• Cosmos

First All-Civilian Private Space Flight to Launch This Year

• Axiom
• Blue Origin
• international space station
• NASA
• space
• SpaceX
• tourism

On Monday, SpaceX announced that it would launch the first all-civilian crew to space this year, with no training or assistance from NASA or another government agency.  Leading the four-person mission will be billionaire Jared Isaacman, an experienced pilot and CEO of e-commerce company Shift4.

Why this Matters: This publicity stunt is meant to suggest that the goal of space tourism — to bring ordinary citizens to outer space — is nearer than we think.

• Cosmos

NASA Partners with Europeans to Launch Ocean Observing Satellite

• climate change
• Earth Observation
• NASA
• ocean
• SpaceX

NASA launched a new ocean observation satellite on the back of a SpaceX rocket last week. Now that it’s in space, the Sentinel-6 named the “Michael Freilich” will perform continuous monitoring of ocean levels and currents for the next 30 years. The “unprecedented accuracy” of its data will benefit ocean travel, weather forecasts, hurricane predictions, and climate science.  

Why This Matters: The Sentinel-6 will help scientists monitor the climate crisis as it unfolds in our world’s oceans and coasts (home to 40% of humanity).

• Cosmos

One Cool Thing: NASA Spacecraft Fetches A Rock From Nearby Asteroid

• asteroid
• Bennu
• NASA
• solar system

NASA announced that its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft successfully touched down on the near-Earth asteroid Bennu after spending two years orbiting it.  Its task was to grab a sample from the asteroid’s surface with its robotic arm.  Bennu sits 200 million miles from Earth (so close) and NASA’s leadership was thrilled with this latest “first” — the […]

• Cosmos

Three Mars Things: China, the UAE and the US All Heading There In July

• #COVID
• Mars
• NASA
• Rover
• science

By the end of July, three countries are sending rockets carrying robots to Mars. For the U.S., its old hat — been there, done that 5 times, but for China and the United Arab Emirates, it’s their maiden voyage.   Why three launches so close together?  Because Mars passes close to the Earth in its orbit, […]

• People

This week we celebrate the “Renamers” 

• Climate Pledge Arena
• Disney
• Hidden Figures
• Ken Burns
• Lady A
• NASA
• The Chicks
• Tiana

We wanted to call attention to all the people who are taking action to right the wrongs of the past by changing the names of well-known things in recognition of what we must do to be a more just society.  Here are just a few: NASA – for renaming its main office the “Mary W. […]

• Cosmos

Elon Musk’s Big Bets on Space X Launch and EV Batteries

• batteries
• Dragon Capsule
• Elon Musk
• EV
• NASA
• Saturn 9 rocket
• Space Shuttle
• Space X

Elon Musk’s company Space X is behind the latest NASA chapter, in which the Dragon Capsule launched by the Falcon 9 rocket will deliver astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley in style (wearing Tesla emblazoned custom-made Space X pressure suits) to the international space station – liftoff is set for today 4:33 pm ET. 

Why This Matters:  When it comes to the future, for better or worse, we are in Elon Musk’s hands, even as he argues to rapidly re-open the economy.