Hours before sunrise on Monday morning, United Launch Alliance’s brand spankin’ new Vulcan Centaur rocket is scheduled to make its maiden flight carrying a historic passenger: Peregrine, the first American lunar lander to be sent to the moon in over 50 years. And its mission could mark a turning point in humankind’s exploration of the cosmos. Peregrine is not a NASA spacecraft, but one developed by Pittsburgh-based Astrobotic, a private company. If it survives touchdown, Peregrine will be the first commercial craft to successfully land on the moon — or any planetary body outside of Earth, for that matter. Astrobotic is among a small group of companies that have been selected to carry out lunar deliveries for the space agency over the next few years as part of NASA’s new Commercial Lunar Payload Services (CLPS) program. Peregrine Mission 1, expected to launch January 8 at 2:18AM ET, is the first of these operations under a $79.5 million contract with the space agency. But it’s a wholly commercial endeavor, and alongside the five payloads it’ll deliver for NASA to support the upcoming Artemis missions, Peregrine will have cargo for other clients on board too, at a cost of $1.2 million per kilogram (roughly 2.2 pounds). That includes mini rovers and science instruments, collections of art and archival material, a physical “bitcoin” and, controversially, human remains. Peregrine is headed for the moon’s nearside, the hemisphere that is always facing Earth. The 6-foot-tall,... Continue reading at 'Engadget'
[ Engadget | 2024-01-07 14:00:38 UTC ]
Essay “Literature was a vast minefield occupied by enemies,” Roberto Bolaño, who enjoyed accruing enemies in the pantheon of Latin American letters, writes in the short story “Meeting with Enrique Lihn” (New Yorker, December 22, 2008): except for a few... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-28 21:05:10 UTC ]
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Take a look into our present and future with these near-future science fiction books that are eerily prescient, including Firebreak by Nicole Kornher-Stace6. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-02-17 11:35:00 UTC ]
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The online virtual reality experience that almost every tech giant today wishes to commercially exploit may not catch onIn the 1992 sci-fi dystopia Snow Crash, the author Neal Stephenson imagined a bleak 21st century where the collapse of the global economy had seen governments fall and their... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2022-02-07 19:11:48 UTC ]
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A late baby-boomer, I spent my tweens and adolescence in the 1970s under the Tolkien-woven spell of heroic fantasy, immersed in the imagined worlds of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea trilogy (1968-72), Patricia A. McKillip’s Riddlemaster trilogy (1976-79), and Evangeline Walton’s Welsh-myth-remix... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-26 09:55:39 UTC ]
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Kim Stanley Robinson’s novels envision the dire problems of the future—but also their solutions. Continue reading at New Yorker
[ New Yorker | 2022-01-24 11:00:00 UTC ]
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Science fiction is full of computer programmes and androids who fall afoul of the plots of some of Shakespeare’s most brutal tragedies. Continue reading at The Conversation
[ The Conversation | 2022-01-14 13:00:02 UTC ]
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Feeling nostalgic? Try ‘The Chronicles of Prydain.’ For something more modern, there’s ‘The Midnight Bargain. And so many more. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-03 23:00:00 UTC ]
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The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-01-03 13:53:28 UTC ]
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We're spotlighting some of the best science fiction and fantasy series concluded in 2021. Dive into them now, no waiting required! Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-24 11:33:00 UTC ]
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From epic voyages to haunting folk tales, here are the highlights of an otherworldly year. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-12-08 10:00:15 UTC ]
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Angry Robot Books has scooped a "fierce, fast and fun" science fiction book by Ever Dundas. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-08 04:24:23 UTC ]
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The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-12-06 15:25:10 UTC ]
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Seven books comb through history, travel to distant planets and imagine our A.I. future. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-12-03 20:26:32 UTC ]
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With its elegant mix of science fiction and metaphysical mystery, Le Tellier’s thriller rests somewhere between “Lost” and “Manifest.” Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-30 17:01:16 UTC ]
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The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-29 13:48:07 UTC ]
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Charlie Jane Anders discusses the coming-of-age stories that shaped her award-winning science fiction and helped her confront the world in front of her. The post The Coming-of-Age Stories That Made Charlie Jane Anders appeared first on The Millions. Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2021-11-18 21:30:07 UTC ]
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A look at the big hits and obscure winners that transported readers to other worlds. Continue reading at The Washington Post
[ The Washington Post | 2021-11-18 15:00:42 UTC ]
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The best science fiction and fantasy book deals of the day, curated by Book Riot Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2021-11-15 13:46:45 UTC ]
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Ms. Mayer reported on Comic-Con and contributed to Book Concierge, NPR’s literary recommendation tool. She gravitated toward science fiction, romance and fantasy. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2021-11-14 18:40:04 UTC ]
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The science fiction author spoke with WIRED senior correspondent Adam Rogers about climate change and big solutions. Continue reading at Wired
[ Wired | 2021-11-10 20:46:00 UTC ]
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