Why SpaceX’s first all-private mission is a big deal

Activists are helping Texans get access to abortion pills online

Sponsored by Dassault Systèmes The Download Your daily dose of what's up in emerging technology SpaceX's big launch 09.15.21 Good morning! This issue we're previewing Inspiration4, the first all-private space mission that's due to launch later today. And we look at how activists are getting abortion pills to Texans left without help after the recent law change. Get your friends to sign up here to get The Download every day. Why SpaceX’s first all-private mission is a big deal The sci-fi vision: There have been countless starry-eyed visions of a future where ordinary people, non-astronauts without billions of dollars in wealth, can travel to space. For all those moments of optimism, however, those dreams have never quite been realised. The big launch: Yet — and whisper it very cautiously — that might be set to change. Later today, at 8:02 P.M. Eastern Time, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral in Florida. On board will be a crew of four, the same as SpaceX’s last two crewed missions. But this time, none of the occupants are trained astronauts.  A new era: Inspiration4, as the mission is known, has been lauded as a seismic moment in human spaceflight. These four are private citizens, launching on a private rocket, built by a private company, that will be controlled entirely from Earth.  “It is a milestone in human access,” says space historian John Logsdon. Read more about the mission. —Jonathan O’Callaghan Activists are helping Texans get access to abortion pills online On September 1, SB8 became law in Texas. SB8 effectively bans abortion in the state by making the procedure illegal when a heartbeat is detected, usually around six weeks after someone’s last period (unpredictable cycles mean that many people don’t know they are pregnant at that point).  The law has left an untold number of pregnant people in Texas stranded, unable to access a safe abortion within the state’s borders. Now activists are fighting back. Money-raising efforts for people trying to fund out-of-state abortions have taken off within Texas. Citizen activists are spamming bounty sites with fake reports. And for pregnant Texans needing an abortion now, nonprofits are stepping in to help. Aid Access, which helps provide access to abortion pills online, has seen a spike in requests since the bill passed. But its efforts to reach those in need are being hampered. Read more. —Tanya Basu We can still have nice things A place for comfort, fun and distraction in these weird times. (Got any ideas? Drop me a line or tweet 'em at me.) + What’s better than Ryan Reynolds doing the Mika ‘Grace Kelly’ harmony challenge? Added Will Ferrell, that’s what! + Just AMAZING photos of small things. + An Australian fly has been named after RuPaul. (“It has a costume of shiny metallic rainbow colours, and it has legs for days”, natch.) + Meet the women bikers of Iran. + It’s getting cold out there. So here are 7 recipes for Gruyère cheese. Oozy. + And here are 9 quick and easy breakfasts. (Yes I’m hungry today, how can you tell?) Sponsor Message Join Our Scientific Communities and Discover the Age of Experience Join Dassault Systèmes at Science in the Age of Experience – a virtual science and technology event, September 28th, 2021. Join thought leaders and influencers from around the world to explore the newest dynamics in science. Learn how the age of experience allows us to create, test and iterate in a virtual world innovative solutions to our greatest challenges. Some of the most highly sought-after leaders in science and technology will join us – including our conference keynote, George Church, PhD., from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University. Join now. The must-reads I’ve combed the internet to find you today’s most fun/important/scary/fascinating stories about technology. 1 Some Americans are getting themselves booster shots They’re not prepared to wait for official approval. (NYT)   + The world needs a pandemic Plan B. (Atlantic)   + Southern states are running dangerously low on ICU beds. (NYT)   + Two US regulators have come out strongly against boosters. (Ars Technica)   + Yes you can get a flu shot and covid shot at the same time. (WaPo) 2 Nicki Minaj isn’t anti-vax, and that’s what’s so worrying It was tempting to laugh, but it reveals a dangerous form of mainstream anti-science. (Vox) 3 Yes, emergency software patches are becoming more common Zero-day flaws are on the rise. (NBC)   + So it’s a very good day to update your devices. (Wired) 4 Why Facebook is using Ray-Ban to stake a claim on our faces The issue is partially what they are, but mostly what they will become. (TR, opinion)   + How our voices are being used for profit. (NYT)   + Facebook posts about Palestinians need a bias review. (BBC) 5 Apple just unveiled its latest stuff. Here’s what mattered The devices themselves haven't changed much, but Apple signalled its intent. (Protocol) 6 There’s a lobbying frenzy over America’s biggest-ever climate bill  It's big, ambitious, but not everyone is behind it—yet. (WaPo) 7 Facebook knows that Instagram is toxic for teen girls Its own research has shown it can make body-image issues worse. (WSJ) 8 How AI can help forecast how much sea ice will melt Our current long range predictions are varied, at best. (Science News) 9 The complex history of mRNA vaccines—and who should get the Nobel This didn’t just happen overnight, y’know. (Nature)   + One pioneer discusses her work. (SciAm) 10 Future Mars bases could be built out of astronaut blood and pee It's a very special sort of concrete. (Vice)   + Jupiter got smacked by a rock—and it was caught on camera. (Space) In just 2 weeks, immerse yourself in bold thinking and innovation at EmTech MIT.  Join us at EmTech MIT as we distill what's probable, plausible, and possible with tomorrow's technology and global trends in biotech, cryptocurrencies, extended reality, AI, power, and more. Register today. Quote of the day "People often say that children are stronger than we assume. Sure, I believed that, but I never wanted my own children to have to prove it. I thought I had the power to protect them from hardship. No one has that." A moving essay from writer Caitlin Flanagan about how her cancer diagnosis taught her that the best policy is to tell children the truth. Top image credit: INSPIRATION 4/JON KRAUS Please send Gruyere to hi@technologyreview.com. Follow me on Twitter at @niallfirth. Thanks for reading! —Niall Was this newsletter forwarded to you, and you'd like to see more? Sign up today Understand the promise of technology. Make MIT Technology Review your go-to resource for thought-provoking insights, analysis, and news about the world of technology. Get unlimited access when you subscribe today. Subscribe now Follow us: MIT Technology Review One Main Street Cambridge, MA 02142

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