The first COVID-19 vaccine doses distributed by the World Health Organization’s global sharing scheme COVAX arrived in Ghana, West Africa, on Wednesday.
Why it matters: The shipments represent the "beginning of what should be the largest vaccine procurement and supply operation in history," per a joint statement from the WHO and UNICEF hailing the arrival as a "momentous occasion."
Later this year, Hayley Arceneaux — a childhood cancer survivor and physician assistant at St. Jude — is expected to launch to orbit for the first all-civilian mission to space.
Why it matters: Arceneaux represents a new kind of astronaut, one who didn't train for years to live in space but instead is making the most of the opportunities afforded by the budding private spaceflight industry.
Space travel experts are advocating for people with disabilities to be eligible to fly to orbit and beyond.
Why it matters: Long-held beliefs about who is best suited for space travel have limited the industry and those it inspires. Widening the scope of who is considered fitfor spaceflight could help invite more people to be invested in the future of humanity in space.
