Throughout history, people have had some curious ideas about the Moon. Some see a face or a rabbit on the surface. Others believe the Moon can bring good luck. There's even a myth that a full Moon can help turn humans into werewolves! When Justin Darnall looks up at the Moon, he sees the future of space travel and exploration.
Darnall is an aerospace engineer-someone involved in the design, development, testing, and production of aircraft and spacecraft. He has worked on both systems and equipment. Today, he works for Blue Origin, a private spaceflight company and aerospace manufacturer. Jeff Bezos, famous for founding Amazon, started Blue Origin in the year 2000.
Darnall is a senior manager of software development, testing, and deployment for "lunar permanence" at Blue Origin's offices in Denver, Colorado. He and his team are developing software for the Human Landing System (HLS). It will be used to deliver humans to the Moon's surface as part of NASA's Artemis V mission.
DID YOU GROW UP DREAMING OF A CAREER IN AEROSPACE?
Yes! I dreamt of being an astronaut. Then, during my senior year of high school, I wrote about how cool it would be to become an aerospace engineer, not knowing it was something I could actually pursue. I thought it was a thing of the past until I returned to college after serving eight years in the Marine Corps.
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the {{IssueName}} edition of {{MagazineName}}.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Who's Your Cousin?
The great apes are among the most popular animals in most zoos. Their actions, facial expressions, and family life remind us so much of ourselves. Have you ever wondered, though, how we might look to them?
Is it possible to die of boredom?
To figure out if we can die of boredom, we first have to understand what boredom is. For help, we called James Danckert, a psychologist who studies boredom at the University of Waterloo in Canada.
THE PROBLEM WITH PALM OIL
Palm oil is all around you. It’s in sugary snacks like cookies and candy bars. It’s in lipstick and shampoo and pet food.
SERGE WICH
Serge Wich’s favorite days at work are spent out in the forest, studying orangutans in Sumatra and Borneo or chimpanzees in Tanzania.
ELODIE FREYMANN
When you’re feeling sick, it probably doesn’t occur to you to try eating tree bark.
Guardians of the Forest
EARLY, MAKESHIFT WILDLIFE DRONES HELPED TO DETECT AND PROTECT ORANGUTANS.
APE ANTICS
The Whirling World of primate play
Dr. Ape Will See You Now
HUMANS AREN’T THE ONLY PRIMATES THAT USE MEDICATION.
THE LEFT OVERS
A lot has happened for modern humans to get to this point. We lost most of our hair, learned how to make tools, established civilizations, sent a person to the Moon, and invented artificial intelligence. Whew! With all of these changes, our bodies have changed, too. It’s only taken us about six million years.
SO, WHAT IS A PRIMATE?
What do you have in common with the aye-aye, sifaka, siamang, and potto? If you said your collarbone, you re probably a primatologist—a person who studies primates. If you’re not, read on.
