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Letting AI models communicate with each other in their internal mathematical language, rather than translating back and forth to English, could accelerate their task-solving abilities

Letting AI models communicate with each other in their internal mathematical language, rather than translating back and forth to English, could accelerate their task-solving abilities

China's Chang'e 8 mission to test resource technologies at the moon's south pole is taking shape — and may even include a humanoid form.

In 1974 we beamed a radio transmission into space that changed the way we think about our place in the cosmos

Apple TV+'s "Silo" Season 2 launches on Nov. 15 and we've got everything you need to catch up with Season 1.

Governments and companies almost never take action when satellites alert them about large methane leaks coming from oil and gas infrastructure

Governments and companies almost never take action when satellites alert them about large methane leaks coming from oil and gas infrastructure

AST SpaceMobile, a startup with plans for a direct-to-cellphone satellite service constellation, has chosen Blue Origin's powerful New Glenn rocket to launch some of its next-gen satellites.

Week in images: 11-15 November 2024

Discover our week through the lens

Water levels in the Caspian Sea are set to fall dramatically as the climate gets hotter, posing a major threat to economic activity and ecosystems in the region

Water levels in the Caspian Sea are set to fall dramatically as the climate gets hotter, posing a major threat to economic activity and ecosystems in the region

The annual Leonid meteor shower peaks on Nov. 17, 2024, but a bright moon just two days past full will make viewing this year's Leonids difficult.

Don't miss the Beaver Moon! The last supermoon of the year.

Space tourism here is here to stay, and will likely remain a permanent fixture of near-Earth activities for the foreseeable future. But is it worth it? 

While for decades private individuals have been able to negotiate with national space agencies to get rides to the International Space Station, it wasn’t until the advent of private aerospace that many more opportunities opened up. With wealthy billionaires like Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson all creating their own rocket companies, it changed the playing field. Now if you are a private individual wanting to take a hop into space you can shop around with a lot more options.

While Elon Musk’s SpaceX does not have a stated goal of space tourism, if you are willing to front the money you can get a ride on a Crew Dragon capsule, like Jared Isaacman recently did with his Polaris Dawn mission. On the other end of the spectrum, Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic is explicitly designed around space tourism. They offer short sub-orbital hops for a few hundred thousand dollars each.

Space tourism certainly has several positives. For one there is more interest and activity in space which generally brings positive attention to the industry. Second, by companies chasing after a new market niche, these companies are developing new technologies and approaches which can have further beneficial effects on the larger industry. Lastly, there’s the well-reported “overview effect” where people finally get a view of our fragile home planet and gain a new perspective on what is important in human life.

On the other hand, it’s not exactly like many people get to be space tourists. Even the cheapest tickets are comparable to the cost of a home, making it inaccessible to all but the wealthiest people in our society. So it’s not like many people are getting to appreciate the view or participate in this new market. In fact, space tourism can lead to negative feelings as people just think of space as the province of the rich and elite.

Lastly, there are precious few dollars available for rocket development and space exploration. Many might argue that these dollars would be better suited to scientific exploration or experimental development of new technologies rather than creating a new pastime for the ultra wealthy.

Ultimately space tourism is going to be a thing whether we like it or not. It’s also not going to be a big thing. For the foreseeable future it will remain incredibly expensive, and most rocket companies are more interested in scientific and industrial pursuits in low-Earth orbit and beyond. So either way, whether it’s a good or bad thing, it’s simply not going to make a huge difference.

The post Space Tourism: The Good, The Bad, The Meh appeared first on Universe Today.

Anglerfish have invisible fangs, narwhal tusks are extra-long canines, and more facts from the weird and wonderful study of teeth will astound you

Mark your diaries for the 2026/27 aurora season could be a big one!

A genetic mutation makes some cats’ tail curl over their back, giving them something akin to an accent when they communicate with other kitties

A genetic flaw dooms half of all crested newts to die before they hatch – now we know how this baffling evolutionary quirk came about

A genetic flaw dooms half of all crested newts to die before they hatch – now we know how this baffling evolutionary quirk came about

The Chandra X-ray Observatory is facing closure. Shutting it down would be a loss to science as a whole