asked to go on a trip around the moon. He’s planning to take them there in 2018. [More]
Astronauts Have Grown Lettuce In Space For The First Time (And Today They Get To Eat It)
By 8.10.15
It’s hard enough for some people to keep plants alive and thriving on the face of the Earth, but a team of astronauts on the International Space Station have green enough thumbs that they’ve managed to cultivate plants in space. Today, they’ll get to eat the fruits of their labors, chowing down on the first-ever lettuce grown in space. [More]
100 Finalists Left To Compete For 24 One-Way Tickets To Mars
By 2.16.15
It’s been almost two years since Mars One started taking applications for people who wanted a free one-way ticket to the red planet, in order to set up an inflatable habitat and settle off-world forever and ever. Out of the 202,586 applicants, the non-profit group of scientists and entrepreneurs says the finalists competing for 24 total spots have been winnowed down to a (lucky?) group of 50 men and 50 women. And again, of course the whole thing is going to be a reality TV show. [More]
Company Says It’s Successfully Tested A Space-Tourism Balloon That Floats 20 Miles Above Earth
By 6.25.14
Maybe you don’t have $200,000 to climb aboard one of Virgin Galactic’s planned space tourism flights in the future, or maybe you’d prefer to float over the Earth like Dorothy in a balloon. That’s the goal of one company, which says it’s successfully tested its space-tourism balloon. [More]
Swedish Company Aiming To Offer Commercial Two-Hour Flights Into Arctic Space
By 12.18.12
Space! The final frontier! Or so they say and mankind is intent on exploring it. If a Swedish company has its way, Richard Branson won’t be the only business up in the dark blue yonder. Spaceport Sweden was founded in 2007 and says it hopes to provide commercial flights from a small Arctic town into space within a decade. [More]
Baby Monitor Monitors International Space Station Rather Than Baby
By 6.13.07
A new mom in Palatine, IL turned her baby monitor on and, rather than her baby, she saw two men floating in space. She was viewing images of astronauts in the international space station. She also saw mission control and a map of the station’s trajectory.
