Life on Spaceships
Moral Repair: A Black Exploration of Tech
In this Episode Annanda and Keisha Explore The Big Question of, is it worth the expense to go to Mars given the needs on Earth? And what would it be like to live on Mars or in space? They interview Kai Staats, Director of Research for SAM at the University of Arizona Biosphere 2, to get the space tea.
What is it about the insatiable human appetite for manipulation of the physical world? It has served us well, enabling us to become the dominant species on this planet. And now we are poised to venture to new worlds.
But do all forms of life shape, shift, and recreate their homes, without a means to self awareness, such that the very foundation on which they stand is eroded? How many forests, how many rivers, how many ecological systems must we fragment and destroy before we learn that we are dependent on the very systems we replace with something of our own design.
When will progress no longer be our rally cry? Perhaps only when our very survival is at stake. But even then, someone will profit, someone will win.
Dr. Cameron Smith, anthropologist and developer of pressure suits at Smith Aerospace Garments explores the new Mars yard at SAM while encumbered by one of his pressure suits, the same worn by crew members at SAM for their EVAs. In this short film Dr. Smith exits the functional airlock of the SAM habitat and then engages the reduced gravity simulator set to the Mars gravity of one-third that on Earth. He explores sedimentary rock layers, an ancient lava tube, a geologically recent rock fall, and gypsum veins.
As with the completion of the pressure vessel and receipt of the first three crews, this marks a milestone in my work at Biosphere 2 and SAM. To learn more visit samb2.space …
The total solar eclipse 2024
hosted by the Planetary Society
Fredericksburg, TX
April 8, 2024
Canon 5D-MIV with Sigma 600mm lens
The third crew to enter the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars sealed the outer airlock hatch today, March 10, 2024 at 10:00 AM. Friends, family, and colleagues were welcomed to tour the SAM facility as the crew prepared for their six days and five nights journey to the South Pole of the Moon. Christopher Cokinos, Liz George, Julie Swarstad Johnson, and Ivy Wahome entered SAM carrying their personal bins.
Read the full story at samb2.space/2024/03/10/crew-imagination-i-enters-sam/ … and the continuing story of SAM design, construction, research, and visiting crews at samb2.space/blog.
13:00 BST, 25 October 2023
Palestinian and Israeli lives must be valued equally in global response to crisis, Elders warn
Statement: The Elders condemn the horrendous terror attacks launched by Hamas on 7 October 2023, the killing of innocent civilians, the holding of hostages and the continued indiscriminate missile attacks on Israel. These are mass atrocities for which the perpetrators must be brought to justice, preferably in a court of law.
We also condemn the Israeli government’s unacceptable collective punishment of the population of Gaza through siege, the scale of the military assault and its death toll, and the forcible transfer of civilians within the territory, as well as the continuing land and home incursions and demolitions in the West Bank and settler violence against Palestinian communities. These are not legitimate acts of self-defence: they are clear violations of international humanitarian law, and some amount to atrocities for which there needs to be criminal accountability.
The Palestinian and Israeli peoples are intertwined by history, geography and legacies of sacrifice and suffering. The current crisis has sparked unimaginable pain and trauma on both sides which demands the world’s compassion and respect. Israeli and Palestinian lives are of equal worth.
History, morality and political experience compel us to send this clear message: one set of crimes must not be responded to with more crimes.
As President Biden has warned, Israel must not repeat the mistakes made by the United States after the Al Qaeda terrorist attacks of 11 September 2001, the worst of which was the invasion of Iraq. Trying to defeat terrorism only through military action is more often than not a terrible mistake that leads to more terrorism, extremism and violence. A ground incursion by Israeli troops into Gaza could cause massive civilian casualties on top of the thousands of lives already lost, and risks inflaming a wider regional escalation of the conflict.
The cycles of violence and impunity must be broken, and the international community must be clear that all those accused of atrocity crimes on both sides should be held criminally accountable.
Leaders have for too long abdicated their responsibilities towards this conflict. All parties share the blame for extinguishing hope. Thirty years after the Oslo accords, there is now an absence of any political horizon towards a two-state solution that can end Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories and guarantee Israel’s security.
Leaders cannot continue to view this conflict primarily through the prism of geopolitical divisions rather than the values of the UN Charter. That the UN Security Council has so far been unable to agree on a resolution, and call for a ceasefire as thousands of lives are being lost, is a failure to fulfil its fundamental duty. As Elders, we call for an immediate ceasefire, the restoration of essential water, food, medical and fuel supplies into Gaza, and the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
The normalisation of relations between Israel and some Arab states cannot succeed unless Palestinian self-determination and statehood are central. In this regard, reviving the Arab Peace Initiative of 2002, and implementing the relevant UN Security Council Resolutions, offers a viable path towards regional stability and reconciliation.
Today’s dark hour must be a catalyst for change.
As Elders, we stand with those who embrace political dialogue and justice through law, and hold firm to the values of human rights and peaceful co-existence.
About The Elders
The Elders are independent global leaders working for peace, justice, human rights and a sustainable planet. The group was founded by Nelson Mandela in 2007 and is composed of Ban Ki-moon, Gro Harlem Brundtland, Helen Clark, Elbegdorj Tsakhia, Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Hina Jilani, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, Ricardo Lagos, Graça Machel, Juan Manuel Santos, Mary Robinson, and Ernesto Zedillo with Elders Emeritus Lakhdar Brahimi, Fernando Henrique Cardoso and Jimmy Carter.
I have considered my sources of joy: backpacking, rock climbing, surfing, and cross country running with my partner Colleen; wood working, cooking, reading, watching movies, inventing, and listening to music. I realized that not a single one of these involves the internet.
When I further delved into this investigation, I realized that I could not think of a single function of the internet that directly brings me joy. I appreciate being able to order books and movies from Amazon (but prefer book stores); and the weekly engagement of my SIMOC development team, but would prefer an in-person gathering were we not spread across three countries and as many States.
That says something. For me, the internet is not a source of joy. It is instead a source of anxiety for I know that I must engage, nearly every day, to maintain my income, to pay bills, to engage my employer (University of Arizona) in an ever growing mound of documents to prove my very existence within the layers of bureaucracy.
I already consider myself a minimal user, yet a reduced engagement is desired.
Inclusion II, the second crew to enter SAM, the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars, sealed the outer airlock hatch today, May 10, 2023 at 10:05 AM. Interviews with the French Televisions commenced at 8:30 AM and continued until 9:45 AM when one by one, Bindhu Oommen, Keridwen Cornelius, Sahda Haroon, and Andy Squires entered SAM carrying their personal bins.
As with the first crew, this marks an extraordinary point in my professional life.
Read the full story at samb2.space/2023/05/10/second-crew-enters-sam/ … and the continuing story of SAM design, construction, research, and visiting crews at samb2.space/blog.
Today the very first visiting research crew entered SAM. Five years and five months from concept to design, fund raising, construction, the Space Analog for the Moon and Mars (SAM) is now operational. This represents the single largest project I have ever undertaken, and the most diverse, creative, diligent team I have ever employed. We have built the world’s only operating, hermetically sealed and pressurized other-world habitat analog. This is something for which I am truly proud (and totally exhausted).
Inclusion I was welcomed by three television crews, two radio crews, Linda Leigh of the original Biosphere 2 mission, Executive Director of Biosphere 2 Joaquin Ruiz, Deputy Director of B2 John Adams, and more than 60 persons watching the first closure of this unique hermetically sealed, pressurized habitat. Interviews commenced at 5:00 AM and continued until 10:00 AM when one by one, Cassandra Klox, Eiman Jahangir, Bailey Burns, and Sheri Wells-Jensen entered SAM carrying their personal bins.
Read the full story at samb2.space/2023/04/27/first-crew-enters-sam/ … and the continuing story of SAM design, construction, research, and visiting teams at samb2.space/blog.
When you hold the hand of a dying man,
all the days you have shared
are recounted through tears and laughter.
And in that final breath
all his stories of life and death
become yours to share with others.
We will miss you Terry …