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2023 is flying by and it's now almost August, a month which will bring us two full moons — and two supermoons, at that! The Sturgeon Moon will come at the start of the month, on the 1st, and the Blue Moon will arrive at the end, on the 31st. The last Blue Moon was in 2020, and the last 'blue supermoon' was in 2018, so August's Blue Moon is certainly one to look out for. In this article, we'll explore supermoons, what a Blue Moon actually is, and where August's full moon gets

With the Barbie movie being released this week, we decided that now is the perfect time to look back at a Barbie project of our own. To celebrate Barbie's 60th anniversary, we worked alongside Mattel Canada to send Astronaut Barbie into space for real. With an expansive list of careers under her belt, Barbie is known for championing women's equality and reminding girls that they can grow up to be whatever they want. One of her most iconic careers is arguably as an astronaut,

When you think of a black hole, what comes to mind? If it's an image of a colossal void floating through space, sucking in planets and stars and evaporating them to dust, you aren't alone. But black holes are actually thought to be full of matter. In simple terms, a black hole is an area with such strong gravity that nothing, including light, has the energy to escape. The nature of a black hole makes them hard to observe and, as a result, study. This means that while we do kn

See how we launched the ICC Cricket World Cup into space from the world's biggest sports stadium (Narendra Modi Stadium) for the International Cricket Council.

It's almost the end of June, which means it's nearly the Summer Solstice. Falling on the 21st of June in 2023, the Summer Solstice is an annual occurrence between the 20th to the 22nd of June depending on the year. Signifying the longest day of the year, the Summer Solstice carries significance in many cultures and goes by many names. From the Wiccan Litha to the Druid Alban Hefin, the Summer Solstice is known and celebrated by many. While the terms are often used interchange

The arrival of June means it's time to celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month — and there's plenty to celebrate. LGBTQ+ people have made invaluable contributions to every field of science, from Alan Turing's war-ending Bombe machine to Sara Josephine Baker's pioneering disease education programmes to Alan Hart's life-saving medical breakthroughs. While today, the work of these LGBTQ+ scientists is appreciated and celebrated, this was not the case during their lifetimes. Despite the sig

So far in 2023, we've seen some pretty cool night skies. June has only just arrived, and already we're just days away from this month's full moon! This one is the sixth of thirteen full moons in 2023 — there are usually twelve per year, but every few years we're treated to an extra full moon, known as a 'Blue Moon' (yes, that's where the saying comes from). Each full moon has a different name, all of which have roots in Indigenous North American cultures, owing to the importa

World Environment Day is celebrated on the 5th of June every year, and has been since its founding in 1972. Each year is centred around a different theme, with World Environment Day 2023 focusing on solutions to plastic pollution. With over 200 million tonnes of non-recyclable plastic produced every year, our planet's ecosystem is overwhelmed with toxic human-made polymers. But how does space come into environmental conservation? Can extraterrestrial activity help in our effo

There's one name in football that everyone's talking about right now: Erling Haaland. The 22-year-old made his Premier League debut for the 2022/23 season, playing for Manchester City. After a record-breaking few months, Haaland emerged as Premier League Player of the Season, Premier League Young Player of the Season, and winner of the Castrol Golden Boot, having broken the record for most goals scored in any Premier League season. Collaborating with GOAL to Send Erling Haala

May 29th to June 11th marks British Tomato Fortnight 2024. British tomatoes are famous for their sweet, earthy flavours, and despite importing from countries the world over, at least a fifth of all tomatoes eaten in Britain come from local soils. Whilst we have only just gotten over the fact that tomatoes are a fruit, there are a lot of other exciting things surrounding our beloved toms. Not only are British growers finding unique ways to help bee populations whilst increasin

Always wanted to go to space? You're in luck. Space travel is quickly becoming more accessible than ever, with Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin among those offering civilians the chance to buy a ticket to space. Whether on a commercial space flight, as a trained astronaut, or after your passing, there are a variety of ways that you can go to space. We're exploring some of the ways you can experience space travel - with one of them costing less than the average UK holidaymaker

British Science Week is an annual event that celebrates the achievements of science, engineering, technology, and mathematics (STEM), the theme for 2023 is communications. What better way to celebrate science communications than by listening to the International Space Station (ISS)? The ISS is a technological marvel that provides a unique platform for scientific research in a microgravity environment. It is also a joint effort between various countries, making it an excellent

There’s no doubt about it, science fiction has played a considerable part in shaping society. Concepts conceived by science fiction writers have inspired many technologies that exist today. That mobile phone in your pocket? You have Star Trek’s Captain Kirk to thank for that (and Motorola). From drones to satellites, virtual reality to smartwatches, domestic robots to bionic limbs, sci-fi has predicted and pathed the way for a multitude of technological innovations that have

From January 28th to February 4th 2023, a high-altitude balloon (HAB) of Chinese origin (dubbed in Western media as a 'spy balloon' and 'airship') was seen drifting across Northern American airspace. During its flight, the balloon flew over a nuclear warhead stationed in a silo field in Montana, causing a great deal of suspicion among authorities. Despite China’s claims that the craft was a meteorological balloon which veered off course, the Pentagon strongly insisted the bal

Atmospheric pressure, also known as air pressure or barometric pressure, is a critical component of Earth's weather and climate system. Understanding and accurately measuring atmospheric pressure is crucial to almost every facet of today's world, from forecasting weather patterns and tracking storms to improving GPS location accuracy, and even determining the altitude of aircraft and Low Earth Orbit satellites (LEOs). The ways we have determined air pressure have changed dras

There’s a reason why people use the cliched phrase ‘it’s not rocket science’ to refer to something that is easy to achieve — rocket science really is incredibly complex. It has taken centuries of research, development, failures and triumphs, on repeat, for aerospace to get to where it is today. Who would have known that just before we landed on the Moon that in as little as 70 years we would have developed spacecraft capable of observing the Big Bang, placed rovers on the Red

What does a sunset look like from space? Pretty breath-taking, we think you’ll find. Nearing the end of 2022, the SIS team travelled to one of our UK-based launch sites to send a camera into space during a spectacular sunset. We captured the sunset from ground level to high above the clouds in stunning 6k 360 video. Watch as the spacecraft journeys into the stratosphere, climbing up past a band of amber clouds lit by the sun’s rays, all the way to the black abyss above our pl

Sent into Space had an extraordinary year in 2022. We travelled far and wide, from the green rolling hills of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, to the Nevada desert’s rocky expanse, collaborating with the likes of world famous influencers, musicians, TV personalities, and high-profile brands. We achieved a plethora of industry firsts, captured breathtaking footage from around the globe, and went viral with a 360º hyperlapse of the Grand Canyon from space that gained over 30m cross-

‘Tis the season to ponder celestial bodies! With Christmas on its way, many of us are busy in the haze of gift-buying, ice-dodging, and trying to avoid the unceasing bombardment of our ear canals by Mariah Carey. However, Christmas is about more than presents and parties. It’s a time to remember the story of the nativity — and as stargazers, there’s one part of the story that’s particularly interesting to us at Sent Into Space: the three wise men, bearing gifts for the newbor

Today marks the passing of Joseph Kittinger, a pioneer in the field of high-altitude balloon flights. Born in 1928 in Tampa, Florida, Kittinger joined the United States Air Force in 1950 and served as a fighter pilot during the Korean War. Kittinger and Project Manhigh After the war, he became a test pilot and was chosen to be part of Project Manhigh, a program that investigated the effects of high altitude flights on humans in preparation for future space exploration. He was