(Sept. 12-18)Civilians in SpaceA SpaceX rocket carrying four Americans blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Wednesday. The orbital spaceflight was the first to carry only passengers who weren’t professional astronauts, a milestone for the space tourism industry. In addition to SpaceX, which Elon Musk founded, Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin and Richard Branson’s Virgin Galactic plan to offer commercial spaceflights. But the latest flight differed from the short jaunts that Mr. Bezos and Mr. Branson took to space in July. Earlier Friday, the advisory panel voted against a broader recommendation that the booster shot be available to people 16 and older.

Source: New York Times September 19, 2021 10:52 UTC