VENTURI’s Post

Women in Space Sixty years ago, Valentina Tereshkova was the first woman travelling to space. In an article written for NASA, J. Uri reports her meaningful comment about women’s role in space exploration: ‘A bird cannot fly with one wing only. Human space flight cannot develop any further without the active participation of women.’ As of February 2024, 77 women have flown into space − a small figure if we consider the total number of people who have reached it, amounting to around 600. Not a single woman has landed on the moon so far (Evona, 2024). With Artemis III mission, though, NASA aims to land the first woman and next man on the Moon. Initially expected in 2024, Artemis III will more likely take place between 2026 and 2027. Artemis III ‘will mark humanity’s first return to the lunar surface in more than 50 years. NASA will make history by sending the first humans to explore the region near the lunar South Pole’ (NASA, 2023). In space, women have not only reached the space altitude like Valentina Tereshkova, Svetlana Savitskaya, Sally Ryde, Mae Jemison, and others. They have also frequently devoted their lives to studying and researching space matters, astronomy, and engineering. Kitty O’Brien Joyner joined what would become NASA in 1939 and was the first female engineer of the organisation, managing wind tunnels and researching aeronautics, supersonic flight and the design of airfoils. In our times, Dame Margaret Ebunoluwa Aderin-Pocock is a renowned space scientist, author, inventor, and TV presenter, always keen to talk about space and enthusiastically promote its crucial role in our society. The share of women in STEM has increased and fluctuates from 24% to 27% (Women in STEM, 2023), but more female scientists are needed to challenge gender bias and unequal representation. Initiatives like Women in Aerospace (WIA) and Women in Space Science (WiSS) play vital roles in fostering a more inclusive environment and addressing gender disparities. To support women in space technologies and research, we should pay attention to: 1. STEM Education and Mentorship Encouraging girls and young women to pursue STEM education is crucial in building a diverse workforce in the satellite and space industry. Mentorship programmes can provide invaluable support and guidance. 2. Promoting Inclusivity Industry-wide efforts to promote inclusivity and diversity are essential. Creating environments that embrace different perspectives fosters innovation and ensures that the satellite industry benefits from a rich pool of talent. 3. Celebrating Achievements Recognising and celebrating the achievements of women in the satellite and space industry is vital to inspire future generations. Highlighting success stories amplifies the impact of women leaders in space technologies. Let’s support women in space and satellite industry – tag a woman professional or a young enthusiast in the comments. Picture credit: Space&Defense #WomenInSpace #space

We definitely need space philosophers. Activities like space exploration are often limited to those with STEM backgrounds, but Joseph Chapa makes the case for why philosophers and others with non-STEM backgrounds should be included. Regarding what philosophers can offer space exploration he writes: “Though Earth has been our only home, it may not be our home forever. What are the implications of that proposition? What might that mean for our conception of nationhood? Of community? Of ourselves and our place in the world? This would be the work of space philosophers.” He also considers how others with non-STEM disciplines could add value to space exploration: “By contrast, the future of our relationship with the cosmos — a colony on the moon? Humans on Mars? Contact with intelligent alien life? — will require thoughtful inquiry from many disciplines. We will need sociologists and anthropologists to help us imagine new communities; theologians and linguists if we find we are not alone in the universe; political and legal theorists to sort out the governing principles of interstellar life.” #humanities #philosophy #space #NASA #astronauts https://lnkd.in/equCKiii

Hello Connections ! I am happy to share that I joined Zooniverse Neurodiversity Research Group by University of Oxford, MPLS, Astrophysics as contributor. I recently got invited by Oxford because of my previous contributions in some projects as NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration Citizen Scientist. What this research is about? Dr. Alisa Apreleva, member of the Oxford Zooniverse team, is leading a research study to learn more about the Zooniverse as a neuro-shared online space - or, in other words, an online space shared by people with different neurological characteristics. This study aims to assess neurodiversity representation among active contributors of a global online participatory science platform. An important feature of this research is that we are looking to avoid the segregation of neurotypical and neurodiverse people, which is often characteristic of neurodiversity studies, and to provide a comprehensive perspective on use of a common (neuro-shared) online space. 🌌

One of the projects former student, Alyssa Miller, published on RePicture during our STEM Career Accelerator Program was a project she worked on titled “ Lynx X-Ray Observatory.” This project centered around how scientists at NASA and some research groups at different universities are trying to develop the next generation x-ray telescope that will become the successor of the Chandra X-ray Telescope: the Lynx X-ray Observatory. This telescope concept is one of the four NASA Strategic Mission Concepts that are being considered by the 2020 Decadal Survey. This new telescope is projected to be one of the most powerful space telescopes to be built. This is important because astronomers and physicists will highly benefit from the new discoveries about the universe. Using this telescope, studies can be done on black holes and will enable these researchers to understand how they really work, and may receive a clearer image of them and how they affect the objects around them. To read more about Alyssa Miller’s project, visit: https://lnkd.in/eCdXEr5f RePicture is a project-based community where you can explore careers through STEM in the world all around you! Students in our STEM Career Accelerator have the opportunity to research and publish articles about projects they’ve worked on and real-world projects they are passionate about, and in the process have the ability to learn actively about a career of interest, and build a unique portfolio of project research! #stemeducation #stemlearning #projects #RePicture #STEM

Check out this article on our Astronaut Scholars from one of our original partner universities, University of Central Florida!

NASA's interest in researching life beyond Earth, known as astrobiology, involves a multifaceted approach aimed at understanding the potential for life elsewhere in the universe. Here are some key aspects of NASA's astrobiology efforts: 1. **Studying Extremophiles on Earth**: NASA scientists study extremophiles—organisms that thrive in extreme environments on Earth, such as deep-sea hydrothermal vents, acidic lakes, or icy regions—to understand the limits of life's adaptability. This research helps identify potential habitats for life on other planets or moons. 2. **Exploring Mars**: One of NASA's primary goals is to search for signs of past or present life on Mars. Missions like the Mars rovers (Curiosity, Perseverance) and orbiters (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter) analyze Martian geology, atmosphere, and surface features to assess the planet's past habitability and the possibility of microbial life. 3. **Looking for Life in Extreme Environments**: NASA investigates extreme environments on Earth analogous to conditions on other planets or moons. For instance, exploring hydrothermal vents on Earth's ocean floor informs the search for life on icy moons like Europa or Enceladus. 4. **Astrobiology Research on the International Space Station (ISS)**: The ISS serves as a laboratory for studying the effects of space conditions, such as microgravity and radiation, on living organisms. This research helps understand the challenges life may face during long-duration space travel and habitats beyond Earth. 5. **Searching for Exoplanets**: NASA conducts missions like the Kepler Space Telescope and the upcoming James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover and characterize exoplanets (planets outside our solar system). Scientists analyze exoplanet atmospheres for biosignatures—indicators of potential life, such as certain gases or chemical imbalances. 6. **Sample Return Missions**: Future missions, like Mars Sample Return (a collaboration with ESA), aim to bring back samples from other planets, such as Mars, for detailed analysis on Earth. This could provide direct evidence of past life or habitability. Overall, NASA's astrobiology endeavors are crucial for advancing our understanding of life's potential beyond Earth and addressing fundamental questions about our place in the universe. By combining space exploration with biology, chemistry, geology, and astronomy, NASA continues to push the boundaries of scientific knowledge in the quest for extraterrestrial life. #NASA #astronauts #astrobiology #astronomy #Mission #scientific #knowledge ##USA #global #important

There was a time when the space industry used to be all about men until Sally Ride changed the course of history. In 1983, Sally Ride became the first American woman who fly on the Space Shuttle Challenger. Her historic journey has inspired generations of women to pursue careers in science and space exploration. In fact, as of 2023, nearly 30% of NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s active astronauts are women, leading missions and contributing to groundbreaking research. Let's see how women in the USA are changing the future of space science and encouraging young girls to follow in their footsteps. ✅ Astronaut Representation ~ As of 2024, 75 American women have flown in space, making up about 30% of all US astronauts. ~ NASA's 2021 astronaut class achieved gender parity for the first time, with 5 women and 5 men selected. ✅ Scientific Contributions ~ American women scientists have led groundbreaking space research missions: -Dr. @Nicky Fox heads NASA's Heliophysics Division, studying the Sun's impact on Earth. -Dr. @Kate Calvin serves as NASA's first Chief Scientist and Senior Climate Advisor. ✅ Commercial Space Involvement ~ gwynne Shotwell serves as President and COO of SpaceX. ~ Even the percentage of women earning aerospace engineering degrees has risen to 22% in recent years. ✅ Future Missions ~ NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration aims to land the first woman on the Moon by 2025 through the Artemis program. ~ Women astronauts are training for long-duration missions to Mars. As American women continue to break barriers in space, they're inspiring a global movement. There is no limit to what women can achieve today irrespective of the industry. What are your thoughts on this woman pushing the boundaries of space exploration and STEM leadership? Share below in the comment section. LinkedIn News LinkedIn Follow Womenpreneur Europe for more inspiring stories and resources to fuel your career growth! #women #empowerment #space #nasa #STEM

NASA is studying hibernating squirrels for a potential solution to muscle and bone loss in space flight. As I strongly believe in "discovering new worlds", I hope that this leads somewhere, if only for the health of humanity's spacefarers, but I believe that the problem is due to zero gravity. Even if this does lead to a health solution, we would have to solve the limit of light speed. The nearest stars are in the range of 5-10 light years. Would "human" civilization be the same everywhere if round-trip communication took 10-20 years?

In a remarkable shift within the scientific community, women have transcended barriers to occupy pivotal roles that were once considered beyond reach. Their contributions are now celebrated globally, from securing Nobel Prizes to spearheading NASA. Despite the persistent gender gap in #science and #technology, particularly in India, trailblazers like Ritu Karidhal and Chandrima Saha are redefining leadership at premier institutions such as ISRO and INSA. This article showcases a roster of formidable women whose scientific pursuits have expanded the frontiers of knowledge, both on Earth and in the cosmos. #diversity #diversity #science #technology

No disrespect to scientists and businesspeople, but the space utopia many people see in our future won't be achieved with your input alone. There's no doubt that space is booming and filled with excitement, most prominently because of the influx of entrepreneurs, investors, and technocrats into this historically STEM-dominated arena. These motivated groups have literally ushered in the new space era alongside a refreshing set of possibilities. Legitimate discussions and actions are now taking place for novel Lunar activity, off-planet energy production, asteroid capture, and even orbital and extraplanetary habitats. These aspirations are indeed inspirational but endeavors this extraordinary require a more diverse set of thoughts and input if space will truly represent our entire human experience. The current pattern seems to be: 1. Entrepreneur thinks of space idea that might make money; 2. Scientists assess its scientific feasibility; 3. Investors invest money and push narrative to make it happen. If space is truly the Final Frontier, then all disciplines need to have a voice, so space truly becomes the best expression of us a global, collective body. The author of the attached article mentions philosophers, but it goes way beyond that, so we are not just looking at space strictly as a cash cow or laboratory. Besides philosophers, we also need to regularly involve expertise such as city planners, logisticians, historians, theologists, environmentalists, social scientists, the arts, psychologists, lawyers and, yes, even influencers. 😉 There are many others who aren't scientifically or monetarily focused, but you get the idea. We need to cross-cut societies and cultures to ensure we are truly leaning into space, now that access is increasing. We only get one shot to establish collective human presence in space, so let's actually make it collective. I'm attending the 39th Space Symposium next week where there will be plenty of corporate booths to browse. My hope is that future space symposia have booths from a variety of other relevant disciplines, so we can truly call it a SPACE symposium. #space #newspaceera #artemis #spacepolicy #spacestrategy #STEM #philosophy