The winner of Metro’s Race for Space contest will soon be revealed. Who will win this trip of a lifetime?
Michiel Mol has been dreaming of going to space since he was eight-years-old. Influenced by science-fiction movies and by watching the space race put the first man on the moon, he’s always wanted to experience the galaxy first-hand. “It’s all … Continue Reading
Could you blow up the Death Star in space? Luke Skywalker did it in “Star Wars: A New Hope.” Could you? “The thing about an explosion in space is that you wouldn’t get a shockwave and you wouldn’t get heat, … Continue Reading
Metro English Canada’s finalists for Metro’s Race for Space are competing against 14 others from around the world for a chance to be launched into space. The winner — to be selected by an international panel of judges — will … Continue Reading
“And on the left you’ll find a sickness bag,” Mark, a technician from Space XC, says, concluding his instructions before he closes down the spaceship’s cockpit. I nod bravely, but secretly I die a thousand times. I have every reason … Continue Reading
What are the chances there’s an “Alien” out there? Dr. Margaret Weitekamp, pop culture curator for the Division of Space History in the National Air and Space Museum, believes that the universe would be an odd waste of space if … Continue Reading
Is Hal 9000 from “2001: A Space Odyssey” coming to get us soon? I’m sorry, Siri: Machines capable of independent thought, though popular in science fiction series like “Terminator” and “Battlestar Galactica,” aren’t a reality yet. The robot apocalypse is … Continue Reading
What he loves Nerds and outer space go together pretty well. So it makes sense that video games have incorporated the final frontier in their storytelling since the early days. “Space has always been the palette on which people tell … Continue Reading
When budding space tourists prepare to step onboard their commercial cosmic flight, what can they expect as their in-flight meal? “Plenty of pungent, spicy and piquant food,” says food scientist Robin Fegen, who specializes in preparing space cuisine for food … Continue Reading
Tired of that same old look from the Kennedy era? Us too! So we asked The Blonds, New York designers best known for dressing up Lady Gaga and Rihanna, to remake it. Here’s their sketch.The No. 1 thing a Blond … Continue Reading
Anybody who has seen Barbarella or Flash Gordon will know that space is a sexy place, populated with lustful aliens and new possibilities. But having a sex life in space is not as straightforward as Hollywood suggests, and would represent … Continue Reading
Can we enter a black hole and exit in another realty, like in “Trek”? Despite Trek’s attempt to stick to the most plausible scientific truths, the answer is black holes aren’t portals. “Black holes that exist in nature would basically … Continue Reading
Could the Serenity ship from the TV series “Firefly” take flight? The cult TV series, from Joss Whedon, is named after the class of the crew’s ship, which is shaped like a bug. From the looks of things, it could … Continue Reading
We’ve all come to know and love the quirky character Bubbles from the Canadian TV show Trailer Park Boys. Behind the big glasses, kitten obsession and signature frown is Mike Smith, a man who has loved space and rocketry since … Continue Reading
Would it be possible to “Beam me up, Scotty” like in Star Trek? Not yet, but maybe in the future. “Beaming is the most difficult thing to do. Imagine you are literally taking something apart and transmitting it somewhere or … Continue Reading
Can a world exist with two suns like Tatooine in “Star Wars”? Until very recently, scientists thought the gravitational pull of two suns would make a planet like Tatooine totally improbable. Then, NASA’s Kepler mission found a planet orbiting two … Continue Reading
Can we travel at warp speed, like in “Galactica”? Call it what you will –“lightspeed” in “Star Wars” or using your FTL drive in “Battlestar Galactica” – but we aren’t capable of traveling faster than light yet. Unfortunately, this also … Continue Reading
Metro’s Anthony Johnston paid Robin Fegen a visit to try out his homemade space food. Here’s what he discovered: First on the sampling menu is spirulina, that brownish-greenish algae that’s packed with protein and B vitamins. I got around that … Continue Reading
A Q&A with NASA food-scientist Michele Perchonok. When you’re up in space, are you stuck with the same food all the time? Not at all. Right now we prepare over 180 food types; we can feed a crew with three … Continue Reading
A Q&A with Alvin Drew, director of NASA’s advanced exploration systems habitat demonstration unit. When will we live in space? Our goal is to explore Mars within 25 to 30 years. To reach that goal, we’ll start by exploring asteroids, … Continue Reading
Astronauts can live in space for six months, so what’s to stop others from spending half a year there, too? Or living there permanently? Very little. “An American millionaire who has made a fortune on hotels is already trying out … Continue Reading
