SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule will take four astronauts to the International Space Station for six months before returning them to Earth.
"It's historic because even things like the certification of the space flight had to be done by the FAA this time instead of NASA because it's commercial," NASA Astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson told Cheddar on Thursday.
The launch, made possible through a private-public partnership, is scheduled for 7:49 p.m. ET on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch will be simulcast on Discovery and the Science Channel where Whitson and other astronauts will help viewers understand the space flight experience better as they watch the Falcon 9 rocket pierce through the atmosphere.
"I think the folks will find it interesting," Whitson said. "When you go from zero to 17,500 miles-an-hour in nine minutes, it's a pretty good ride."
Whitson says getting the private sector involved in space travel and advancement could help with the development of new technologies and medicines. She even thinks a lunar space station could be in the cards in the future.
"It has the potential to open up commercial markets in space," Whitson said. "I've done enough research onboard the space station that I really feel it's going to be an important tool for us to advance technologies here on the ground as well."
The retired astronaut holds the records for most time spent in space by any American (665 days), as well as being the first woman to command the International Space Station twice (2008 and 2013).
"You've got to challenge yourself to live outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to do things that are not easy," Whitson said. "You will find that you can achieve so much more than you even dreamed about."
Plant-based meat giant Beyond Meat's reign over the fast food world continues, as McDonald's announced that it is expanding its test of Beyond's McPlant burger, to nearly 600 restaurants, an increase from the eight that it's been testing in since November. This comes less than two weeks after Beyond Fried Chicken made its nationwide debut at KFC restaurants, the first time that plant based chicken has been widely distributed in a fast food capacity. Arun Sundaram, Senior Equity Analyst at CFRA Research explains why these latest collaborations may be proof that Beyond Meat products could slowly be becoming an unlikely staple in the fast food and chain restaurant world as consumers opt for more healthy food options.
BD Veritor is a variation of the at-home COVID test that uses a smartphone to interpret the results. The test is taken via a nose swab test strip that is then scanned by your phone’s camera with the result clearly displayed as positive or negative. James Walker, vice president of integrated diagnostics USA for BD, joined Cheddar to discuss how the test hopefully takes the "guesswork out of testing." Walker also went into what BD is doing to deal with the surging demand for at-home tests amid the omicron spread. "While we don't disclose how much we produce, we have capacity to manufacture up to 12 million rapid antigen tests per month and are delivering on our commitments to distributors and retailers," he said.
On this episode of Cheddar Innovates: Sidechef CEO breaks down how it's building a platform to make recipe shopping easy; Luum CEO explains the process of having a robot put on eyelash extensions; A look at Curiosity Stream's new original series, 'Evolve.'
Moderna launched a clinical trial of a COVID-19 booster shot specifically targeting the omicron variant. The first participant has already received a dose, and Moderna expects to enroll about 600 adults total, split between two groups. In the first group, participants will have previously received two doses of the Moderna vaccine, and in the second, participants will have received its booster. Dr. Paul Burton, chief medical officer at Moderna, joined Cheddar’s Opening Bell to discuss the trial, yearly boosters, and what lies ahead for the company.
With the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics right around the corner, experts are warning that climate change is threatening not only the event but also the future of snow sports. Despite being the world's top polluter, China is hoping to use the event to demonstrate the country's commitment to fighting climate change, and pledging to host a "low carbon" games. Xubin Zeng, professor of hydrology and atmospheric sciences at the University of Arizona, joins Cheddar News.
New research is suggesting that giving extra cash to low-income mothers can actually influence the brain development of their infants. These findings provide the first rigorous evidence of how payments and monetary support can affect children in the early years of life. Authors of the study, Nathan Fox, professor in the department of human development at the University of Maryland, and Sonya Troller-Renfree, postdoctoral research associate at Teachers College at Columbia University, join Cheddar News to discuss.
Communities of color are disproportionately affected by climate change and continuously feel the impacts. Mark Magaña, founding president and CEO of Green Latinos joined All Hands to discuss.
