Fisher Space Pen has some new Blue ballpoints. The maker of the pressurized-ink writing instruments used by astronauts to scrawl in space has partnered with Blue Origin to become the company’s official pen provider. Fisher Space Pen will be the only brand ballpoint pen used on all of Blue Origin’s upcoming crewed launches. “We can see the future, and Blue Origin is helping fly us there,” Matt Fisher, vice president of Fisher Pen Company, said in a statement. “My grandfather helped build this company with an innovative product that yesterday’s…
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Virgin Galactic to ground its VSS Unity space plane next year: report
The impressive flight cadence of Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity space plane won’t last much longer. Unity flew for the sixth time in as many months last week, carrying two research scientists and another private passenger to and from suborbital space on a mission called Galactic 05. Unity will now get a bit of a break, staying out of the skies until January 2024, Virgin Galactic representatives have said. The spacecraft will then make an even bigger transition, flying just once or twice more before being grounded in mid-2024, according to…
Read More‘Too early’ to say which astronaut will command UK Space Agency mission with Axiom Space
The United Kingdom’s possible space mission with Axiom Space is at too early a stage to speculate on the astronauts or the training involved, Space.com learned from its space agency. The UK Space Agency signed a pact last week with Houston-based Axiom Space to aim for a commercially sponsored mission with four astronauts on board. Although rumors emerged that U.K. astronaut Tim Peake would come out of retirement to command the mission, the space agency told Space.com the mission is still at an early planning stage. “We’re at the mission…
Read MoreThe Economist to launch Space Economy Summit on Oct. 11-12
As access to space continues to expand and humanity prepares to return to the moon to establish a sustainable off-world presence, private companies are laying the groundwork for a new economy in space. To help highlight the new opportunities that a space-based economy will provide, The Economist is launching its first-ever Space Economy Summit. The event will be held Oct. 11-12 in Los Angeles, California and can be attended both in person or virtually. Some of the topics that will be discussed at the summit include spaceflight sustainability and space…
Read MoreVirgin Galactic’s next flight will take a Pakistani to space for the 1st time
Namira Salim will make spaceflight history next month. The adventurer will become the first Pakistani to reach space on Virgin Galactic‘s next mission, called “Galactic 04,” which is scheduled to launch from New Mexico’s Spaceport America on Oct. 5. “Thrilled to take to the #stars with @trevorbmbagency and @ronrosano aboard #Galactic04 with @virgingalactic. Inspiring #girls #women and #youth globally to reach for the stars,” Salim posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on Sunday (Sept. 17). Related: Virgin Galactic launches 3 of its original space tourist customers to the final…
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