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☆ Frank Borman, Astronaut Who Led First Orbit of the Moon, Dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( Richard Goldstein | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Apollo 8 carried three astronauts farther from Earth than anyone had ever traveled. It orbited the lunar surface 10 times, flying nearly 60 miles above its surface, to photograph a bleak and rock-strewn terrain, seeking potential landing spots for the moonwalks to come. Mr. Borman, who never set foot on the moon — and by his own account had no desire to do so — flew in space twice. In December 1965, he commanded the two-man Gemini 7 spacecraft on a 14-day flight that set what was then a record for time spent in space. Gemini 7 rendezvoused with Gemini 6A as it orbited Earth, a significant step toward perfecting a similar maneuver that would be required when astronauts reached the moon.

Persons: Frank Borman, Borman, — Organizations: NASA, Apollo, Gemini Locations: America, Billings, Mont

(AP) — Astronaut Frank Borman, who commanded Apollo 8's historic Christmas 1968 flight that circled the moon 10 times and paved the way for the lunar landing the next year, has died. Borman also led troubled Eastern Airlines in the 1970s and early '80s after leaving the astronaut corps. He and his crew, James Lovell and William Anders, were the first Apollo mission to fly to the moon — and to see Earth as a distant sphere in space. Astronaut Frank Borman was a true American hero,” NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement Thursday. In his book, "Countdown: An Autobiography," Borman said Apollo 8 was originally supposed to orbit Earth.

Persons: Frank Borman, Borman, James Lovell, William Anders, Bill Nelson, Susan, ”, God, ” Lovell, —, ” Borman, Anders Organizations: NASA, Eastern Airlines, Gemini, Associated Press Locations: Mont, Billings , Montana, Florida’s Cape Canaveral

☆ Former US astronaut Frank Borman dies at 95
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

NASA astronaut Frank Borman in an undated photo. Borman served as the commander of Apollo 8, the first mission to fly around the world. Born in Gary, Indiana, on March 14, 1928, he was the oldest American astronaut still living; that mantle now passes to Jim Lovell, who is also 95 but eleven days younger. Like most of his fellow generation of astronauts, he trained as a test pilot before being selected for NASA's second astronaut program in 1962. In 1970 Borman retired from NASA and the Air Force and became an adviser to Eastern Airlines.

Persons: Frank Borman, Borman, Jim Lovell, Borman's crewmate William Anders, Susan, Eric Beech, Dan Whitcomb, Bill Trott, Rosalba O'Brien Organizations: NASA, Apollo, Handout, REUTERS, Former U.S, Eastern Airlines, American, Air Force, U.S . Military Academy, Gemini, Texas Air Corp, Politico, Thomson Locations: Former, Billings , Montana, Gary , Indiana, Arizona, Las Cruces , New Mexico, U.S

☆ Newly discovered Comet Nishimura will soon swing by Earth
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-08 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A newly discovered comet will be visible at times as it flies by Earth next week. Japanese space photographer Hideo Nishimura first observed Comet Nishimura in early August as he was taking images of the night sky, according to EarthSky. Comet Nishimura can bee seen as a faint green dot in the sky over L'Aquila, Italy, on September 7. “Unless it becomes quite a bit brighter than expected, it will likely not be visible.”What’s next for Comet NishimuraGiven how closely Comet Nishimura will pass by the sun, it’s possible the intense heat might destroy it. If you miss the chance to see Comet Nishimura, there are several comets expected to appear in the night sky in the next 16 months, Hale said.

Persons: Hideo Nishimura, Comet Nishimura, Alan Hale, Comet Hale, Bopp, Nishimura, Dr, Paul Chodas, would’ve, Hale, Chodas, Dave Schleicher, Schleicher, Manuel Romano, ” Hale, What’s, ” Chodas, Comet Pons, Brooks, Comet Olbers Organizations: CNN, Earthrise, NASA’s Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Lowell Observatory, Northern, Sun Locations: Pasadena , California, Arizona, L'Aquila, Italy

☆ Commercial lunar lander presumed lost after historic moon landing attempt
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-25 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —A Japanese lunar lander, carrying a rover developed in the United Arab Emirates, attempted to find its footing on the moon’s surface Tuesday — and potentially mark the world’s first lunar landing for a commercially developed spacecraft. The lunar lander, called Hakuto-R, was carrying the Rashid rover — the first Arab-built lunar spacecraft, which was built by Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre in Dubai. Israel-based company SpaceIL was the first XPrize contestant to attempt to put its lander on the moon after the program ended. Its Beresheet spacecraft crashed in 2019 after ground teams lost contact with the lander as it approached the surface. That same year, the Indian Space and Research Organisation lost contact with a lunar lander shortly before it was slated to touch down on the moon.

☆ Meet the brothers building massive spacecraft to leverage SpaceX’s Starship
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-10 | by ( Michael Sheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

What we're finding is that, with the new launch capabilities of vehicles like Starship, there's actually an interesting opportunity to go the opposite direction," Karan Kunjur told CNBC. Los Angeles-based startup K2 Space, co-founded by CEO Karan Kunjur and CTO Neel Kunjur, is setting out to build satellite buses — the physical structure of a spacecraft that provides power, movement and more. A pair of brothers is aiming to challenge the way spacecraft are built, by going against the industry trend and designing massive satellites in a bet that towering rockets such as SpaceX's Starship are the way forward. K2 Space, a play on the brothers' surname and a nod to astronomer Nikolai Kardashev's scales of civilization, marks Karan and Neel's first venture together and fuses their previously divergent careers. For K2, the company is targeting prices that would be unheard of for satellite buses of these sizes.

☆ Top VCs view payments startups as 'inflation hedged.' Here's why they're so bullish on the space.
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Dan Defrancesco | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

At least one sector is primed to thrive, according to some top investors in the space. Payments are a bright spot with potential for growth heading into 2023, according to nine fintech investors Insider surveyed. And while inflation has been a sore spot for nearly every startup, it is actually a potential benefit in the payments space, according to another investor. To read more about the five different payments trends VC investors see the most promise in, click here. Bloomberg details how top firms like Citadel and JPMorgan are designing office space on Park Avenue with plenty of perks.

☆ Here's what William Shatner would have seen on his trip to space aboard Blue Origin as his new book says it 'felt like a funeral'
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-10 | by ( Taylor Rains | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

William Shatner became the oldest person to journey to space when he flew on Blue Origin in October 2021. The 11-minute flight reached 66 miles above Earth, where Shatner may have seen deserts, mountains, and water. The Star Trek actor described space as dreadful "ominous blackness," but was wowed by Earth's beauty. ReutersBefore the journey, Shatner expressed excitement about finally seeing space with his own eyes, describing the opportunity as "a miracle." Bettmann/Getty ImagesIn the film, Gagarin said he could see forests, and described Earth as "visible and distinct," but many areas were "covered with cumulus clouds."

☆ The fascinating story behind 'Earthrise' — the most famous picture of Earth ever taken — which turns 54 today
▼ + stars: | 2018-12-24 | by ( Dina Spector | Kelsey Vlamis | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"Earthrise" is the first image of Earth captured by humans from space. The photo of Earth was taken aboard Apollo 8 on December 24, 1968, by lunar module pilot Bill Anders. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. The mission was historic, but equally memorable was the famous "Earthrise" photo that resulted, showing Earth rising above the lunar landscape. "Space rookie William Anders, however, was in charge of taking the photos.

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