Countdown to the US election, NASA's contracts with private firms and why Disney is a sequel machine
August 2024
Hello and welcome!👋
There was certainly no summer lull on the news front. This edition aims to offer an interesting mix of stories, covering the latest on the battle for the Oval Office, the relationship between space missions and private enterprise, and how Disney is recycling well-loved characters.
As always, your comments, feedback and likes are appreciated.
ELECTION CAMPAIGN HEATS UP
In less than 70 days, Americans will cast their votes in a presidential election like no other.
As campaigning gains momentum, Kamala Harris is setting fundraising records. The Democratic candidate reportedly received a total of US$540 million since launching her bid for the White House. In comparison, Donald Trump has pulled in $327 million.
The polls - if you believe them - suggest Harris is edging ahead of her Republican rival in the wake of the Democratic National Convention. The Chicago event saw political veterans (Bill Clinton, Nancy Pelosi, Barack Obama) and celebrities (Oprah Winfrey, Eva Longoria) take the stage to endorse the current Veep.
Has Harris re-energised the Democratic Party after a bumpy start to the 2024 race? This mini-documentary by Bloomberg explores the shift.
SPACE CADETS
The fate of two astronauts who are stuck in space till next year has brought the focus back on NASA’s dealings with private contractors.
Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore were meant to return to Earth in June, but now their next flight home will be in February 2025. Why the long delay? The pair’s ride to the International Space Station (ISS), the Boeing CST-100 Starliner, is battling technical problems. NASA says the Starliner will depart without a crew to avoid “more risk than necessary”.
Meanwhile, the astronauts will have to spend months waiting for a capsule by Elon Musk’s SpaceX to pick them up. It’s another embarrassment for Boeing following previous issues with design flaws and hardware failures.
Despite the mishap, NASA is continuing with its commercial space programme in which private sector firms compete to transport teams to the ISS. In the past, the US agency would control each aspect of the mission, particularly the engineering of shuttles. Under this model, NASA is essentially buying services as the contractors “own and operate” their infrastructure.
Naturally, the R&D costs are astronomical (excuse the pun), but tech billionaires like Musk are determined to build spacecraft and get them into orbit. For NASA, these partnerships help reduce spending by placing the investment burden on outsiders.
DISNEY’S SEQUEL MANIA
Disney wants to reign supreme in our attention economy, and its tactic is to churn out sequels and spin-offs. The entertainment conglomerate held its D23 showcase in the middle of August, offering a preview of upcoming films and TV series.
Fans at the California event were treated to lavish performances, celebrity appearances and exclusive trailers. But the main takeaway is that Disney is relentlessly mining its intellectual property to make money.
As the Guardian notes, the Hollywood studio revealed “an extensive, albeit predictable, slate of sequels”. Get ready for Moana 2, Toy Story 5, Zootopia 2 and Frozen 3. There’s also Freakier Friday, a follow up to Lindsay Lohan’s 2003 hit movie, a live-action remake of Snow White, and Baby Yoda adventures in The Mandalorian & Grogu.
Perhaps the most surprising - at least to this ‘90s kid - is The Lion King prequel called Mufasa. Directed by Oscar winner Barry Jenkins, the Christmas week release tells “the story of how Mufasa became one of the greatest kings of the Pride Lands”.
Are you excited or unimpressed by the Disney pipeline? Let me know!
Thanks for reading! Take care and stay curious, Sara xx
Thank you Sara for the updates.
The US election has a new energizing feel, felt all the way here in HK. After the coming debate there will be, I feel, a more definitive direction. Let’s see!
As for the astronauts still up there, I personally don’t hear much news follow up on them. It is most unfortunate, however the optimistic view is that they are “comfortable” and apparently safe till Feb ‘25. Though I’m sure, if they had ever lived in HK’s standard homes, they might be more used to their small space.
Seriously, thanks for that update and my prayers go out to them.