Tag: ‘still
Yes, NASA astronauts will still pee in their new spacesuits
![Man modeling the new Artemis III spacesuit](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02ANpaycTLTVHB3YnuKMNJz/hero-image.jpg)
The first astronauts to walk on the moon in more than 50 years will wear spacesuits built with the latest 21st century technology, looking a little less bulky than the marshmallowy garments of the past.
But one relic that hasn’t changed in all that time: They’re still going to have to pee their space pants.
NASA unveiled Wednesday new prototypes of the clothing astronauts will wear during the Artemis III mission, when the first woman and person of color will step on the lunar surface, this time near the moon’s south pole. There scientists believe they’ll find water ice within dark, cold craters. The launch is slated for 2025.
“We have not had a new suit since the suits that we designed for the Space Shuttle, and those suits are currently in use on the space station,” said Vanessa Wyche, NASA Johnson Space Center director. “So for 40 years, we’ve been using the same suit based on that technology.”
What exactly the moonsuits will look like is still cloaked in mystery, quite literally. The sample suit modeled during a press event at Space Center Houston’s Moon 2 Mars Festival was covered in a sleek black outer layer. Suits worn on the moon must be white to reflect heat, but Axiom Space representatives said the cover was necessary to protect their proprietary design.
The exterior shown Wednesday with the Axiom logo was created with costume designer Esther Marquis, who worked on Apple TV’s “For All Mankind” sci-fi series.
“We have not had a new suit since the suits that we designed for the Space Shuttle.”
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Unlike in the Apollo era, NASA won’t own these new cutting-edge suits — moonships in their own right. Axiom, which won the nearly $229 million contract last year to develop the equipment, will essentially rent them out to the space agency. The new approach is intended to encourage commercial use of the technology to gather more data that could be helpful for NASA in the future.
A fully equipped spacesuit for moonwalking is essentially a spacecraft shaped like a human. It protects the wearers from space radiation, moondust, and the extreme temperatures on the moon, ranging from -250 degrees in the shade to 250 degrees Fahrenheit in sunlight. The suits provide the proper pressure, drinking water, and air. They’re also outfitted with power and a communication system.
![Man modeling new Artemis spacesuit](https://helios-i.mashable.com/imagery/articles/02ANpaycTLTVHB3YnuKMNJz/images-1.fill.size_500x750.v1678905779.jpg)
Credit: Axiom Space
“The moon is definitely a hostile place, and the south pole is going to really be a challenge,” said Lara Kearney, NASA’s manager of extravehicular activity and human surface mobility. “A lot of thermal requirements.”
Engineers have made several improvements, including integrating dust-resistant materials. Until Apollo 11, the biggest worry about the lunar soil was that it wouldn’t support the weight of a lander or the astronauts. Experience has taught NASA the greater concern is that the soil is made up of tiny glass-like shards.
The new portable life support system, worn like a backpack, is more compact, thanks to smaller modern electronics and plumbing. This has allowed engineers to build backup systems so failures are less of a concern. Almost everything inside the life support system is new, said Russell Ralston, Axiom’s deputy program manager for extravehicular activity. Some of the innovations could soon translate into improvements in health care equipment on Earth, he said.
Bending and rotating at the hips should be easier, and hiking-style boots with flexible soles are expected to be less of a tripping hazard. The sizes should be a bit more customizable, with mix-and-match pieces to fit each astronaut’s limbs and torsos. A model demonstrated the less-rigid design by squatting, twisting, and even kneeling as an astronaut might on the lunar surface to pick up a rock or use a geology tool.
Another change will be how astronauts get into them. The suit has a hatch that swings open like a door, allowing the crew to shimmy through the back, down into the boots. A single person should be able to do this without help from other astronauts, an upgrade from suits in use right now on the International Space Station.
There’s something in the suit for all the people watching back on Earth as well. On the side of the suit is an HD video camera that should provide better quality home-viewing of moonwalks.
But underneath all of that new high-tech innovation is still essentially an adult-size Pampers. Astronauts try to “hold it,” but during an eight-hour moonwalk, extraterrestrial nature might call.
“If it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” Rallston told Mashable during the press conference. “We’re still using diapers in the spacesuits. They’re just honestly a very effective solution. Sometimes simplicity is best.”
“Sometimes simplicity is best.”
The crew for the mission has not been decided yet, but NASA intends to announce the astronauts aboard the preceding mission on April 3. Those astronauts — on Artemis II — will fly the Orion spacecraft around the moon but won’t land.
Axiom plans to deliver a full set of training spacesuits to NASA later this summer.
Three months later, Epic is still silent about free ‘Unreal Tournament 3 X’
![Gritty sci-fi warriors running with space guns.](https://cdn.vox-cdn.com/thumbor/SkuzpZTFo0aE1oylHPU1aRRZ69Y=/100x0:1180x720/1310x873/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72074870/0000003794.1920x1080.0.jpg)
Remember when I told you how Epic Games accidentally revealed a new version of 2007’s Unreal Tournament 3 that would be completely free on Steam, EGS and GOG with “no microtransactions and no strings attached?” That was three months ago. Unreal Tournament 3 X still hasn’t been announced, and the company still declines to confirm or deny whether it’s happening at all.
“Thank you for checking in. We have no new information to share on this,” Epic Games comms director Dana Cowley tells The Verge.
As of this writing, an extensive description of the unreleased Unreal Tournament 3 X still appears on Steam. I check almost daily, and I don’t think the page has changed at all in the past three months. The game’s apparently been in the works…
The Spotify HiFi dream is still alive, as platform plans to do something “unique” someday
John Wick Director: There Is No Reason For Hollywood To Still Use Real Guns On Set
Following the tragic shooting that occurred on the set of the movie Rust that led to the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins, John Wick director Chad Stahleski has said there is no reason to have a live gun on a set. Stahelski, a stunt veteran who now directs, told The Hollywood Reporter that the reason live firearms are still used on sets is because it costs too much to use CG effects. Not only that, but too many people have too much money invested in the use of real weapons on set.
“My feeling is that there’s no reason to have a live firearm on set. We can create cities and spaceships and Godzilla and all these things. We have the technology to do the same with firearms. But, for the last 100 years, Hollywood’s been using real firearms. And for prop houses, armorers or supply houses to switch over, it would make their entire stock of real firearms useless,” he said. “It comes down to the fact that it would cost certain people a great deal of money to switch over. No one wants to say that, but that’s the real reason. You don’t need firearms. The alternative is just going to cost you more money.”
Stahelski was of course not on the Rust set when the tragedy happened, but he has seen on-set accidents first-hand, and they have always been due to human error, he said.but
Fortnite’s maximalism still works in its new cyberpunk season
After a handful of eclectic recent chapters, Fortnite’s latest is taking a theme and running with it. Chapter Four, Season Two of Fortnite went live over the weekend, revamping the game’s central island (which got a full makeover last season) while going full futuristic. The result is a cyberpunk fever dream, with Fortnite’s bucolic rolling […]
Fortnite’s maximalism still works in its new cyberpunk season by Taylor Hatmaker originally published on TechCrunch
Arrival nabs $300M lifeline, but is still seeking more funds
Struggling electric vehicle company Arrival has secured a $300 million lifeline to help it stay in business into late 2023, but no later. The company is seeking additional dedicated funds to develop its XL delivery vans for the U.S. market and start production in Charlotte, North Carolina by 2024. Arrival announced the $300 million equity […]
Arrival nabs $300M lifeline, but is still seeking more funds by Rebecca Bellan originally published on TechCrunch
Several Mario Games Are Still On Sale For Low Prices After Mario Day
Despite launching in 2017, Super Mario Odyssey doesn’t go on sale for big discounts all that often. But right now you can grab the wonderful 3D platformer for only $36.45 at Walmart. Amazon was matching this deal but sold out very quickly, so we wouldn’t be surprised if Walmart sells out, too.
This deal only applies to the physical version of the game, but you can get a digital copy from Amazon for $40 right now, too–it’s a holdover deal from Mario Day. If you purchase a physical copy from Walmart, you may be able to pick it up today at your local store. Alternatively, you can get free shipping to your home.
Super Mario Odyssey isn’t the only great Mario game on sale today. You can also save big on some of Mario’s other platforming adventures, including New Super Mario Bros. U Deluxe and Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury. Both games are discounted to just $40 each.
Shares of this FTSE 100 firm are still good value for money
The FTSE 100 made new highs last month. It is still cheaper and has a higher dividend yield than the US S&P 500. Is it time for me to buy the FTSE 100 index?
The post Shares of this FTSE 100 firm are still good value for money appeared first on The Motley Fool UK.