By Jonathan Josephs & Antoinette Radford BBC News 5 October 2023 Nasa astronauts will be flying in style, with luxury fashion designer Prada helping design space suits for the 2025 Moon mission. The Italian fashion house will work to design the suits alongside another private company, Axiom Space. In a press release, Axiom said Prada would bring expertise with materials and manufacturing to the project. One astronaut told the BBC he thought Prada was up to the challenge due to their design experience That experience has been built not only on the catwalks of Milan but also through Prada's involvement in the America's Cup sailing competition. "Prada has considerable experience with various types of composite fabrics and may actually be able to make some real technical contributions to the outer layers of the new space suit," according to Professor Jeffrey Hoffman, who flew five Nasa missions and has carried out four spacewalks. But he said people should not expect to see astronauts in "paisley spacesuits or any fancy patterns like that. Maintaining a good thermal environment is really the critical thing". "A spacesuit is really like a miniature spacecraft. It has to provide pressure, oxygen, keep you at a reasonable temperature," he added. Earlier this year, Axiom unveiled a spacesuit, which it said would be worn on the upcoming Artemis 3 mission. The suit weighed 55kg and was said to be a better fit for female travellers. In a press release, Artemis and Prada said they would use "innovative technologies and design" to allow "greater exploration of the lunar surface than ever before". The Artemis 3 mission, featuring the Prada designs, will follow Artemis 2, which will involve flying a capsule around the Moon late next year or early in 2025. Artemis 2 will have the first woman and the first black astronaut ever assigned to a lunar mission - Christina Kock and Victor Glover respectively. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-67022619.amp

Welcome to Bursa, where the skies unite! Join us as we proudly announce GUHEM’s role as the esteemed host for a five-day celestial gathering, bringing together astronauts, cosmonauts, and taikonauts from across the globe to inspire and connect with the public.   The future is in the skies” Embracing the visionary words of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, the esteemed founder of modern Türkiye, we proudly present ‘'The Future is in the Skies’' as the inspiring theme for our extraordinary astronaut reunion in Bursa. Join us as we embark on a journey of discovery, unity, and boundless possibilities, as we honor Atatürk’s timeless vision and celebrate the spirit of exploration that transcends borders and propels humanity towards a brighter future. https://www.ase2023.org/en

A NASA astronaut will finally spend a full year in space "I'm really excited to see how my body does when I return." Eleven days before Christmas last year, a micrometeoroid struck a Soyuz spacecraft docked to the International Space Station. This ruptured the vehicle's cooling system, creating a dramatic spray of coolant for hours into space before there was none left. Prior to this accidental strike, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio had been planning to come home by around spring break of 2023 to see his wife, Deborah, and four children. For his debut spaceflight, six months in space was enough for the former helicopter pilot and flight surgeon. But eventually Russian and US engineers determined that the Soyuz spacecraft that he and two Russian crewmates—cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin—had flown to the space station may not be safe for the return journey home. The crew compartment was likely to overheat. So that damaged vehicle was flown home without anyone on board, and a replacement Soyuz flew autonomously to the station. An unexpected challenge https://arstechnica.com/space/2023/09/a-nasa-astronaut-will-finally-spend-a-full-year-in-space/

The Ministry of Transport, Communications and Information Technology of Oman will host the inaugural Conference on January 8th, 2024, welcoming leading space executives from government agencies and private sector companies around the world. Paris , Washington D.C., Montreal, Yokohama, Sydney, Tuesday 12th September 2023. The Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology of Oman (MTCIT) has announced it will hold a conference to promote space in the Middle East and the country’s role as a strategic gateway for attracting investments in space applications and technologies into the region. The conference is set to run from January the 8th-10th next year and will be delivered in collaboration with leading global space and satellite strategy consulting and market intelligence firm Euroconsult, leveraging their proven expertise and reputation for delivering informative and executive satellite events for C-level executives since 1997. The Middle East Space Conference will continue Euroconsult’s established method of securing top level speakers from across the satellite and space sectors, including government agencies, private companies and investors, to share knowledge with the event participants. More than 350 experts are expected to attend the event in Oman from across the Middle East and around the globe. https://www.euroconsult-ec.com/press-release/sultanate-of-oman-partners-with-euroconsult-to-launch-middle-east-space-conference/

Maussan has previously been associated with claims of discoveries that have later been debunked, Tara Cobham 13.09.2023 Alleged “non-human” alien corpses have been displayed to Mexican politicians at the country’s Congress. The two small alleged alien corpses, retrieved from Cusco, Peru, were presented in windowed boxes in Mexico City on Wednesday, stirring excitement within the UFO conspiracy theorist community. The event was spearheaded by journalist and ufologist Jaime Maussan, who testified under oath that the mummified specimens are not part of “our terrestrial evolution”, with almost a third of their DNA remaining “unknown”, reported Mexican media. The claims by the self-claimed ‘ufologist’ have not been proven and Mr Maussan has previously been associated with claims of discoveries that have later been debunked. At the public hearing, Mr Maussan showed US officials and members of the Mexican government several videos of “UFOs and unidentified anomalous phenomena” before unveiling the alleged alien corpses. He said: “These specimen are not part of our terrestrial evolution... These aren’t beings that were found after a UFO wreckage. They were found in diatom (algae) mines, and were later fossilized.” Mr Maussan told attendees the specimens had been studied by scientists at the Autonomous National University of Mexico (UNAM) who were able to draw DNA evidence using radiocarbon dating. After comparisons were made to other DNA samples, it was found that over 30% of the specimens’ DNA was “unknown”, he said. X-rays of the specimens were also shown during the hearing, with experts testifying under oath that one of the bodies is seen to have “eggs” inside, while both were said to have implants made of very rare metals, such as Osmium. Ryan Graves, Americans for Safe Aerospace Executive Director and former US Navy pilot, was in attendance, having earlier this year told US Congress of the threat that unidentified aerial phenomena posed to US national security. Mr Maussan has previously been associated with claims of “alien” discoveries that have later been debunked, including five mummies found in Peru in 2017 that were later shown to be human children. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/alien-corpses-in-mexico-found-congress-ufo-b2411144.html

The full IAC 2023 Technical Programme is here! Get ready for a blast! We have got a fantastic IAC 2023 Technical Programme lined up for you! Check out our sessions and presentations, and mark your calendars, because we are already thrilled to see you in Baku for another congress of fascinating discussions, networking with peers from around the world, and training and development. We have pulled out all the stops to ensure an unforgettable IAC full of scientific discoveries and knowledge exchange. Have a detailed look at the Technical Programme: SYMPOSIUM KEYNOTES https://www.iafastro.org/events/iac/iac-2023/technical-programme/symposium-keynotes/ SPECIAL SESSIONS https://www.iafastro.org/events/iac/iac-2023/technical-programme/special-sessions/ INTERACTIVE PRESENTATIONS AND TECHNICAL SESSIONS https://iafastro.directory/iac/browse/IAC-23/catalog-technical-programme SEE YOU SOON IN BAKU! https://www.iafastro.org/

Excited that my exhibition 'Our Fragile Space: Protecting the Near-Space Environment' will be at the Elliot School of International Affairs, George Washington University. The exhibition opens on September 12th with Scott Pace, Director of the influential Space Policy Institute and Krystal Azelton, Director of Space Applications Programs at Secure World Foundation. If you are in Washington DC and can would like to attend the opening event you can register on one of the links below. I hope to see you there! Protecting the near-space environment is in everyone's interests. #SpaceSustainability #SpaceDebris #SpacePolicyInstitute #GWU UK Space Agency LloydsofLondon European Space Agency - ESA Airbus Airbus Defence and Space Astroscale EUMETSAT Viasat D-Orbit NSF's NOIRLab #SKAO #IAU #CPS https://lnkd.in/dXzJVHi2 | https://lnkd.in/ebg2xCCa

Excited to share that I've joined the Moon Village Association's Global Expert Group on Sustainable Lunar Activities (GEGSLA) Working Group (WG3)- Lunar Multi-Stakeholder Coordination, led by Co-chairs Mark Sundahl, Cleveland State University and Yu Xu, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China and glad to be working with great mind. Why would we care about the lunar future? here's why: 🌌 Expanding Human Horizons: The lunar future represents a remarkable opportunity to extend humanity's reach beyond Earth, advancing our knowledge of space and its potential for future exploration and habitation. 🛰️ Resource Abundance: Beyond its scientific value, the Moon offers rich resources like water ice and minerals that could be essential for sustaining future lunar missions and even supporting life on Earth. 🌎 Sustainable Exploration: Ensuring the lunar future is peaceful, safe, and sustainable is crucial. WG 3's mission is to facilitate global collaboration, fostering responsible lunar activities that benefit all nations and future generations. Our work includes developing a proposal for the International Committee on Lunar Operations (ICLO), which will coordinate efforts at both operational and #policy levels. Stay tuned for updates as we contribute to a brighter and more informed future in space exploration. 🌌🚀 #LunarFuture #SpaceExploration #Sustainability #GlobalCollaboration #space #spacesustainability #spacediplomacy #spaceeconomy #spacetechnology #spacepolicy #diplomacy #internationalrelations https://www.linkedin.com/in/malak-trabelsi-loeb-872289137/

The International Astronautical Congress in Baku offers excitement and business opportunities The 74th International Astronautical Congress promises to be one of the most diverse ever in the IAC history. It will be an absolutely invaluable opportunity to meet and connect with more than 30 Sponsors and up to 150 Exhibitors during the IAC 2023 in Baku, Azerbaijan, from 2nd October to 6th October. The Chinese Society of Astronautics (CSA) is delighted to be the Premier Sponsor for the world’s most prestigious space event and to showcase at the IAC 2023 China's many and exciting breakthroughs in the space field. In the Platinum Sponsor category the IAC 2023 is grateful to be receiving support from the Saudi Space Agency (SSA), SpaceX, and the Turkish Space Agency (TUA). Partnering with us as Gold Sponsors we have the Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IAI) and the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre (MBRSC). We are grateful to our Silver Sponsors for their support – Airbus, Axiom Space, Intersputnik, ispace, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Northrop Grumman, Plan-S, and Vast. Generous contributions from our Bronze Sponsors - Asgardia, BlackSky, Blue Origin, EnduroSat, JGC Holdings Corporation, Lockheed Martin, and Neuraspace are incredibly appreciated. Rounding out the remarkable support of the IAC 2023 we are immensely and sincerely thankful to all sponsors, including AIDAA, Amazon’s Project Kuiper, Astroscale, Boeing, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Space: Science & Technology, Technology Innovation Institute, Unimetal, UK Space Agency and Voyager Space. With thousands of participants from around the world, the Exhibition is an excellent way to make critical business connections. Please review the Exhibition Floor Plan here https://www.iac2023.org/exhibition-sponsorship/exhibition/ Register now at IAC 2023 at https://registration.iac2023.org/registration.

By Izzy House The roar of the 2020s comes from the sound of launches into space. Space stations, satellites, Moon voyages, and suborbital transportation herald in this new era. Spaceports connect our world and are vital infrastructure for space transportation. They are the gateway to space. Here is a brief look into recent events in the past year that heralded a new era for the space industry. https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/space-marketing-explored-6997314119641047040/

Our wonderful supporters at the Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO) is providing some incredible opportunities for school and college students. 🌟✨ Check the details below and participate now🚀🪐 These are two flagship programs of World Space Week Nepal hosted by Nepal Astronomical Society (NASO). Spread the words! ✨️🇳🇵🌎 Suresh Bhattarai https://www.linkedin.com/in/sureshbhattarai/

We are happy to announce a joint social media campaign with the World Space Week Association and ECSL - European Centre for Space Law. This initiative aims to engage our extensive global networks and provide a forum for our members to share their invaluable insights and significant space career experiences. Keep an eye out for future updates on our joint campaign, which we will publish closer to the beginning of World Space Week 2023. #WSW2023 Read more on our website: https://lnkd.in/dqRSjezM

Private space companies, often called 'NewSpace,' increasingly leverage AI, automation, and robotics advancements to run their business. Given this trend, which hard and soft skills should students in K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels focus on to thrive in the new space economy? Educators, space industry professionals, and space enthusiasts... please share your experience! Junaid Mian, RPh of SpaceFund is conducting research into what skills space education should focus on. Submit your response using the form below. "Private space companies, often called 'NewSpace,' increasingly leverage AI, automation, and robotics advancements to run their business. Given this trend, which hard and soft skills should students in K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels focus on to thrive in the new space economy?" https://lnkd.in/gy5rr-Uq #spaceeconomy #spaceeducation #spaceindustry #spacephilosophy #overvieweffect #STEMeducation #STEAMeducation #workforcedevelopment #CTE #edtech

If you’re imagining slow-motion ping pong, you’re not far off. Space Future has been studying the future of zero-g sports for years now, and they’ve come up with some really interesting findings. f you’re imagining slow-motion ping pong, you’re not far off. Space Future has been studying the future of zero gravity sports for years now, and they’ve come up with some really interesting findings. They are considering the possibilities of sporting events for space tourists. Many companies are predicting that hotels will pop up in space, along with top-of-the-line luxury experiences for tourists. These people will have money to spare and they will want live entertainment to rival anything they could have enjoyed back on earth. Here’s what we might expect from zero-gravity sports in the next hundreds years or more. Some earth athletes have already experienced performance in zero gravity. Check out this video from The Guardian of Usain Bolt sprinting in zero gravity https://goingtospace.com/astrophysics/zero-gravity-the-next-big-thing-in-sports-zero-gravity