This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareFor nearly 40 years, fertility treatment has grown ever more advanced and so entrenched that it’s not uncommon for couples to begin their families in their late 30s, 40s or even 50s.But even as questions about the technology to extend fertility have been answered — yes, children born through in vitro fertilization are healthy; yes, freezing embryos appears to be safe; yes, mothers can generally deliver babies safely well beyond the classic childbearing years — another important question is emerging: How old is too old for...…This article was published more than 2 years agoCommentGift ShareFor nearly 40 years, fertility treatment has grown ever more advanced and so entrenched that it’s not uncommon for couples to begin their families in their late 30s, 40s or even 50s.But even as questions about the technology to extend fertility have been answered — yes, children born through in vitro fertilization are healthy; yes, freezing embryos appears to be safe; yes, mothers can generally deliver babies safely well beyond the classic childbearing years — another important question is emerging: How old is too old for...WW…

This weekend, China celebrated its sixth "National Space Day" in Nanjing, a capital city in one of the country's eastern provinces. As part of the festivities, Chinese space officials highlighted the Chang'e-5 mission's recent return of lunar samples, some of which were on display, and announced the name of China's first Mars rover, Zhurong, which is scheduled to land on the red planet in May.A booth operated by China's main state-owned rocket manufacturer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, also spotlighted the potential for suborbital point-to-point transportation. This...…This weekend, China celebrated its sixth "National Space Day" in Nanjing, a capital city in one of the country's eastern provinces. As part of the festivities, Chinese space officials highlighted the Chang'e-5 mission's recent return of lunar samples, some of which were on display, and announced the name of China's first Mars rover, Zhurong, which is scheduled to land on the red planet in May.A booth operated by China's main state-owned rocket manufacturer, the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology, also spotlighted the potential for suborbital point-to-point transportation. This...WW…

When Tom Becker was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in March 2020, the 60-year-old EMS helicopter pilot from Washington, Missouri, worried he would never fly again.This story also ran on . It can beBut his cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Allen, had served in the Air Force and knew aviation physiology. So Becker felt reassured when Allen told him he didn’t expect any problems, because Becker was still fairly young.Allen told Becker — who lives about 50 minutes away from his office at Mercy Hospital South, near St. Louis — that Becker could call his cellphone with any concerns and meet...…When Tom Becker was diagnosed with an irregular heartbeat in March 2020, the 60-year-old EMS helicopter pilot from Washington, Missouri, worried he would never fly again.This story also ran on . It can beBut his cardiologist, Dr. Christopher Allen, had served in the Air Force and knew aviation physiology. So Becker felt reassured when Allen told him he didn’t expect any problems, because Becker was still fairly young.Allen told Becker — who lives about 50 minutes away from his office at Mercy Hospital South, near St. Louis — that Becker could call his cellphone with any concerns and meet...WW…

The US Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing for former Democratic Senator Bill Nelson on Wednesday to consider his nomination as NASA administrator. Nelson was warmly welcomed by his former colleagues—both Republicans and Democrats—who praised his wealth of experience in making space policy and said he was the best person for the job.In response to these comments, Nelson thanked the senators and offered fairly bland remarks. There was not a lot of excitement during the hearing, however, aside from a handful of questions about  for the Human Landing System as part of the space...…The US Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing for former Democratic Senator Bill Nelson on Wednesday to consider his nomination as NASA administrator. Nelson was warmly welcomed by his former colleagues—both Republicans and Democrats—who praised his wealth of experience in making space policy and said he was the best person for the job.In response to these comments, Nelson thanked the senators and offered fairly bland remarks. There was not a lot of excitement during the hearing, however, aside from a handful of questions about  for the Human Landing System as part of the space...WW…

Welcome to Edition 3.41 of the Rocket Report! As always there is plenty of news in the world of launch, and this week we have several stories about heavy lift vehicles. Perhaps most interesting, SpaceX has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to press ahead with construction of a large tower for its Starship Launch System.As always, we , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a...…Welcome to Edition 3.41 of the Rocket Report! As always there is plenty of news in the world of launch, and this week we have several stories about heavy lift vehicles. Perhaps most interesting, SpaceX has received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to press ahead with construction of a large tower for its Starship Launch System.As always, we , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a...WW…

A new movie brings to life the legacy of a physicist who has played an influential—but largely unheralded—role in shaping the vision of space settlement.The documentary The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O'Neill takes its name from the 1977 book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space authored by Princeton University physicist Gerard K. O'Neill. The movie will be released on April 17, and it's an excellent film for those seeking to better understand the future humans could have in outer space.O'Neill popularized the idea of not just settling space, but of doing so in free...…A new movie brings to life the legacy of a physicist who has played an influential—but largely unheralded—role in shaping the vision of space settlement.The documentary The High Frontier: The Untold Story of Gerard K. O'Neill takes its name from the 1977 book The High Frontier: Human Colonies in Space authored by Princeton University physicist Gerard K. O'Neill. The movie will be released on April 17, and it's an excellent film for those seeking to better understand the future humans could have in outer space.O'Neill popularized the idea of not just settling space, but of doing so in free...WW…

I was born a mere four months after the final Apollo astronauts brushed gray dust from their spacesuits and lifted off from the Moon. As my interest in space grew over the years and writing about this industry became my profession, I felt a deepening sense of regret for missing that glorious moment of triumph in our shared space history. I lived with that regret for decades—right up until April 8, 2016.Five years ago today, SpaceX successfully landed a Falcon 9 rocket first stage on a boat.I was not prepared for the experience of watching a skinny, black-and-white rocket fall out of...…I was born a mere four months after the final Apollo astronauts brushed gray dust from their spacesuits and lifted off from the Moon. As my interest in space grew over the years and writing about this industry became my profession, I felt a deepening sense of regret for missing that glorious moment of triumph in our shared space history. I lived with that regret for decades—right up until April 8, 2016.Five years ago today, SpaceX successfully landed a Falcon 9 rocket first stage on a boat.I was not prepared for the experience of watching a skinny, black-and-white rocket fall out of...WW…

One November night in a Missouri prison, Charles Graham woke his cellmate of more than a dozen years, Frank Flanders, saying he couldn’t breathe. Flanders pressed the call button. No one answered, so he kicked the door until a guard came.This story also ran on . It can beFlanders, who recalled the incident during a phone interview, said he helped Graham, 61, get into a wheelchair so staff members could take him for a medical exam. Both inmates were then moved into a covid-19 quarantine unit. In the ensuing days, Flanders noticed the veins in Graham’s legs bulging, so he put towels in a...…One November night in a Missouri prison, Charles Graham woke his cellmate of more than a dozen years, Frank Flanders, saying he couldn’t breathe. Flanders pressed the call button. No one answered, so he kicked the door until a guard came.This story also ran on . It can beFlanders, who recalled the incident during a phone interview, said he helped Graham, 61, get into a wheelchair so staff members could take him for a medical exam. Both inmates were then moved into a covid-19 quarantine unit. In the ensuing days, Flanders noticed the veins in Graham’s legs bulging, so he put towels in a...WW…

Welcome to Edition 3.38 of the Rocket Report! This week, we have launch news from around the world, including several snippets from across the pond, where Europe is grappling with the rise of SpaceX as well as how best to foster its nascent commercial launch industry. As ever there is much to track.As always, we , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on...…Welcome to Edition 3.38 of the Rocket Report! This week, we have launch news from around the world, including several snippets from across the pond, where Europe is grappling with the rise of SpaceX as well as how best to foster its nascent commercial launch industry. As ever there is much to track.As always, we , and if you don't want to miss an issue, please subscribe using the box below (the form will not appear on AMP-enabled versions of the site). Each report will include information on small-, medium-, and heavy-lift rockets as well as a quick look ahead at the next three launches on...WW…

On Monday, Virgin Galactic announced that it will conduct its next commercial spaceflight, Galactic 03, as early as September 8. This will be the company's third commercial spaceflight, and it will carry three as-yet-unnamed passengers who bought their tickets on the company's space plane back in the early 2000s. Should the flight occur in early September, it will mark the company's fourth spaceflight in four months, an impressive cadence after a fairly long downtime. Such a flight would also cement Virgin Galactic's leadership in the suborbital space tourism race with Blue Origin, which...…On Monday, Virgin Galactic announced that it will conduct its next commercial spaceflight, Galactic 03, as early as September 8. This will be the company's third commercial spaceflight, and it will carry three as-yet-unnamed passengers who bought their tickets on the company's space plane back in the early 2000s. Should the flight occur in early September, it will mark the company's fourth spaceflight in four months, an impressive cadence after a fairly long downtime. Such a flight would also cement Virgin Galactic's leadership in the suborbital space tourism race with Blue Origin, which...WW…