Throughout history, sports have been a huge part of human culture. As humanity branches out to the rest of the solar system and beyond, we will have to invent new sports or modify current ones as we adapt to our new environments. I intend for this post to springboard into a series of content where I will look at current sports and see how they could be modified for play in low gravity or zero-gravity environments. I will also be looking at places like Mars and the Moon that humans are likely to colonize in order to see what new sports could be created specifically for these new worlds. I’ll also be looking at prominent examples of sports from science fiction (let’s face it: everyone loves podracing). If you stumble across this introduction before any of the other posts in the series, just click on the “Sports in Space” tag below to see what has been covered. I’ll try to churn out a lot of these in the next few months. As a precursor to any of the main posts, let’s just start thinking about current sports and how heavily they rely on Earth’s gravity. A basketball needs gravity to pull it into the hoop. A soccer ball getting cleared out of the box by the goalkeeper can fly 100 yards. That distance would increase dramatically on a world with less gravity. Alan Shepard famously hit a couple of golf balls while on the Moon, one of the only examples of a sport being played in space (besides some fooling around on the ISS), and he admitted that his shot would not have gone as far on Earth. Space will see the world of sports undergo an evolution. There’s no way of telling exactly how that evolution will happen, but I’d like to get the conversation started in earnest.  More : Posted on June 1, 2018 by AtlantanKnight7 in Science, Sports https://themidknightwatch.wordpress.com/2018/06/01/how-will-sports-work-in-space-intro/

The IAF is proud to present the 2022 IAF Young Space Leaders! https://www.iafastro.org/ The IAF Young Space Leaders Recognition Programme is awarded to exceptional students and young professionals, who contribute to astronautics in their academic or early careers, reach out to other young people and their communities to share knowledge and experiences, have been engaged with the international space community and contribute to IAF activities. The 2022 IAF Young Space Leaders were chosen by a selection committee during the IAF Spring Meetings in March. They will be presented with their award during the Closing Ceremony of the 73rd International Astronautical Congress (IAC) - IAC 2022 - in Paris, France which will take place from 18 - 22 September 2022. Awardees also attend the IAC Gala Dinner as guests of the IAF President and enjoy a free IAC registration.  https://iac2022.org/registration/

2022 Space Tourism Conference APRIL 28, 2022  STC presents the cross-section of industries comprising space tourism: aerospace, media, entertainment, architecture, design, advertising, marketing, finance, high tech, science, manufacturing, futurism, and the arts. The Space Tourism Conference is "the world's first and leading event devoted specifically to the commercial civilian outer-space travel sector." SGF Founder and CEO Linda Rheinstein will be a panelist at this year's STC to talk about the future of Sports in Space. Linda will be joining Science Channel's Scott Lewers, Boat Rocker Studios' Jay Peterson, Space Hero's Deborah Sass, and Butcher Bird Studios' Steven Calcote to discuss "Off-World Entertainment: The Ultimate Creative Frontier." Companies like ours are redefining the bounds of space tourism. Interested in hearing the conversation in person? Use the Support code ITVA22 at checkout for a discount on the Conference. More https://mailchi.mp/spacegamesfederation/stem-edutainment-space-tourism-conference

Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk both want to colonise space. Nasa is also trying to put people on to the dusty surface of Mars. But if humans do want to set up communities on the moon or planets, what will they eat? Plenty of experiments have been conducted to see whether plants can flourish in space. And as of last week, a new test has begun to see if meat cells can grow. It was a small pilot step for trialling a potential nutrient source, one possibly big leap - at least the experimenters hope - for the future of space travel. More https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-61116018

The joint initiative between Boryung, Axiom, and Starburst will advance the next generation of pharmaceutical, bioscience and medtech development in space. Starburst, the world's first and only global aerospace accelerator and advisory firm, today announced that applications have opened for the first annual CIS ("Care in Space") Challenge. The global challenge, led by Boryung in collaboration with Axiom Space and Starburst, will identify and provide commercialization support for emerging technologies and solutions that optimize human health for space travel and habitation and/or are manufactured in space to advance healthcare here on Earth. The CIS Challenge will serve as an essential tool to leverage space as an innovative platform for developing new healthcare technologies as well as address the complexities of health monitoring, diagnosis and treatment for those traveling in Low Earth Orbit and beyond. As opportunities for space exploration and commerce expand, the CIS Challenge is set to support critical developments that will make space accessible and safe for all of humanity. And the unique challenges of space facilitate research and development of products that have immediate terrestrial application, from new medications to medical devices to nutritional supplements to stem-cell therapies. "We are committed to pushing the boundaries of what is currently thought possible in both healthcare and aerospace," said Boryung Head of New Portfolio Investment, Jack Dongjoo Lim. "Boryung is incredibly excited to work with Axiom and Starburst to seek out the next generation of innovators and founders working on solutions that facilitate access to space for everyone." Amir Blachman, Axiom Space Chief Business Officer said, "It is increasingly evident that space, and in particular microgravity, has profound impacts on the speed of drug discovery, improvements in medical devices and advancements related to regenerative medicine and life sciences. We are pleased to support Boryung and Starburst Aerospace in opening space to a broad community of innovators in these fields." Through the challenge, the companies and technologies with the most promising technical solutions and potential for commercial viability will have the opportunity to receive a $1 million dollar prize pot that will be divided by no more than 10 winners. The selected companies and technologies will also go through Starburst's 13-week accelerator program. In the accelerator, the entrepreneurs will receive mentorship from Starburst's global network of industry leaders and support with technology development, customer discovery, business development and fundraising, as well as preparation for/facilitation of on-orbit research. Each winner will gain access to Axiom's integration team which has successfully flown dozens of payloads to the International Space Station. "The extreme conditions of space have always driven the development of novel technologies, and we are excited for this unique opportunity–through this partnership with Boryung and Axiom–to expand the understanding of physiological responses to extreme environments and support entrepreneurs doing cutting edge research in precision medicine, regenerative medicine, synthetic biology, pharmaceutical development, and more," said Elizabeth Reynolds, Accelerator Program Director at Starburst. "The commercial space age is here, and we are on the cusp of the biological revolution; this cross-disciplinary effort is the future." The CIS Challenge application period runs from 04/18/22 - 06/17/22. A Pitch Day event on 07/28/22 will afford selected applicants the opportunity to showcase their capabilities to aerospace and bioscience and bio/medtech industry experts who will assess entrepreneurial acumen and the scientific merit, business model viability, and overall feasibility of their solutions. To learn more about the CIS Challenge and to apply, please visit: www.starburst.aero/care-in- space/ About Axiom Space Axiom Space is guided by the vision of a thriving home in space that benefits every human, everywhere. The leading provider of human spaceflight services and developer of human-rated space infrastructure, Axiom operates end-to-end missions to the International Space Station today while privately building its successor, Axiom Station, the first permanent commercial destination in Earth's orbit that will sustain human growth off the planet and bring untold benefits back home. More information about Axiom can be found at www.axiomspace.com About Boryung Boryung is contributing to the progress and development of the pharmaceutical industry by using the spirit of interdependence via commitment to human health. Accordingly, we are striving to realize the company's vision of Lifetime Care Company. Boryung pursues an 'achievement of interdependence based on humanism' and participates in various corporate philanthropic activities. Furthermore, we aim to become a global company, not by becoming content, but by continuously innovating and transforming. More information about Boryung can be found at www.boryung.co.kr About Starburst Starburst is an innovation catalyst in the aerospace industry. They are the first and only global aerospace accelerator, connecting startups with corporates, investors and government, while providing strategic growth and investment consulting services for all. With offices in Los Angeles, Paris, Munich, Singapore, Seoul, Tel Aviv, Mumbai, and Madrid, the team has built an ecosystem of key players with 9000+ of startups in its network. Starburst's accelerator program helps startups scale their business in aviation, space, and defense with access to the largest group of corporate stakeholders to help startups win their first $1M+ contract. More information about Starburst can be found at www.starburst.aero Media Contact Matt Jaffe matt@relativity.ventures                 More https://www.axiomspace.com/news/starburst-care-in-space

This Space Force Association course counts toward Space Professional I certification and considers basic orbital mechanics, space and associated terrestrial architecture, and develops a deeper understanding of the military and commercial space environment.  Graduates will be able to describe space system requirements; best employment options for available space assets; and weave in ongoing and future commercial and/or military operations and their impact on national objectives. Space Force Association #Asgardia

"Our City Connect uniform links the past and the present, making the old new, with a nod to our city's great history of space travel."                     The Houston Astros are celebrating their home city's connection to space exploration with a new uniform inspired in part by NASA's astronaut wear and materials. The Major League Baseball team debuted its new Nike City Connect uniforms on Sunday (April 10), ahead of the players wearing them for the first time when they face the Los Angeles Angels on April 20. The Astros will then don the "Space City"-themed garbs for their Monday home games at Minute Maid Park, including "NASA Night" on July 16. "Our City Connect uniform links the past and the present, making the old new, with a nod to our city's great history of space travel," said Anita Sehgal, senior vice president of communications and marketing for the Houston Astros, in a statement released on Sunday. "We don't see this as just a uniform but as a movement for our city, and we are excited to share it today." The new uniform's jersey features "Space City" stenciled boldly across the chest in a font inspired by the NASA logotype affectionally known as the "worm." Houston adopted "Space City" as its official nickname in 1967 after NASA established its Manned Spacecraft Center (today, Johnson Space Center) in southeast Houston.Home to the astronaut corps and Mission Control, many NASA crews have called back to Earth simply by addressing "Houston," including the first astronauts to land on the moon. Continuing the uniform's theming, the jerseys' sleeves are decorated with a grid pattern resembling the star charts used by astronomers. A "mission patch" on the left arm displays Houston's four area codes at the corners of the Astros' take on the Texas state flag. The Nike logo (swoosh) on the upper right chest is embroidered with gold thread similar to the multi-layer insulation used to cover and protect much of the mission equipment sent into space. A gold lunar lander and famous Apollo 11 quote — "Houston, the Eagle has landed" — embroideredabove the jock tag are symbols of accomplishment and reaching new heights. Likewise, the phrase "Go for Launch" is also stitched into the jersey, appearing in Astros orange along the inside of the collar. The inscription is meant as a constant reminder to the players that "our mission to achieve greatness is 'go for launch.'" The nods also extend to the uniform's hat, pants and socks, continuing the theme of "Space City" from head to toe. Starting at the top, the logo on the cap adds a planet's orbital track to the team's traditional "Star H" design. A small badge on the right side of the hat also spells out "Astros" in the NASA worm font. The placement of each player's number on his right pant leg is unconventional, symbolizing the team's desire to "blaze its own path." Similarly, the socks' gradient transition from deep red to bright yellow is intended to represent the thrust from the rocket engines that blast launch vehicles into space. Throughout, the navy blue Nike City Connect uniforms also incorporate rainbow-colored piping and highlights that are reminiscent of the Astros' look of the 1970s. The Union Station Team Store at Minute Maid Park and the Houston Astros' online store are now selling City Connect merchandise, including authentic and replica player jerseys, hats, t-shirts and socks. The team store will have extended hours through Saturday (April 16), ahead of the uniform's game use debut the following week. The Nike MLB City Connect program was created in 2021 to celebrate the bond between each Major League Baseball team and its city. This uniforms' designs are intended to capture the personality, values and customs that make each community and their residents unique. The Houston Astros are the second team to launch their new uniforms this year. Follow collectSPACE.com on Facebook and on Twitter at @collectSPACE. Copyright 2022 collectSPACE.com. All rights reserved. Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: community@space.com More : https://www.space.com/houston-astros-space-city-new-uniforms

Linda Rheinstein, Taking Sports to Space: The Space Games Federation:  Sports are universal. No matter what is going on in the world, it seems that sports can unite us. Now, the Space Games Federation is taking sports to space … and that’s the subject of this installment of The Ex Terra Podcast. Host Tom Patton talks with Linda Rheinstein, founder of The Space Games Federation, the first governing and sanctioning body for competitive sports played in zero or micro-gravity. Linda Rheinstein, founder of the Space Games Federation. The Space Games Federation offers the human race the unprecedented opportunity to engage in a unique fusion of Space and Athletics. By providing structure and regulation, resources to test and explore, and access to world-class experts, SGF seeks to bridge the gap between earth and space in the spirit of competition, fun, and community. SGF is composed of experts in the space, sports and entertainment industry, featuring influential leaders and thinkers that are driving the growing mainstream popularity of space. The team collectively envisions the past, present, and future of the space industry as invaluable to the human experience, and aims to marry entertainment and education — e.g, edutainment — to make this experience accessible to the But taking sports to space is not as easy as playing football or basketball in a low or microgravity environment. To come up with new concepts for sports in space, The Space Games Federation created the Equal Space Challenge, inviting the global public to design and develop original games exclusively for zero or micro-gravity playing fields. The challenge was open to competitors of all ages, genders, levels of ability or disability, and nationalities. The new sports ideas were evaluated based on four key factors, each weighted at 25%: Concept & Feasibility, Game Strategy, Community Engagement and Submission Execution. In 2018, the initial submissions were reviewed, and a “Sweet 16” of new sports ideas were chosen, and that field has been narrowed down to five finalists. https://exterrajsc.com/linda-rheinstein-taking-sports-to-space-the-space-games-federation/2022/04/11/?amp

Space is for everybody. It's not just for a few people in science or math, or for a select group of astronauts. That's our new frontier out there, and it's everybody's business to know about space. - CHRISTA MCAULIFFE - https://www.spacevip.com/

What is the Equal Space Challenge? As the first organization to sanction competitive sports in zero and micro-gravity, Space Games Federation is making history by taking sports to space—but not without help from the people of the world. This is why we launched our inaugural Equal Space Challenge, inviting the global public to design and develop original games exclusively for zero or micro-gravity playing fields. https://spacegamesfederation.com/equalspace-challenge/

Sports are universal. No matter what is going on in the world, it seems that sports can unite us. Now, the Space Games Federation is taking sports to space … and that’s the subject of this installment of The Ex Terra Podcast. Host Tom Patton talks with Linda Rheinstein, founder of The Space Games Federation, the first governing and sanctioning body for competitive sports played in zero or micro-gravity. The Space Games Federation offers the human race the unprecedented opportunity to engage in a unique fusion of Space and Athletics. By providing structure and regulation, resources to test and explore, and access to world-class experts, SGF seeks to bridge the gap between earth and space in the spirit of competition, fun, and community. SGF is composed of experts in the space, sports and entertainment industry, featuring influential leaders and thinkers that are driving the growing mainstream popularity of space. The team collectively envisions the past, present, and future of the space industry as invaluable to the human experience, and aims to marry entertainment and education — e.g, edutainment — to make this experience accessible to the world. But taking sports to space is not as easy as playing football or basketball in a low or microgravity environment. To come up with new concepts for sports in space, The Space Games Federation created the Equal Space Challenge, inviting the global public to design and develop original games exclusively for zero or micro-gravity playing fields. The challenge was open to competitors of all ages, genders, levels of ability or disability, and nationalities. The new sports ideas were evaluated based on four key factors, each weighted at 25%: Concept & Feasibility, Game Strategy, Community Engagement and Submission Execution. In 2018, the initial submissions were reviewed, and a “Sweet 16” of new sports ideas were chosen, and that field has been narrowed down to five finalists. https://exterrajsc.com/taking-sports-to-space-the-space-games-federation/2022/04/07/

THE GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON SPACE FOR EMERGING COUNTRIES 2022 The IAF will organize the IAF Global Conference on Space for Emerging Countries (GLEC 2022) hosted by its member, Sideralis Foundation in Quito, Ecuador, from 16 to 20 May 2022. Following its mission to promote international development and share knowledge, the IAF and its member Sideralis Foundation are committed to fostering and supporting the international relations that allow space faring nations and space developing nations to share practices and data about space activities and their concrete social benefits. Second Conference of its kind, GLEC 2022 is designed to: Creating awareness on the essential legislative and policy elements that must be considered in establishing a firm foundation for national or regional space programs; Promoting the creation and development of a local space industry that is innovative, responsive, robust, commercially viable, and connected and integrated to the global space industry; Highlighting the socio-economic benefits of space applications so that high-level citizen support can be secured for advancing national or regional space programs. GLEC 2022 will address various topics of interest for space developing and emerging nations and regions, with a specific focus on: Benefits of Space Technology and Applications to Socio-Economic Development Financial Models and Resourcing Technology and Skills Development Base Infrastructure Requirements Space Industry Development and Support Legal and Policy The Conference programme is designed to bring together the international community, including senior representatives of the major space agencies, industry, governments, policy makers, academia and NGOs. These leaders in the field will converge in Quito, Ecuador, to present results, exchange ideas, debate roadmaps, and discuss the future opportunities provided by space activities to emerging nations. The comprehensive programme will include high-level keynotes, round tables as well as young professionals and students dedicated sessions that will address the most recent achievements in space activities and cooperation for emerging countries and explore how industry, politics, and law will help shape the future of this exciting domain of astronautics. https://www.iafastro.org/events/global-series-conferences/the-global-conference-on-space-for-emerging-countries-2022/

The International Astronautical Federation attended the 37th Space Symposium and received the Space Foundation 2022 Space Achievement Award Space Symposium is the assembly hosted by IAF Member Space Foundation since 1984. The live event is widely attended by commercial and government leaders, young professionals, entrepreneurs, and educators in Colorado Springs, Colorado. On Monday 4 April 2022, the IAF attended the Opening Ceremony celebrating the official start of the 37th Space Symposium. During the ceremony, Space Foundation honors outstanding individuals and organizations to highlight the best of the best in the space community. Space Foundation's Space Achievement Award recognizes individuals or organizations that have demonstrated attainment, breakthrough space technology or program or product success representing critical milestones in the evolution of space exploration and development. The award has been presented to the IAF Incoming President Clay Mowry and IAF Executive Director, Christian Feichtinger. In receiving the award, Clay Mowry declared: "History has shown us that none of us can achieve what we want alone; let us work together to forge a world where space and peace prevail". Wednesday 6 April 2022 at 12:15 pm - 1:45 pm, the IAF will offer a Luncheon: The IAF: 70+ Years of Connecting @ll Space People For 70+ years the International Astronautical Federation (IAF) has been leading the efforts of Connecting @ll Space People on a global scale. As part of these efforts, the International Astronautical Congress and IAF Global Conferences have been the ideal catalyst and discussion opportunity for all space actors. The IAF Luncheon will be the perfect occasion to learn more about how to get involved in the global space community and to actively participate and showcase your organization at the upcoming IACs in Paris, France, in 2022 and Baku, Azerbaijan, in 2023, as well as the Global Conference on Space for Emerging Countries in Quito, Ecuador, in May 2022. Moderator: Christian Feichtinger, Executive Director, International Astronautical Federation (IAF) Panelists: Joseph Aschbacher, Director General, European Space Agency (ESA) Steve Eisenhart, IAF Vice President for the IAF Global Networking Forum Rena Jafarova, IAC 2023 Project Manager Clay Mowry, IAF Incoming President Davide Petrillo, IAF Vice President for Education and Workforce Development Juan Jaramillo Rojas, GLEC 2022 IPC Co-Chair Anthony Tsougranis, IAF Vice President for Honours and Awards If interested in being invited, please contact giuliamaria.berardi@iafastro.org https://www.iafastro.org/

SpaceTech Industry Year 2021 Overview summarizes vital observations in the SpaceTech ecosystem, a rapidly evolving and exponentially growing industry, and its development in 2021. In this case study, we have assembled information about key industry trends based on our database of more than 12,000 companies, 4,000 investors, and 170+ publicly traded corporations from the SpaceTech Industry.  More : https://www.spacetech.global/spacetech-industry-year-overview-2021

Asgardia Space Games (ASG) Peace and Sport - Sport and Space Safe Earth and Peace in Space “Asgardia aims to ensure peaceful space exploration, protect our home planet from cosmic threats and lead the development of new Space Law to eliminate militarization of space.” The Olympic Charter specifies that “The goal of Olympism is to place sport at the service of the harmonious development of humankind, with a view to promoting a peaceful society concerned with the preservation of human dignity” Aim : Asgardia Space Games as a nonprofit organization aims to offer its members the opportunity to practise in Space (Zero-Graviti) Sport and Digital Games to pass actively. This official goal comprises various sets of operative goals which serve as some kind of strategy or model to fulfil the club's, federation, organitations purpose. Structure : An alliance of experts in space, sports and the entertainment industry are designing and developing original games exclusively for low or microgravity playing fields. Asgardia Space Sports Clubs, Asgardia Space Sports Federation, Asgardia Space Sports Organizations under the name of "Asgardia Space Games" Prof.Dr. Sebahattin DEVECİOĞLU MP-1 10.03.2022