Spaceflight

• Singapore / June 14, 2023 / Huobi, the virtual asset trading platform, announces Phase I of the Huobi Mars Program to kick off its ambitious plan to explore the universe.
• By investing big in the space program, Huobi has shown its dedication as the leading cryptocurrency exchange for space exploration.
• Huobi users will become the first in the Web3 field to enter space.”
  According to Huobi's announcement, the first phase of the Huobi Mars Program spans from June 2023 to June 2024 and consists of 12 rounds.
• With this Mars Program, Huobi hopes to introduce space travel to more people, inspire more interest and passion, and promote the development of commercial spaceflight.

• Under the terms of the agreement, Sidus Space will gain increased access to Leaf Space’s ever-expanding ground station network.
• In addition to Leaf Space, Sidus has coverage and infrastructure agreements with Kongsberg Satellite (KSAT), and Atlas Space Operations.
• "We are thrilled to execute this agreement with Leaf Space, a trusted name in ground station services," said Carol Craig, Founder and CEO of Sidus Space.
• "Leveraging Leaf Space's expanding ground station network, Sidus is expected to deliver high resolution EO coverage, and enhance analysis in crucial domains such as climate change, food security, and energy supply.

• According to the latest official figures, the sector’s revenue grew about 5.1% in 2021, outpacing the global space industry.
• This is even more impressive considering the UK’s economy declined over the same period.
• However, for the country’s ambitions of becoming a commercial spaceport powerhouse, as a space industry researcher I think little, if anything, has changed.
• It’s easy to blame the failed rocket launch for its bankruptcy, but there’s more to it than that.

Risk and reward

• Risk must be factored in from the start, which explains why government support is needed.
• Failure rate is high across all missions and types of space flight.
• Ariane 5, considered the workhorse of European space travel, was the most expensive rocket failure in history, costing US$370 million (£298 million).

Grounds for concern

• This does not mean there aren’t any grounds for concern, however.
• The international outlook for the hi-tech sector is less favourable, with rising interest rates worldwide squeezing the companies that need funding the most.
• Alternatively, more failed launches may signal to businesses that the UK is not (yet) a viable competitor to more established sites in the US and elsewhere.

• SAN FRANCISCO, March 06, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Space travel can be very challenging to the brain, prompting researchers affiliated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) to examine computerized brain training.
• Results from a pilot study show brain training could help.
• Researchers have long known that blasting off into space can have adverse impacts on the brain, from the g-forces associated with liftoff and landing, to the radiation, microgravity, and isolation of space travel.
• In the Increasing Cognitive Ability/Reserve Using Software (ICARUS) pilot study, researchers recruited employees from the Johnson Space Center with characteristics (age, education, discipline) resembling the astronaut population.