Sending tourists to space is still relatively novel in the grand scheme of humanity’s journey to the stars. Dennis Tito took the first-ever paid trip in 2001, but since then, plenty of others have journeyed to the heavens. Increasingly, they’ve done so via systems developed by private companies. On Sunday, May 19th, Blue Origin, originally founded by Jeff Bezos to pursue his dreams of humanity’s future in space, successfully launched its seventh crewed mission – this time containing six first-time astronauts, including one that waited a long time for his day in space. The astronauts’ professions and ages varied widely—from a twenty-something male venture capitalist to a retired female CPA, they came from different walks of life and various stages of life. One owns a brewery in France, while another is a trained stunt pilot. Most impressively, this was the opportunity for Ed Dwight to go into space. He’s a former Air Force Captain who was the first black person ever to be selected for the Aerospace Research Pilot School, which he reached after being a test pilot in the Air Force for eight years. After making it through the first cut, Captain Dwight wasn’t selected to join NASA’s astronaut program, and many modern-day observers think that was simply down to the racism prevalent in the country back then. Blue Origin promotional video for the NS-25 mission.Credit – Blue Origin YouTube Channel After leaving the military, he went on to have a successful life as an entrepreneur and became a well-regarded sculptor. Many of his themes focused on black culture, and he has over 100 pieces on show. He was also eventually made an honorary member of the US Space Force back in 2020. Most importantly, he had never made it to space until now. Did we mention he’s also 90 years old and now, officially, the oldest person to have ever been sent to space? He and his fellow travelers—Mason Angel, Sylvain Chiron, Carol Schaller, Kenneth Hess, and Thotakura Gopichand—spent 10 minutes in space. If you’re interested in watching the process, there’s a YouTube video that tracks the whole mission—the launch takes place near 1:22 into the video. Blue Origin video tracking the successful NS-25 mission – the company’s seventh crewed flight.Credit – Blue Origin YouTube Channel Congratulations to Blue Origin and the Shepard rocket team on another successful mission. This surely won’t be their last. Learn More:Blue Origin – Blue Origin Completes 25th Mission to Space with Six Crew OnboardUT – Blue Origin’s New Shepard Completes 24th Flight; New Glenn Hopefully on the HorizonUT – Finally! Blue Origin’s New Glenn Goes Vertical on the Launch PadUT – Blue Origin Reveals its Orbital Maneuvering Vehicle: Blue Ring Lead Image:A New Shepard launching.Credit – Blue Origin The post New Shepard’s 25th Launch Carries Six to the Edge of Space and Back appeared first on Universe Today.

He hopes drastic legal actions will help set a precedent for others who've lost control of their original groups. Continue reading…

Comparatively, households now pay an average of $784 more each month than they did two years ago and a staggering $1,069 more than three years ago.

Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and leaders plan to seek a buyer for the financially troubled seafood chain based in Orlando. The bankruptcy, first reported by Bloomberg, came in U.S. District Court in Orlando and will allow the company to continue operating. In  a news release late Sunday, the company said the plan is to “simplify the business through a reduction in locations, and pursue a sale of substantially all of its assets.” “This restructuring is the...

Beloved seafood chain Red Lobster has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after news last week that it was closing almost 50 restaurant locations in the United States. Although much has been made about the restaurant’s decision to make its $20 endless shrimp deal a permanent menu item—underestimating demand and leading to an $11 million loss, according to its largest shareholder, Bangkok-based Thai Union Group—that loss-making promotion is only one part of the chain’s...

The financial woes hitting seafood restaurant chain Red Lobster have prompted it to close dozens of locations and file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, with some of the blame being heaped on the chain's endless shrimp bargain. In the wake of the pandemic, Red Lobster looked to boost traffic to its restaurants by offering a $20 all-you-can-eat shrimp deal that the company hoped would serve as a loss leader and bring in more customers who would become regulars. However, the...

Like many digital publishers, The Daily Beast was struggling at the end of 2023. Facebook, long a primary driver of clicks to the publication, had turned away from news. Search traffic had become increasingly erratic, as Google adjusted its algorithm to combat a flood of AI-powered junk. The site’s paid subscription program had atrophied since Donald Trump left office. But it had a new lifeline: Apple. Late last year, the digital news tabloid (where I worked from 2018 to 2021 as a media...

Michael Cohen testified Monday during Donald Trump’s hush money trial that he made millions from books and a podcast that are centered on Cohen’s grievances with the former president. Cohen said he raked in more than $3 million from his books Disloyal and Revenge and $1 million from his podcast Mea Culpa since the fall of 2020, estimating that his earnings totaled $4.4 million.