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Kam Ghaffarian, co-founder and chairman of Axiom Space Inc., speaks during an interview at the company's headquarters in Houston, Texas, U.S., on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022. IBX's Kam Ghaffarian wants to go even further: the stars. Ghaffarian has been instrumental in ushering in the new space economy, having co-founded and invested in a cadre of commercial space ventures. Unlike other high-profile billionaires building commercial space companies, Ghaffarian made his fortune through the space industry, and rather than focusing on access to space, he's leveraging those falling costs to build out infrastructure and business activities in space. Ghaffarian believes the space economy will be worth trillions of dollars — and sooner than many realize.

Persons: Kam Ghaffarian, Jeff Bezos, Richard Branson, Elon Musk, IBX's Kam Ghaffarian, CNBC's Morgan Brennan, Ghaffarian, Odysseus, he's, We've, Jeff, Bezos, we've, Morgan Brennan, it's Organizations: Space, International, Elon, Technologies, NASA, KBR, SpaceX Locations: Houston , Texas, U.S, Colorado Springs, Iran

☆ Elon Musk's wealth has crashed by $160 billion from its peak as Tesla's problems pile up
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-17 | by ( Theron Mohamed | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

The stock drop has fueled an estimated $160 billion decline in Elon Musk's net worth. AdvertisementTesla's mounting troubles have dealt a heavy blow to Elon Musk's net worth. However, Musk's net worth has plunged by about $160 billion since then to $178 billion at Tuesday's close. Musk's net worth has taken a big hit from the decline because his 13% stake in the automaker makes up a big chunk of his wealth. He topped the Bloomberg rich list with a $229 billion fortune in January, but his net worth has crashed by $51 billion, or 22%, since then.

Persons: —, Elon, Warren Buffett, LVMH's Bernard Arnault, Jeff Bezos, Meta's Mark Zuckerberg, Musk, He's, Zuckerberg, isn't Organizations: Service, Bloomberg, SpaceX, Buffett, Tesla, Twitter Locations: Elon Musk's

☆ US-Russia collaboration has long endured in space. The Ukraine war could ruin it.
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-16 | by ( Tom Porter | Mikhaila Friel | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

The International Space Station has long been a symbol of international cooperation. AdvertisementSince the end of the Cold War, the International Space Station (ISS) has been a symbol of international cooperation. By 1988, 15 nations had agreed to participate in the project, then known as Space Station Freedom. Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty ImagesThe Soviets had long-standing expertise in aerospace technology, having launched the world's first space station, "Salyut," in 1971. China has completed several unmanned Moon landings, has its own space station, and has developed a sophisticated commercial and military satellite program.

Persons: —, Peggy Whitson, Vladimir Putin, Jill Stuart, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, Terry Virts, Anton Shkaplerov, Marco Tacca, Oleg Artemyev, Denis Matveev, Sergey Korsakov, Virts, Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, Alexander Grebenkin, Jeanette Epps, Stuart, Verts, Musk Organizations: Astronauts, Service, Space, Veteran, ISS, Imperial College London, Politics, NASA, European Space Agency, ESA, Inter, Soyuz, Keystone, Hulton, Roscosmos, Reuters, Anadolu, Getty, Imperial College, Baikonur Cosmodrome, Elon Musk's SpaceX, The Independent, CNBC Locations: Russia, Ukraine, Europe, China, Japan, loggerheads, Hollywood, Canada, Soviet Union, Milan, Italy, Luhansk, Luhansk People's Republic, Russian, Baikonur, Kazakhstan, The, Soviet Russia

☆ NASA is asking for help to retrieve Mars samples that could be the first evidence of alien life
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-15 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

NASA's Perseverance Mars rover is collecting samples that could be evidence of ancient alien life. But NASA's Mars Sample Return mission to bring them to Earth will now cost $11 billion and take two decades. NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASUNASA's original proposal for the Mars Sample Return is "mind-bendingly complicated," David Parker, director of space exploration at the European Space Agency, said in 2021. AdvertisementAn illustration shows a concept of how NASA's Mars Sample Return mission would launch Perseverance's samples from the surface of Mars. At the current price tag, Mars Sample Return would "cannibalize" other NASA missions, Nelson said.

Persons: —, Nicola Fox, We're, David Parker, Bill Nelson, Nelson, Fox, Lockheed Martin, Northrop, We've, that's Organizations: NASA, Service, Mars Express, ESA, JPL, Caltech, ASU, European Space Agency, Lockheed, Northrop Grumman, Boeing, SpaceX Locations: Berlin, Mars

☆ Opinion: The day of the Columbia disaster still haunts me
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-14 | by ( Miles O'Brien | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +16 min

The CNN Original Series, “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight,” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. Miles O'Brien Vincent RicardelI was at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida to cover the launch of the space shuttle, Columbia. Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

Persons: Miles O’Brien, ”, Miles O'Brien Vincent Ricardel, Ilan Ramon, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Dave Santucci, “, —, Heidi Collins, Janeane Garofalo, “ Let’s, would’ve Organizations: PBS, CNN, Space Shuttle Columbia, NASA, Kennedy Space Center, Engineers, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Columbia, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Shuttle Columbia, Space, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Challenger, Shuttle, CNN Center, US Locations: Atlanta and New York, Florida, Columbia, synchronicity, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, Texas, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, Iraq, Atlanta, United States, California, Dallas

☆ Opinion: NASA was America’s crown jewel. After the Columbia disaster it was never quite the same
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-06 | by ( Opinion Douglas Brinkley | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +15 min

Space Shuttle Columbia launches from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. The environmentally controlled chamber was mated to Space Shuttle Columbia for access into the orbiter. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock High School had an experiment on board Space Shuttle Columbia.

Persons: Douglas Brinkley, Katherine Tsanoff, John F, Kennedy, ”, Douglas Brinkley Moore Huffman, Nancy Currie, Gregg, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Sean O’Keefe, Jeff Bezos, Lockheed Martin, Sir Richard Branson, “ Organizations: Rice University, CNN, Shuttle Columbia, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, Russian Space Agency, Russia, United Arab, Challenger, Columbia, Space, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Shuttle, Investigation, Elon, SpaceX, United Launch Alliance, Boeing, Lockheed, Virgin Galactic, JFK Locations: China, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Columbia, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, American

☆ NASA’s space shuttle program reimagined rocketry. What went wrong?
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Jackie Wattles | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +17 min

The CNN Original Series “Space Shuttle Columbia: The Final Flight” uncovers the events that ultimately led to disaster. Deemed an “engineering marvel,” the first of five winged orbiters — the space shuttle Columbia — made its inaugural flight in 1981. Crews aboard the recovery ships Liberty Star and Freedom Star retrieve a reusable right solid rocket booster (below) after a space shuttle mission. Space Shuttle Columbia launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 10:39 a.m. NASA Space Shuttle Columbia lifts off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on January 16, 2003.

Persons: ”, Sean O’Keefe, Casey Dreier, Crews, O’Keefe, Scott Andrews, NASA's, Michael P, Anderson, William C, McCool, Rick D, David M, Brown, Laurel, Ilan Ramon, Kalpana Chawla, Joe Skipper, Karl Ronstrom, Ramon, NASA Chawla, Clark, Chawla, Robert Giroux, Kathryn O'Neill, Zachary, Brett Coomer, Florida Sen, Bill Nelson, Matt Stroshane, Tommy Peltier, Eric Gay, Smiley, Gene Theriot, Sean O'Keefe, George W, Bush, Ron Dittemore, Joe Cavaretta, O'Keefe, Mannie Garcia, NASA Sandy Anderson, Carlos Noriega, Michael L, Coats, Evelyn Husband, Thomas, John Raoux, Glenn Benson, Kim Shiflett, Rodney Rocha, Columbia’s, Rick Husband, “ Roger, Sen, Mark Kelly, “, ” Kelly Organizations: CNN, Shuttle Columbia, Sunday, NASA, Columbia, America’s, Planetary Society, European Space Agency, Space, International Space, Hubble, Liberty Star, NASA’s Ames Research Center, Space Shuttle Columbia, Kennedy Space Center, Reuters Space Shuttle Columbia, Scott Andrews People, Control Center, Getty, NASA Space, Israeli Air Force, Space Shuttle, Red Team, Blue Team, Johnson Space Center, Former, Houston, Houston Chronicle, People, US Navy Corps, Columbia Reconstruction, NASA Workers, Astronauts Memorial Foundation, Reuters, Bannock, Bannock Junior, Senior, Bannock High School, Johnson Space, Challenger, Shuttle, East Texas Locations: Columbia, America’s Soviet, Florida, Houston, Israel, SPACEHAB, New York, Laguna Hills , California, Texas, San Augustine , Texas, Washington ,, Shoshone, Fort Hall , Idaho, New Mexico, East

☆ Investing in Space: Boeing takes backup role in flying NASA astronauts
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-28 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Boeing's Starliner program finally feels close to flying people in space for the first time. It was originally planned to launch this crew flight test in November 2018. On the eve of flying crew, Boeing's messaging is now closer to "NASA wants us as backup and we're not committing beyond that." The additionally unfortunate aspect of this situation is that none of these years of setbacks and cost overruns seem to have lit a fire under Boeing's space management.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Boeing's, we're, Starliner, it's, SpaceX's Dragon, Boeing's Starliner, Mark Nappi, Nappi Organizations: ISS, Boeing, SpaceX, NASA

☆ Billionaires going to space aim to industrialize the moon, asteroids, and Mars. It's time to set some ground rules.
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +10 min

Read previewThe space business is in bloom and, so far, it's largely unregulated. Other space startups have ambitions including asteroid mining, in vitro fertilization (IVF) in space, and space hotels. As space startups and billionaires vie for a foothold on the moon and beyond, experts say governments probably need to start setting some ground rules. Seven of the world's 10 biggest commercial space operators are based in the US, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. AdvertisementIn another vein, last year Florida passed a bill to protect space companies and their owners from getting sued over spaceflight passenger death or injury.

Persons: —, Jeff Bezos's, Elon Musk, Bezos, NASA What's, George Nield, Galileo, Joel Kearns, Richard Branson, Galactic's, Lyndon B, Johnson, Jeff Bezos, Joe Raedle, Michelle Hanlon, Jared Isaacman, William Shatner, Hanlon Organizations: Service, NASA, Houston, SpaceX, Business, Northeastern University, Federal Aviation Administration's, Space Transportation, JPL, FAA, Virgin Galactic, Virgin, Getty, Artemis Accords, Hague Institute, Global Justice, Washington, Companies, Shepard, Center for Air, Space, University of Mississippi School of Law, titans, US International Trade Commission, Organisation for Economic Co, Federal Communications Locations: Mars, Russia, China, Blue, Florida

☆ China may be developing plans to take out US satellites from the moon, Space Force general says
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-19 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

China may be planning to take out US satellites from the moon, a US Space Force commander said. AdvertisementChina could be planning to attack US satellites from the Moon, a US Space Force commander said, amid growing US concerns about China's space program. Mastalir said that he remains most focused on potential conflict on Earth, but that China's moon strategy needed urgent consideration. As part of China's growing space exploration program, it's aiming to take astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade. "From the moon, China can better surveil cislunar space and also station laser or missile systems to attack critical American satellites in deep space," Fisher told the publication.

Persons: —, Anthony Mastalir, it's, Mastalir, Stephen Whiting, Richard Fisher, Fisher, Lincoln Hines, Svetla Ben, Itzhak Organizations: US Space Force, Service, Defense, US Space Forces, Space Force, US Space Command, Bloomberg, Center, Newsweek Locations: China, Brig

☆ Investing in Space: Where NASA made cuts in its underwhelming budget request
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-15 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. A year ago, the space agency was seeking budgets of $27.2 billion and $27.7 billion for 2024 and 2025, respectively. Moreover, NASA's budget remains a tiny fraction (less than 0.4%!) But the branch isn't exactly enthused, with Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall giving the 2025 request an "acceptable" grade. Space Force's budget has already surpassed NASA's, and the Pentagon is seeking $29.4 billion for the branch in 2025.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, what's, Artemis, Frank Kendall, That's Organizations: House, NASA, Congress, Exploration Systems, Planetary Society, Air Force, Pentagon, Space Force, Security, NSSL

☆ Obama takes a shot at the likes of Musk and Bezos, says we must protect Earth before colonizing Mars
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Marianne Guenot | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Earth would be more liveable than Mars "even after a nuclear war" and climate change, he said. It comes as Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos test mega-rockets that could take humans to the red planet. Sign up for our newsletter to get the latest on the culture & business of sustainability — delivered weekly to your inbox. The prototype rocket, which is a crucial part of Musk's plan to colonize the red planet, blew up on its previous attempts. The rocket could compete with Starship for NASA's plans to return to the moon ahead of heading to Mars.

Persons: Barack Obama, Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, Obama, Jeff Bezos's, Glenn Organizations: Service, SpaceX, Amazon Locations: Silicon, Paris, Mars

☆ Hedge funds are betting big against these stocks and it's working
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Pia Singh | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

The latest short interest data reveals several stocks that are down both month to date and since the start of the new year. CNBC Pro screened FactSet data for stocks trading on the New York Stock Exchange and Nasdaq Exchange with the most short interest as of Feb. 29. Here are the names of these heavily shorted stocks: EV-related stocks and auto stocks are an ongoing target of hedge funds — and they're not performing well this year. There is also a significant amount of short interest, roughly 33%, in both Luminar Technologies , which makes technology for self-driving cars, and used car retailer Carvana . Short interest in the stock grew a whopping 44.9% during the latter half of February.

Persons: they're, TD Cowen, Jefferies, —, Nick Wells Organizations: Dow Jones Industrial, CNBC, New York Stock Exchange, Nasdaq Exchange, Lucid, EV, ChargePoint Holdings, Luminar Technologies, Sunnova Energy

☆ ‘Wildly disappointing’: Tech exec warns web innovation is stagnating, compares it to space exploration post-1970s
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-13 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

But Blumofe, who noted he's still a believer in the web and modern technology, cautioned we could be in for stagnation. Blumofe compared the current state of the web today to the aerospace industry in the 1960s. Today, aerospace innovation has stalled, he added. "All that was in the 60s and 70s," Blumofe noted. "If someone had gone asleep in 1975 and then woke up and looked at aerospace today they would be wildly disappointed."

Persons: Edwin E, Aldrin, Jr, we'd, underwhelmed, Robert Blumofe, Tim Berners, Lee, he's, Blumofe Organizations: United, CNBC, Boeing Locations: United States

☆ Opinion: Precious samples from Mars have been collected. Now it’s up to Congress to get them back
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Opinion Jonathan I. Lunine | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

He served on the NASA Mars Sample Return Independent Review Board in 2023. Within these tubes are priceless samples of Mars that hold the clues to when and how Mars went from Earth-like habitability to uninhabitable desolation. Mars Sample Return is among the most challenging and complex robotic missions ever attempted, requiring the largest lander ever put on Mars, which would carry a rocket to launch the samples off the surface into Martian orbit. Mars holds secrets about what makes it possible for a planet to support life, locked in the samples that await return to Earth. NASA must provide that plan to Congress as soon as possible so that Congress can move forward with adequate funding.

Persons: Jonathan Lunine, David C, Duncan, Jonathan I, Mars Organizations: Cornell University, NASA, CNN, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, JPL, Apollo, European Space Agency, US National Academy of Sciences, MSR, Planetary Science Locations: Washington, DC, China

☆ A '$28 trillion opportunity': Ark Invest reveals its top AI plays right now
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Amala Balakrishner | In Amala-Balakrishner | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Ark Invest — which has a particular focus on innovation — is invested in segments including autonomous vehicles, drones and robotics, energy storage, 3D printing, and space exploration through its Ark Autonomous Tech & Robotics ETF (ticker ARKQ). Autonomous cars: A $28 trillion opportunity Autonomous cars is one area related to AI that Keeney is "particularly excited about." "Autonomous cars are already driving in major cities today across the globe. Autonomous drones: A 'very hot topic' Beyond automakers, Keeney is looking to ride the autonomy wave through opportunities in drones. Keeney emphasized that drone technology can transcend military use cases and be applied across industries.

Persons: Tasha Keeney, CNBC's, Tesla, Keeney, — Organizations: Ark Autonomous Tech, Robotics ETF, Invest, Defense, Security Solutions, Walmart, Google Locations: Mar

☆ Elon Musk is lashing out at MacKenzie Scott, Jeff Bezos' ex, for donating billions to charities for women and minorities
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-07 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

"'Super rich ex-wives who hate their former spouse' should be listed among 'Reasons that Western Civilization died,'" Musk wrote in an X post referencing Jeff Bezos' ex-wife. Shame on anyone who uses it," Musk wrote on X in January. Unfortunately, a lot of others are getting caught in the crossfire," Musk wrote in an X post at the time. "The hard part is figuring out how to do it in a levered way," Bezos told CNN. In 2021, Musk donated $5.7 billion in Tesla shares to the Musk Foundation, a charity he started with his brother, Kimbal, in 2002.

Persons: —, Elon, MacKenzie, Jeff Bezos, Musk, who'd, Scott, ”, ” — Elon, she's, ahem, Bezos, she'd, Ruth Simmons, Simmons, he's, Kimbal, St Organizations: Service, Business, Republican, Democratic Party, M University, Associated Press, CNN, Musk Foundation, St Jude Children's Research, Bloomberg, Musk, Business Insider Locations: Prairie

☆ Jeff Bezos is once again the world's richest person thanks to the Big Tech rally
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-05 | by ( Huileng Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Jeff Bezos just reclaimed his title as the world's richest person. AdvertisementIt's been more than two years since Amazon founder Jeff Bezos was the world's richest person, but he's now back in the lead again. Bezos reclaimed the top spot after a sustained rally in Big Tech shares on the back of the artificial intelligence boom. The last time Bezos was the world's richest person was in 2021. Bezos first surpassed Microsoft cofounder Bill Gates as the world's richest person in 2017.

Persons: Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk, —, It's, he's, Bezos, Musk, Bill Gates, Bernard Arnault, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton Organizations: Big Tech, Bloomberg, Service, Amazon, Bezos, Origin, Microsoft, EV maker's Locations: China

☆ SpaceX-backed startup says preorders for its $300,000 futuristic flying car have reached 2,850
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-04 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

watch nowBARCELONA, Spain — Alef Aeronautics, a SpaceX-backed flying car firm, says it has reached 2,850 preorders for its futuristic electrical vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicle. Dukhovny calls Alef's vehicle the "first flying car in history." "But we always had the idea that it has to be a car, a physical car, a regular car, as you can see it's an eVTOL, an electric car. Alef's car is mainly designed to be driven on the road, but will be able to take to the skies, too. To drive on the road, the car uses four small engines in each of the wheels, and will drive similar to a normal electric car.

Persons: Jim Dukhovny, Dukhovny, David Zorrakino, Tim Draper, Elon Organizations: Spain — Alef Aeronautics, SpaceX, Alef Aeronautics, Boeing, Airbus, Joby Aviation, CNBC, Mobile, Europa Press, Getty, SKTelecom Locations: BARCELONA, Spain, San Mateo , California, Alef, Germany, Korean

☆ Investing in Space: How Columbia's fabric tech landed on the surface of the moon
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Michael Sheetz | In Michaeljsheetz | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

CNBC's Investing in Space newsletter offers a view into the business of space exploration and privatization, delivered straight to your inbox. Looking at Intuitive Machines ' Odysseus spacecraft, you may have noticed any one of four fairly visible images: The American flag, NASA logo, Intuitive Machines logo … and a Columbia Sportswear logo. Of course, Columbia wasn't just involved to keep a moon lander comfortable with its jacket liner. "A technology that's good enough to get a lunar spacecraft to the moon, that you can wear in your everyday life? Pioneers in space – I would have never attached that to our company, say, 5 years ago," Boyle added.

Persons: CNBC's Michael Sheetz, Joe Boyle, We've, Boyle, Columbia wasn't Organizations: Columbia, NASA Locations: Columbia

☆ Space photos from 5 recent moon-landing missions show how tiny engineering errors can cause big problems, like crashing or landing sideways
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-27 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The Houston-based company's uncrewed Odysseus lander was almost lost to one of the tiniest possible mistakes. The view from the Intuitive Machines Odysseus lander as it descended to its landing site. Intuitive MachinesWith less than two hours to go before landing, Intuitive Machines engineers frantically whipped up a new navigation system. Indeed, several robotic moon landing attempts have crashed or otherwise malfunctioned in the last few years. Similarly, Intuitive Machines' success on Thursday shows that small errors don't necessarily have to spell the end of a mission.

Persons: Steve Altemus, Trent Martin, Odysseus, Astrobotic —, Peregrine, Astrobotic Astrobotic, Astrobotic, Vikram, SpaceNews, Robert Braun, Kailasavadivoo Sivan, ispace, NASA's, Braun, Japan's Smart Lander, SLIM, LEV, Takara Tomy Organizations: US, Business, NASA, Reconnaissance, Goddard, Arizona State University, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, NASA's Goddard Space Flight, freefall, JAXA, Takara, Sony Group Corporation, Doshisha Locations: India, Japan, Houston

☆ China moon spacecraft named ‘Dream Vessel’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Simone Mccarthy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

Hong Kong CNN —China’s space agency has revealed the names of the spacecraft that it hopes will take Chinese astronauts to the moon by the end of the decade. In a news release over the weekend, the China Manned Space Agency said development was “progressing well” on the spaceship Mengzhou, or Dream Vessel, the lander, Lanyue, or Embracing the Moon, and a super-heavy-lift carrier rocket named Long March 10. The name Mengzhou is linked to the “Chinese nation’s dream of landing on the moon,” it added. The United States is ramping up its lunar program, with NASA last month announcing its plan to land astronauts on the moon in 2026, a year behind its original schedule. Last week, the commercial Odysseus lunar lander developed by Intuitive Machines became the first US-made spacecraft to touch down on the moon in 50 years.

Persons: “ Lanyue ”, Mao Zedong, Xi Jinping’s, Japan’s Organizations: Hong Kong CNN, China Manned Space Agency, NASA, Machines Locations: Hong Kong, China, Beijing, People’s Republic of China, United States, Japan, India

☆ Japan’s ‘Moon Sniper’ wakes up after long lunar night
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-26 | by ( Ashley Strickland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

CNN —Japan’s “Moon Sniper” is the lunar mission that keeps coming back to life. This feat was unexpected given that the lunar lander wasn’t designed to survive the moon’s harsh temperatures. But the spacecraft’s waking hours were short, and on January 31, the Moon Sniper entered what JAXA called a “two week dormancy period during the long lunar night.” Temperatures during the lunar night can plunge to minus 208 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 133 degrees Celsius), according to NASA. The last scene of the moon from the lander’s perspective before lunar night was shared on X on February 1 once the mission team sent commands to the Moon Sniper and confirmed it was in a dormant state. This moody scene was the last image taken by the SLIM lander before entering lunar night in late January.

Persons: CNN —, Smart, SLIM, Odie ” Organizations: CNN, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, JAXA, NASA, SLIM, Earth Locations: Japan, Houston

☆ Intuitive Machines almost lost its moon lander because somebody forgot to flip a switch before launch
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-24 | by ( Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A serendipitous moment, a NASA experiment, and frantic, innovative software engineering rescued the company's Odysseus lander from what could have been a catastrophic error — a switch that didn't get flipped before launch. NASA TVIt was a "spicy" landing, Altemus said. AdvertisementThe Houston-based company flew Odysseus, which is its Nova-C-model lander, to the moon on a $118 million NASA contract. Its success marks the first commercial moon landing ever and NASA's first return to the lunar surface since 1972. It was risky — the NASA lasers were on the lander to test whether they worked in space at all — but it was better than nothing.

Persons: —, Steve Altemus, Altemus, Odysseus, Frankenstein, Robert Braun, Tim Crain, Crain, Braun Organizations: Service, NASA, Business, Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory Locations: Mars

☆ NASA is back on the moon — with the first commercial lunar landing ever
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-23 | by ( Ellyn Lapointe | Morgan Mcfall-Johnsen | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +7 min

The IM-1 mission's landing helps catapult the US into a 21st-century space race to the moon's south pole. AdvertisementAn American moon lander touched down on the lunar surface for the first time in over 50 years on Thursday. For its last lunar landing attempt in January, NASA partnered with the Pittsburgh-based company Astrobotic Technology to send its Peregrine spacecraft to the moon. Intuitive Machines' Odysseus moon lander beamed back its first images from space earlier this month. So NASA and Intuitive Machines have officially put the new commercial lunar era in swing, and they're just getting started.

Persons: —, Astrobotic, Odysseus, Tim Crain, Japan's, Trent Martin, NASA hitches, they're Organizations: NASA, Service, Houston, SpaceX, US, Spaceflight, Payload, Pittsburgh, Technology, Machines Locations: Russia, India, Japan, China

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