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The Launch of Space Tourism

When NASA's space shuttle program closed in 2011, the Obama Administration filled the void by reaching out to private businesses to transport...

 Alessandra Rizzotti
and
 Corinna Loo
06.29.13
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When NASA’s space shuttle program closed in 2011, the Obama Administration filled the void by reaching out to private businesses to transport crew and cargo to low-Earth orbit. With commercial space transportation accounting for over $208 billion of the United States’ economic activity and employment of over one million people, space tourism has the potential to become a new exploration industry.

According to the Fédération Aéronautique Internationale, as of January 3, 2013, a total of 530 people from 38 countries are known to have gone into space, seven of which were private citizens, made possible by the company Space Adventures. Of the 530, three people completed only a sub-orbital flight, 527 people reached Earth orbit, 24 traveled beyond low Earth orbit and 12 walked on the Moon. Whether traveling 100 kilometers above our planet, orbiting the Earth every 90 minutes, or walking on the moon, here are the private companies that are making space tourism possible.

Tell us how far you'd travel in space. To participate in our exploration challenge, simply click here to say you'll Do It.

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Infographics

The world is rallying around Tori, the Target employee Tweet-shamed by an irate cheapskate

via David Leavitt / Twitter

Anyone who has ever worked in retail knows that the worst thing about the job, right after the pay, are the unreasonable cheapskates who "want to talk to your manager" to get some money off an item.

They think that throwing a tantrum will save them a few bucks and don't care if they completely embarrass themselves in the process. Sometimes that involves belittling the poor employee who's just trying to get through their day with an ounce of dignity.

Twitter is rallying around a gal named Tori who works at a Target in Massachusetts after she was tweet-shamed by irate chapekate, journalist, and Twitter troll, David Leavitt.

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Business

The cost of having a baby even with insurance equals average the monthly income of a woman

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Childbirth is the number one reason American women visit the hospital, and it ain't cheap. In fact, it's getting more and more expensive. A new study published in Health Affairs found that the cost of having a baby with employer-sponsored health insurance increased by almost 50% in the past seven years.

The study evaluated "trends in cost-sharing for maternity care for women with employer-based health insurance plans, before and after the Affordable Care Act," which was signed into law in 2010. The study looked at over 657,061 women enrolled in large employer-sponsored health insurance plans who delivered babies between 2008 and 2015, as these plans tend to cover more than plans purchased by small businesses or individuals.

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Health

Scientists just found the crater of one of the biggest meteor crashes in Earth's history

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A meteorite crashed into Earth nearly 800,000 years ago. The meteor was 1.2 miles wide, and the impact was so big, it covered 10% of the planet with debris. However, scientists haven't been able to find the impact site for over a century. That is, until now. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal believes the crash site has been located.

Tektites, which are essentially rocks that have been liquefied from the heat of the impact and then cooled to form glass, help scientists spot the original impact site of a meteor. Upon impact, melted material is thrown into the atmosphere, then falls back to the ground. Even if the original crater has disappeared due to erosion or is hidden by a shift in tectonic plates, tektites give the spot away. Tektites between 750,000 to 35.5 million years old have been found in every continent except Antarctica.

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