Skip to main content

Wannabe astronaut? A smartphone game could be your ticket for a free ride

Thanks to tech, it’s easy to get an idea of what it must be like to spend time on the International Space Station (ISS). We can already explore the satellite’s interior and see how the astronauts live — how they make a coffee, wash their hair, and even use a space toilet. We can also enjoy those breathtaking views of Earth several hundred miles below.

So how do you like the idea of actually visiting the ISS? For free.

Recommended Videos

This is the extraordinary offer recently announced by a Finnish space industry company, and here’s the fun bit: A smartphone game will be key to getting you there.

Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign that quickly blasted through its 1.5 million euro ($1.6 million) target, the idea is on track to become a reality.

The mission is the brainchild of space media company Cohu Experience, which has designed the plan with space commercialization company Axiom Space and two education firms, GeekTime reported.

Collectively known as Space Nation, the team is developing a smartphone app featuring a bunch of training exercises for wannabe astronauts. Aimed for release in the fall, gamers who fancy the idea of a trip to the ISS will have to battle through intelligence quizzes, reasoning tests, and various other challenges to score points.

The top-performing 130 players will have the chance to attend a two-week boot camp. And that’s where things get serious.

There you’ll have to take on a range of physical tests to ensure your body is up to the challenge of a trip into space.

The best 12 competitors will then face a demanding 12-week training course in the United States or Europe, after which one lucky guy or gal — and a runner-up in case of any subsequent issues with the winner — will be selected.

In the coming years, Axiom is hoping to attach a new facility to the ISS that will become independent when the space station is decommissioned. The plan is to operate astronaut missions of up to two months at a time, as well as weeklong tourist trips, with the contest winner offered a seat on one of the launches.

Commenting on the contest, Cohu Experience founder Kalle Vähä-Jaakkola told GeekTime that the upcoming app should be useful for everyone who tries it, helping players “with nutrition, health, fitness, creative problem solving, critical thinking … and teamwork.”

It could also be your free ticket to space.

Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
How to use your Android smartphone to stream Xbox games
how to set up ps4 remote play on ios and android xbox game streaming with controller

 

Ask anyone which they prefer in the "Android vs. iOS" battle, and the answer is likely to be a passionate one. That's for a good reason, of course, since both platforms have a lot to offer supporters, and crucially, don't always get the same apps, games, and features. Android, however, has a particularly large feather in its cap: The ability to stream and play Xbox games through the internet, with no console required.

Read more
How to optimize your Android smartphone for gaming
samsung galaxy s21 ultra review gaming

In a world once dominated by dedicated mobile gaming devices, smartphones have begun to take over, giving gamers a way to jump into other worlds when on the go. If you’re using an Android smartphone to jump into your favorite titles, such as Fortnite, Call of Duty Mobile, or any of the best Android games, you should consider adjusting your settings to get the best experience. Here’s how to optimize your Android smartphone for gaming.
Adjusting system settings
The best place to start when optimizing your Android smartphone for gaming is to dive into system settings. Your smartphone’s settings app isn’t just a place to change your device’s wallpaper; you have control over how your device operates. Below we have listed a few Android system settings you should keep an eye on and how to adjust them for the best gaming experience.
Use the fastest cellular network

Your device’s network mode dictates which cellular technology your device uses to connect to the internet. You may be gaming on a smartphone that supports 4G LTE or, even better, 5G -- and in that case, you’ll want to make sure the right technology is enabled to reduce latency or other connectivity issues. On most Android devices, you can follow these steps to select the fastest cellular network:

Read more
Fill a bit of year-long wait for Grand Theft Auto 6 with this chaotic new game
A truck smashes through a wall in Deliver at all Costs.

Look, it's time to face reality: it'll be another year until you can play Grand Theft Auto 6. I know, I know -- you were probably hoping that you'd wake up this week and discover that its delay to May 26, 2026 was just a dream. Sadly, them's the breaks, kid. You're going to need to play some other things to fill that gap, whether its something like Mafia: The Old Country or other vehicular crime games like Mario Kart World (at least the way I plan to play it).

But don't worry, I'm not just here to bum you out. I am nothing if not constructive, so I come bearing a recommendation to help ease your sorrow, if only for a few weeks. Deliver at All Costs is a delightfully chaotic new game that takes inspiration from the original Grand Theft Auto games, back when the series had a top-down perspective. It's a compact slice of open-world mayhem that GTA fans are sure to get a kick out of.

Read more