With SpaceX Starship, Japan's ispace Provides Ride-share to the Moon

Japan's ispace is leveraging the capabilities of SpaceX's Starship to offer a ride-share service to the Moon, marking a significant step in lunar exploration accessibility.

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We're absolutely buzzing... We're eager for this to happen now, to experience it, for the weather to be right, for everything to work.

Meanwhile, Spain is abuzz with anticipation for the total solar eclipse scheduled for August 12. This celestial event, the first in Spain since 1905, is expected to last approximately 90 seconds and is drawing considerable global attention. The phenomenon is particularly significant for rural areas suffering from population decline, such as Castile and Leon in northern Spain, which lie within the "band of totality."

Enrique Bordallo, president of the Burgos Astronomy Association, expressed the collective excitement: "We're absolutely buzzing... We're eager for this to happen now, to experience it, for the weather to be right, for everything to work." This sentiment is shared by locals and the growing number of eclipse tourists descending upon the region.

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Castile and Leon isn't always in the news, and unfortunately the foreigners (tourists) stay more on the coast. We're really excited that it (the eclipse) is in this area.

Belen Molinuevo Puras, a 51-year-old anthropologist with family ties to Belorado, noted the potential benefits for areas often overlooked by international tourism. "Castile and Leon isn't always in the news, and unfortunately the foreigners (tourists) stay more on the coast," she said. "We're really excited that it (the eclipse) is in this area."

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The three eclipses are an unprecedented opportunity to help rebalance tourist flows in Spain.

Spain, already a major tourist destination, aims to diversify its offerings beyond traditional beach holidays and alleviate overtourism in popular cities. The upcoming eclipses in 2027 and 2028, in addition to the one in August, are seen as "an unprecedented opportunity to help rebalance tourist flows in Spain," according to an Airbnb report. Cities like Burgos are experiencing a surge in bookings, with accommodation filling up months in advance, driven by international visitors from the United States, South America, Japan, and other Asian countries. Local officials hope this influx will leave a lasting positive impression and provide a significant economic boost.

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take away a good impression of our city, and later that can have a ripple effect.