Duncan Steel • Oct 01, 2019 •
Currently there are nine astronauts in orbit, passing a bit more than 400 km above our heads several times a day. If you would like to watch the Space Station in New Zealand’s skies, there are several opportunities this next week, so long as you don’t mind getting up reasonably early, before sunrise. Just at the moment it’s fairly crowded … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 16, 2016 •
Vladyslav Vyazovskiy, University of Oxford On cold, dark days it is tempting to imagine shutting yourself away until the warmer weather returns. Many animals do just that by entering a state known as torpor, which reduces their bodily functions to a minimum and uses fat stores in their body for energy. Could humans ever hibernate in the same … Read More
Guest Author • Mar 03, 2016 •
Kathryn Harriss, University of Kent Would you like to spend a year gazing down from the International Space Station? Before you pack your bag, you should think about what actually might happen to you in microgravity, away from the protection of the atmosphere and magnetosphere. Thanks to two astronauts who’ve recently landed back on Earth, we’ll now be … Read More