[Fox News] NASA seeks participants for second year-long Mars mission simulation
NASA is searching for the next four-person crew to participate in a one-year program at Johnson Space Center in Houston, simulating life and conditions on the planet Mars.
The mission will be the second of three year-long Mars surface simulations called Crew Health and Performance Exploration Analog, or CHAPEA, and is expected to kick off in the Spring of 2025.
The first four-person crew was locked into the habitat, called the Mars Dune Alpha, in June 2023, and is more than half way through their mission.
The inaugural crew consists of Commander Kelly Haston, a research scientist with experience in stem cell-based projects; flight engineer Ross Brockwell, a structural engineer and public works administrator; medical officer Nathan Jones; and science officer Anca Selariu.
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The data acquired through the simulations is intended to help NASA prepare for human exploration of Mars.
NASA said in a press release that the Mars Dune Alpha habitat simulates challenges of a mission to Mars, including resource limitations, equipment failures, communication delays and other environmental stressors.
Some of the tasks crew members may participate in are robotic operations, spacewalks, habitat maintenance, exercise and crop growth.
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NASA is looking for U.S. citizens or permanent residents who are healthy, non-smokers, between 30-55 years old and proficient in English.
The selection follows the standards NASA uses when considering astronaut candidates.
Specifically, a master’s degree in a STEM field like engineering, mathematics, or biological, physical or computer science from an accredited institution, plus two years of professional experience is required. Alternatively, anyone with over 1,000 hours piloting a plane will be considered.
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NASA said it may consider candidates with two years of work completed toward a doctoral program in STEM, a medical degree, four years of professional experience, military officer training or a Bachelor of Science degree in a STEM field.
The deadline to apply is April 2.
With backgrounds in science and engineering, the crew members will be part of a simulated mission to Mars, where the crew will eat, drink and exercise while in simulation.
The 1,700-square-foot, 3D printed facility is about the size of a three-to-four-bedroom house and will be used for NASA’s longest analog mission to date: 378 days.
The habitat will be a place where the crew will practice personal hygiene and healthcare, like drawing blood, while also allowing them to exercise, grow food and collect geological samples.
The habitat will be packed with all the supplies that will go to Mars. What the habitat will not be able to simulate, though, is the red planet’s gravity.
But that is where virtual reality comes into play. While in the habitat, virtual reality will allow crew members to simulate space walks or Mars walks, as well as other tasks the crew may encounter on Mars, including removing dust from the space suit or solar panels or repairing the habitat.
As crew members live within the confines of the simulator, scientists will be measuring their performance, cognition and health over the year to understand what the crew will go through.
The data collected will then be handed to the vehicle planners.
[Fox Business] John Lennon’s murder: Auction house withdraws sale of bullet from killer’s gun
A British auction house that planned to sell a bullet from the gun that was used to kill John Lennon in 1980 has now withdrawn the lot.
The auction was scheduled for Wednesday and generated international headlines after it was covered by the BBC last week. The bullet was recovered from the gun long after the British songwriter, singer, musician and former leader of the Beatles was killed by Mark David Chapman on Dec. 8, 1980, in Manhattan, New York.
According to the auction house Anderson & Garland, which is based in Newcastle, the bullet originally belonged to Brian Taylor, who served as a chief superintendent for the Northumbria Police in the UK. The item was given up by his family.
“His family have now decided it is time for another true John Lennon fan to own this historic item,” Anderson & Garland said on its website.
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Taylor was patrolling with the New York Police Department (NYPD) in the Big Apple when a sequence of events eventually led him to the weapon.
“While in New York on patrol with the NYPD, Taylor was involved in a shooting and, being both British and a visitor, he was the only officer unarmed,” the auction house explained.
Taylor was taken to a small NYPD-affiliated museum to see the weapon “by way of an apology”, as the NYPD was aware that he was a big fan of the Beatles.
“There he was allowed to fire the weapon that fired the bullets that shot one of music’s best and most beloved stars, John Lennon,” the lot’s description reads. “The bullet and cartridge were retrieved and given to Taylor as a gift.”
“He had them mounted and hung on the wall of his office for the remainder of his career.”
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It is unknown why the auction house withdrew the item. Typically, items are withdrawn from auction if there are questions about authenticity or if there is a lack of interest.
In an interview with the BBC, Anderson & Garland director Fred Wyrley-Birch acknowledged that the lot was “macabre.”
“[V]ery seldomly do you get something so unusual and unique, it’s difficult to know what it’s worth and whether there’s a market for it or not,” Wyrley-Birch said. “It’s a really interesting piece of Beatles memorabilia that probably can’t be replicated.”
The auction generated some controversy among Beatles fans, who found the potential sale to be in poor taste. Fans on r/TheBeatles, a Reddit community, came together to criticize the auction.
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“Ew ew ew. Everything about that story disgusts me,” one Beatlemaniac wrote.
“I mean, I could see it being held inside a museum like the Smithsonian in Washington DC, but otherwise it’s really weird for a private collector to buy the thing at auction,” another fan said.
“A true Beatles fan couldn’t possess such a thing,” one comment, which garnered two hundred upvotes, read. “The music is the legacy, not some macabre connection to the very weapon that robbed John’s family, friends, and fans of the life he would have continued to live.”
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Fox News Digital reached out to Anderson & Garland and the NYPD for comment, but has not heard back.
For more Lifestyle articles, visit www.foxnews.com/lifestyle.
[Fox Business] Jim ‘Mattress Mack’ McIngvale places $1M wager on Houston to win March Madness
Texas-based businessman and self-proclaimed Houston superfan Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is putting his money on the line once again.
The furniture store owner has made headlines in recent years for wagering large sums of money on his favorite teams.
At times, he has reaped big rewards, like his historic $75 million payout when the Astros won the 2022 World Series.
McIngvale’s latest bet comes shortly before the NCAA Division I men’s basketball tournament tips off. He placed a $1 million wager on the Houston Cougars to win the 2024 national championship.
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The top-ranked Cougars have been one of the best teams in the nation this season, and Houston’s win over Cincinnati Tuesday was the team’s sixth straight.
The Cougars have three regular-season games remaining and have 7.5-to-1 odds to hoist the national championship trophy in early April, according to the latest data from Caesars Sportsbook.
If the Cougars are the last team standing, McIngvale would be in line for an estimated $7.5 million payout.
Despite advancing to the Final Four six times, the Cougars have never won a national title.
McIngvale routinely makes extravagant sports bets to cover promotions at his mattress stores. If the Cougars win the tournament, McIngvale’s earnings will help fund the latest Gallery Furniture promotion. The promotion states that customers will receive a refund if they purchase a Tempur-Pedic mattress and adjustable base priced at $4,000 or more and Houston wins the national title.
McIngvale wagered $3 million on the TCU football team last year. He was counting on the Horned Frogs to upset the Georgia Bulldogs in the College Football Playoff national championship game.
But TCU proved no match for the Southeastern Conference powerhouse, and Georgia cruised to a 65-7 victory to claim the program’s second consecutive national title.
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State Farm Stadium, home of the NFL’s Arizona Cardinals, hosts this year’s men’s Final Four.
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