Virgin Galactic Makes History with First Passenger to Space

The wait is finally over as Virgin Galactic made history by bringing its first passenger into space on board the VSS Unity, a space plane designed to take tourists to the edge of space. The passenger, astronaut trainer Beth Moses, will play an important role in getting future passengers up to speed on what to expect during their trip. The VSS Unity reached an impressive 55.8 miles above the Earth, breaking a new speed record three times the speed of sound and climbing higher than the space plane had ever been before.

Moses was carried up to 45,000 feet by a carrier aircraft before being released, marking a significant milestone for Virgin Galactic. The VSS Unity has room for up to six passengers and two pilots, with tickets priced at $250,000 each. A total of more than 600 people have signed up to take the trip, making this a highly sought-after experience.

But Virgin Galactic's latest achievement is not without its challenges. The company faces stiff competition from other space tourism companies, and there are concerns about safety and regulatory issues. However, with Moses on board, the company is confident that it can provide a safe and enjoyable experience for its passengers.

Meanwhile, scientists have made a groundbreaking discovery in the field of oceanography. A new deep-sea robot called Orpheus has been designed to explore the oceans of Earth, with the ultimate goal of discovering life beyond our planet. The robot was named after the Greek mythological figure Hades, who ruled over the underworld, and is inspired by the darkest depths of the ocean.

Orpheus is equipped with four cameras that are meant to take photos of the sea floor, while a specialized underwater drone will help it reach the depths of the oceans. The robot has already made a significant impact in its first test dive, reaching 600 feet below the surface and providing valuable insights into the unexplored regions of our ocean.

Orpheus is not just a curiosity; it holds great potential for scientific discovery and exploration. Scientists hope to create a fleet of Orpheus drones that can work together to explore the oceans and uncover secrets about life beyond Earth. One possible destination for these underwater explorers is Europa, Jupiter's smallest moon, which is believed to have a massive ocean beneath its icy surface.

Europa is considered one of our solar system's best bets at finding life beyond Earth, with its subsurface ocean providing a potential habitat for microorganisms. The discovery of life on Europa would be a groundbreaking moment in the history of space exploration and could potentially rewrite the textbooks on astrobiology.

However, there are still many challenges to overcome before Orpheus can make it to Europa. Scientists must first understand how to harness the power of deep-sea pressure and design a propulsion system that can navigate the harsh conditions of the ocean floor. But with its advanced technology and cutting-edge design, Orpheus is well on its way to becoming a pioneering force in underwater exploration.

A recent study has shed light on the unintended consequences of genetic tampering, as highlighted by Dr. Hodge's controversial experiment. The gene responsible for HIV resistance, ccr5h, was found to play a significant role in memory and brain function. However, scientists warn that deleting this gene in humans could have unforeseen effects on our cognitive abilities.

The study has raised concerns about the ethics of genetic modification and the potential risks associated with tampering with the human genome. While the prospect of curing diseases like HIV may seem attractive, it is crucial to consider the long-term consequences of such actions before we proceed.

As scientists continue to push the boundaries of human knowledge, they must also be mindful of the unintended consequences of their discoveries. The quest for progress and innovation must always be balanced with a deep respect for the complexities of the natural world and the importance of ethics in scientific inquiry.

In conclusion, Virgin Galactic's achievement in taking its first passenger to space is a significant milestone in the history of space tourism. Meanwhile, Orpheus has opened up new possibilities for underwater exploration, while Dr. Hodge's experiment serves as a reminder of the complexities and challenges associated with genetic modification. As we continue to explore the vast expanse of our universe, it is crucial that we prioritize responsible innovation and ethical scientific inquiry.

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwelcome to what the feature on today's show Virgin Galactic has brought its first passenger into space a new deep-sea robot could someday help NASA explore oceans on distant worlds and finally new research shows that gene edited CRISPR babies born late last year might have changes in their cognition as an unintended result of genetic tampering let's get into it Virgin Galactic space plane the VSS unity reached space for the second time last week and this time they brought their first passenger along for the ride the passenger astronaut trainer Beth Moses who will be tasked with getting future space plane passengers up to speed on what to expect during their trip to the edge of space the VSS unity was carried up to 45,000 feet by a carrier aircraft before being released it hit a new speed record three times the speed of sound and climbed higher than the space plane had ever been 55.8 five miles above the earth the VSS unity has room for up to six passengers and two pilots a ticket aboard virgin space plane goes for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and so far more than 600 people are signed up to take the trip this new autonomous deep-sea robot is called Orpheus it was designed to explore the oceans Hazel's own which is named after the realm of Hades from Greek mythology it is the deepest region of the ocean and stretches from 20,000 feet below the surface down into the ultimate darkness at the bottom of the Mariana Trench 36,000 feet down the technology has not been available to explore this region of the ocean in significant detail what Orpheus hopes to change that it reached 600 feet down on its first untethered test dive back in September a small step forward towards grand ambitions Orpheus was built to withstand the tremendous deep-sea pressure more than 16,000 pounds per square inch four cameras onboard Orpheus are meant to take photos of the sea floor which Orpheus stitches together as it noses its way through the darkness waits inside the underwater drone will help it reach the depths of the Hazel's own and when its mission is complete it releases the weights to return to the surface eventually scientists hope to create a fleet of orpheus drones to work together and explore the dark abyss of the hey Dalls own but the dream of Orpheus doesn't end there NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is also lending a hand with the Orpheus project partly because this technology may someday be of use on distant worlds Europa Jupiter's smallest moon is one of our solar system's best bets at finding life outside of Earth because it's home to a massive ocean buried under ice Orpheus may prove to be an early prototype of a future drone capable of exploring the frozen oceans of Europa but for now I just can't wait to see what sorts of alien looking critters Orpheus discovers lurking in the depths of the havel zone dr. Hodge on Qui sparked controversy in the scientific community when he genetically altered the embryos of twin girls to make them immune to HIV the controversy was partly due to the fact that such genetic tampering could have unintended consequences a new research is telling us what some of those consequences might be the gene dr. huh deleted is called ccr5 h HIV requires the ccr5 gene in order to enter human blood cells however new research into the gene has also shown that disabling the gene in mice makes them smarter that may sound like a good thing but humans are not mice our genes are complicated and many of them serve multiple functions researchers say the ccr5 gene plays a major role in memory and the brain's ability to make connections it's impossible to predict how deletion of this gene will impact the twins brains which is exactly why the use of CRISPR technology in this case has been so controversial what made you say WTF this week let us know down in the comments and if you liked what you saw please like share and subscribe thanks for watching what the future I'm your host Jesse oral and I'll see you next timewelcome to what the feature on today's show Virgin Galactic has brought its first passenger into space a new deep-sea robot could someday help NASA explore oceans on distant worlds and finally new research shows that gene edited CRISPR babies born late last year might have changes in their cognition as an unintended result of genetic tampering let's get into it Virgin Galactic space plane the VSS unity reached space for the second time last week and this time they brought their first passenger along for the ride the passenger astronaut trainer Beth Moses who will be tasked with getting future space plane passengers up to speed on what to expect during their trip to the edge of space the VSS unity was carried up to 45,000 feet by a carrier aircraft before being released it hit a new speed record three times the speed of sound and climbed higher than the space plane had ever been 55.8 five miles above the earth the VSS unity has room for up to six passengers and two pilots a ticket aboard virgin space plane goes for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and so far more than 600 people are signed up to take the trip this new autonomous deep-sea robot is called Orpheus it was designed to explore the oceans Hazel's own which is named after the realm of Hades from Greek mythology it is the deepest region of the ocean and stretches from 20,000 feet below the surface down into the ultimate darkness at the bottom of the Mariana Trench 36,000 feet down the technology has not been available to explore this region of the ocean in significant detail what Orpheus hopes to change that it reached 600 feet down on its first untethered test dive back in September a small step forward towards grand ambitions Orpheus was built to withstand the tremendous deep-sea pressure more than 16,000 pounds per square inch four cameras onboard Orpheus are meant to take photos of the sea floor which Orpheus stitches together as it noses its way through the darkness waits inside the underwater drone will help it reach the depths of the Hazel's own and when its mission is complete it releases the weights to return to the surface eventually scientists hope to create a fleet of orpheus drones to work together and explore the dark abyss of the hey Dalls own but the dream of Orpheus doesn't end there NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is also lending a hand with the Orpheus project partly because this technology may someday be of use on distant worlds Europa Jupiter's smallest moon is one of our solar system's best bets at finding life outside of Earth because it's home to a massive ocean buried under ice Orpheus may prove to be an early prototype of a future drone capable of exploring the frozen oceans of Europa but for now I just can't wait to see what sorts of alien looking critters Orpheus discovers lurking in the depths of the havel zone dr. Hodge on Qui sparked controversy in the scientific community when he genetically altered the embryos of twin girls to make them immune to HIV the controversy was partly due to the fact that such genetic tampering could have unintended consequences a new research is telling us what some of those consequences might be the gene dr. huh deleted is called ccr5 h HIV requires the ccr5 gene in order to enter human blood cells however new research into the gene has also shown that disabling the gene in mice makes them smarter that may sound like a good thing but humans are not mice our genes are complicated and many of them serve multiple functions researchers say the ccr5 gene plays a major role in memory and the brain's ability to make connections it's impossible to predict how deletion of this gene will impact the twins brains which is exactly why the use of CRISPR technology in this case has been so controversial what made you say WTF this week let us know down in the comments and if you liked what you saw please like share and subscribe thanks for watching what the future I'm your host Jesse oral and I'll see you next time\n"