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Animal behaviour Analysis Space exploration Birds know to hide More people are going to space, but who will get to fly? from predators Civilians in orbit will generally have to be rich, before they hatch young and physically fit, says Leah Crane

Jake Buehler

THE world is a dangerous place for Blue Origin is young birds, and it seems that even auctioning off a seat as embryos, some take measures on its first crewed flight to hide from predators. Late in embryonic development, one. With more ways to get to many bird species will communicate space comes the possibility to with their parents through the launch a larger variety of people – eggshell by chirping. Kristal but who, exactly? Kostoglou at Deakin University in While the costs of most of these Melbourne, Australia, wanted to flights haven’t been released, the know if these talkative embryos going rate is around $50 million, N I G I

have the predator-avoiding instincts R so the majority of us will still only O

E

of hatched chicks, which hide and U be able to experience space flight L B / E

fall silent when threatened. Z through a screen, unless we N U K Kostoglou and her team exposed get very lucky in a competition. X I L E

the eggs of two Australian shorebird F And money isn’t the only barrier species – 56 eggs of the red-capped to orbit. When the Russian space plover (Charadrius ruficapillus) SPACE isn’t just for the his production assistant. agency was looking for a female and 299 of the masked lapwing professionals now several He has already announced plans actor to be in Challenge, it sought (Vanellus miles) – to different high-profile rocket-makers are to fly around the moon on one someone between the ages of signals of a predator approaching. gearing up to send civilians above of SpaceX’s next-generation 25 and 40, weighing 50 to These included predator calls, the atmosphere. But with price rockets in a flight currently set 70 kilograms and physically fit. increased parent heart rate sounds tags in the millions, we are still for 2023 and is running a contest She will have to undergo some or changes in light levels resulting far from the long-awaited for eight artists to join him. of the training that government- democratisation of space flight. This kind of space tourism employed astronauts go through, “Many bird species will Many of these civilian space isn’t new: in the early 2000s, including centrifuge testing and communicate with their flight opportunities are being run seven individuals who weren’t training on parabolic flights. parents through the as contests, auctions or raffles. professional astronauts flew to The same is true of all the other eggshell by chirping” Blue Origin is auctioning off a seat the ISS aboard Soyuz spacecraft. non-government folk heading to aboard its very first crewed flight This ceased when the US Space space, even if they aren’t going from a parent bird moving off the on the New Shepard suborbital Shuttle programme ended in all the way into orbit. The Blue nest. The team then recorded how rocket – as of 24 May, the price 2011 because at that point Soyuz Origin suborbital flight carries often the embryos called had reached $2.8 million. became the only way to get to requirements for height, weight, under these conditions. SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission, the ISS. Now SpaceX has a craft physical fitness and dexterity, The researchers didn’t find any planned to launch into orbit on that can bring humans to the ISS, along with the ability to speak effects from a change in light or 15 September, has an all-civilian and Boeing is working on another and listen to instructions in English. heart rate, but the embryos of crew, with one member selected by There are programmes looking lapwings went from calling just raffle and another by a competition. Japanese billionaire Yusaku to broaden the range of people over once per minute under white Meanwhile, the Discovery TV Maezawa has booked who can go to space. For example, noise, to once over 3 minutes when channel has announced a multiple trips to space the European Space Agency is exposed to the sounds of egg- programme called Who Wants running a “parastronaut feasibility eating little ravens (Corvus mellori), to Be an Astronaut? in which the project” studying adaptations to suggesting they were trying to avoid winning contestant will go to the send individuals with physical predators. The plovers’ call rate was International Space Station (ISS), disabilities to space. The project about four times per minute under and there are plans for scenes website says: “Right now we are white noise, but dropped to twice from two films to be shot there at step zero. The door is closed per minute with the predator noises in September, one starring Tom to persons living with disabilities.”

(International Journal of Avian Cruise and another titled Challenge N Getting to a point where any O O H

Science, doi.org/gjw792). with Russian actor Yulia Peresild. - member of the public can go G N U

Jose Noguera at the University Then, in December, Japanese Y to space will take work – and it K

M I

of Vigo in Spain says these findings billionaire Yusaku Maezawa plans K remains to be seen whether / S R

“clearly show that embryos are not to take a Russian Soyuz rocket E private space flight companies T U ❚ E ❚ passive agents to external cues”. to the ISS for 12 days, along with R are willing to put in the effort.

16 | New Scientist | 29 May 2021