<ul class="summary-list"><li>A pair of latex underwear that costs $6.25 is now FDA-cleared STI protection for oral sex.</li><li>Previously, only dental dams were available to protect people from <keyword id="13914383" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="stis" source="Orion">STIs</keyword> during oral. </li></ul><p>For the first time, a type of underwear has been cleared <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/cdrh_docs/pdf21/K212928.pdf">by the FDA</a> as protection to help reduce the transmission of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) contracted through oral sex.</p><p>The FDA cleared the thin, stretchy, flavored, disposable underwear, called <keyword id="13914382" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="lorals" source="Orion">Lorals</keyword>, on <a href="https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfPMN/pmn.cfm?ID=K212928">April 22</a> for use "as a barrier when engaging in oral/vaginal and oral/anal sex." </p><p>The underwear are only the second form of protection the FDA has OK'd to protect against orally-acquired STIs. (The much older oral sex protection option, <a href="https://www.plannedparenthood.org/planned-parenthood-pacific-southwest/blog/dental-dams-unwrapped">dental dams</a>, are <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2019/04/dental-dams-are-more-symbolic-practical/587539/">pretty</a> unpopular.) The move also follows the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/fda-permits-marketing-first-condom-specifically-indicated-anal-intercourse">FDA's authorization</a> of the first condom designed to reduce STI transmission during anal sex, in February.</p><p>In an <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc4Stt2vwru/">Instagram ad</a>, Lorals says its combination of skin-tight fit and ultra-thin condom-grade latex fabric in the panties "means that you can feel everything through them" while performing or receiving oral sex.  </p><p>"Lorals for Protection" come in two shapes (<a href="https://mylorals.com/collections/all/products/lorals-for-protection?variant=39835894644835">bikini</a> and <a href="https://mylorals.com/collections/all/products/lorals-for-protection?variant=39835894677603">shortie</a>) and cost $25 for a pack of four. The FDA did not require human clinical trials of these undies, but instead evaluated the thickness, elasticity, and strength of the product before clearance, as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/health/fda-underwear-sti.html">New York Times first reported</a>.  </p><p>A Lorals user named Wisty, who has had sex with men and women and uses they/them pronouns, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/05/12/health/fda-underwear-sti.html">told the Times</a> that the Lorals underwear made "it easier for me to enforce the boundaries that I wanted to."</p><p>Wisty told the Times they have <keyword id="13914384" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="herpes" source="Orion">herpes</keyword> simplex and that using Lorals allowed them "to be able to still play and explore while having that comfort and safety of knowing that I'm protected from my fluids going everywhere."</p><h2>'Like you're eating a cookie' </h2><p>Shelly, another Lorals user, told the Times she bought the panties with her fiancé Ashton. Ashton recently had cancer-related surgery that made it difficult to use his tongue or taste like he used to. </p><p>The couple marveled at the stretchiness and vanilla-flavoring of the panties, before eventually trying them out. Their experience went well.  </p><p>Shelly said she could barely feel the undies on her, while Ashton told the Times they tasted "like you're eating a cookie." </p><p>Some gynecologists say the vanilla flavoring isn't necessary. Dr. <a href="https://drjengunter.com/2018/03/06/scented-latex-underwear-to-improve-freshness-for-more-oral-sex-its-a-vagina-not-a-yankee-candle/">Jen Gunter was critical of the company's flavoring strategy back in 2018,</a> when Lorals was not yet FDA cleared, and was still raising money on Indiegogo. </p><p>In a <a href="https://drjengunter.com/2018/03/06/scented-latex-underwear-to-improve-freshness-for-more-oral-sex-its-a-vagina-not-a-yankee-candle/">blog post</a>, she said she was genuinely excited about the idea that "this could be an alternative to dental dams or cut up condoms! A hands free approach that does not require scissors would be great," but she also cautioned that scented "products like Lorals just reinforce the false belief that a normal vagina is somehow unpleasant."</p><p>The company says its panties can serve various purposes in addition to providing protection against STIs, for whenever people don't want to have direct skin-to-skin contact during oral sex. Other reasons people might want to use the undies, Lorals suggests, include being on a period, feeling sensitive or self-conscious, avoiding scratchy stubble, and avoiding poop.</p><blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px); data.width~540;"><div style="padding:8px;"><div style="background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:62.4537037037% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"><div style="background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div><p style="margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cb3lfBZJ0-J" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank"></a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by Lorals (@mylorals)<time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime=""></time></p></div></blockquote>

FDA clears first underwear for oral sex — it's vanilla-flavored, and tastes 'like you're eating a cookie'

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A NASA astronaut accidentally lost a tool bag in space earlier this month.</li><li>The lost bag is not a threat, and will just burn up in Earth's atmosphere.</li></ul><p>A NASA astronaut accidentally let go of a tool bag in space while conducting repairs on the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this month.</p><p>And it turns out that it's not the first time astronauts have accidentally released items into the abyss of space. It's happened at least four times before to NASA astronauts — here's a breakdown of what happened each time.</p><h2>An Astronaut dropped a tool bag during a spacewalk earlier this month</h2><p>On November 2, NASA astronauts Jasmin Moghbeli and Loral O'Hara were conducting a few repairs on the ISS, <a target="_blank" href="https://blogs.nasa.gov/spacestation/2023/11/01/astronauts-enter-station-complete-spacewalk/">NASA said in a press release.</a></p><p>During the spacewalk, which lasted 6 hours and 42 minutes, one of the two astronauts accidentally let go of a tool bag they had been using, sending it drifting off into space, according to NASA. Flight controllers later spotted the bag on external station cameras but determined that its trajectory was not a risk to the space station or its crew, NASA said.</p><p>When Moghbeli and O'Hara lost the bag, they no longer needed it to complete the repairs, NASA said.</p><p>The bag is expected to drift ahead of the space station for a few months before eventually burning up in the Earth's atmosphere, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.wkbn.com/news/national-world/lost-in-space-nasa-loses-a-tool-bag/#:~:text=NASA%20HAS%20A%20HISTORY%20OF,a%20debris%20shield%20in%202017.">WKBN reported</a>.</p><h2>NASA astronauts lost a crucial piece of equipment in space in 2017</h2><p>During a spacewalk in 2017, astronauts Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough lost an item they needed to complete their work on the ISS: a bag containing a fabric debris shield meant to cover up an access point, <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2017/03/30/nasa-astronauts-lose-key-piece-of-iss-shield-and-now-its-floating-free-in-space/">the Washington Post reported at the time</a>.</p><p>After the 18-pound bag was lost, teams at Mission Control back on Earth had to scramble to find another solution so that the access point wouldn't be exposed, according to the Post. But, they were able to quickly scrape together a substitute using other materials.</p><h2>A NASA astronaut lost a bag worth $100,000 in 2008 while trying to clean up a leak</h2><p>While conducting repairs outside the ISS on November 18, 2008, NASA astronaut Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper accidentally let her tool bag slip — and it was worth $100,000, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.theregister.com/2008/11/24/nasa_lost_toolbag_filmed_on_earth/">The Register reported</a>.</p><p>A grease gun inside the 30-pound bag had started to leak, and while Stefanyshyn-Piper was attempting to clean up the mess, the bag drifted out of her grasp, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.space.com/7088-tool-bag-lost-space-meets-fiery.html">Space.com reported</a>.</p><p>Stefanyshyn-Piper said in an interview after the incident that she considered jumping and grabbing the bag, according to Space.com.</p><p>"Then I realized that it would just make everything worse, and then we'd have two floating objects, one of which would be me," she added. "So the best thing to do was just to let it go."</p><h2>The first American spacewalker lost a glove in space in 1965</h2><p>Losing something in space isn't just a modern-day phenomenon — the first American spacewalker, Ed White, lost a glove nearly 60 years ago during his first spacewalk.</p><p>On June 3, 1965, White stepped out of the Gemini 4 spacecraft to float in space for 20 minutes, <a target="_blank" href="https://spacecenter.org/mission-monday-five-fast-facts-about-the-first-american-spacewalk/#:~:text=4.,the%205%3A43%20time%20mark.">according to NASA's Space Center Houston</a>.</p><p>But while the capsule door was still open, one of his spare gloves floated out and off into space, Space Center Houston said.</p><p>You can even clearly spot the moment it happens in <a target="_blank" href="https://youtu.be/CwQPaoYZgp0?si=vFZmumvLbFYFUF1m">this video from NASA</a>, around the 5:43 minute mark.</p><h2>And it's not just NASA — earlier this year, a Russian cosmonaut tossed a tool bag into space on purpose</h2><p>In May, Russian cosmonauts Sergey Prokopyev and Dmitri Petelin were conducting a spacewalk outside the ISS when Prokopyev chucked an 11-pound bag of leftover equipment into the abyss, commenting, "It flies beautifully," <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/video-shows-cosmonaut-space-littering-during-spacewalk-nasa-says-harmless-2023-5">Insider previously reported</a>.</p><p>Some criticized Prokopyev for littering, but the ISS later tweeted that the bag would "harmlessly burn up in the Earth's atmosphere."</p>

4 times NASA astronauts lost things in space

<ul><li><strong><keyword id="10473418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cathie-wood">Cathie Wood</keyword>'s latest ETF could launch as soon as next week based on regulatory filing dates.</strong></li><li><strong>ARK Space Exploration would focus on companies involved in space exploration and innovation.</strong></li><li><strong>ARKX <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1579982/000110465921003837/tm212832d1_485apos.htm">filed on January 13</a>, making March 29 the earliest date Ark could complete the SEC approval process, Bloomberg first reported.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-opening-bell">Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell</a></strong></li></ul><p>Cathie Wood's latest exchange-traded fund focused on investments in space exploration may lift off as soon as next week based on regulatory filing dates, marking the debut of the fund manager's first ETF since 2019.</p><p>ARK Space Exploration (ARKX), the newest fund from Ark Investment Management, would focus on companies involved in space exploration and innovation in the US and around the world.</p><p>Wood's ARKX <a href="https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1579982/000110465921003837/tm212832d1_485apos.htm">filed on January 13</a>, as first <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-03-25/cathie-wood-preps-space-etf-as-ark-s-first-new-fund-in-two-years?srnd=markets-vp">reported by Bloomberg</a>, making March 29 the earliest date Ark could complete the Securities and Exchange Commission approval process barring any delays. </p><p>The arrival of ARKX comes alongside rising interest in space exploration among investors. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/6-etfs-for-stock-market-zeitgeist-buzz-fomo-mvp-tickers-2021-3-1030229608">Procure Space's UFO</a> space-themed ETF has seen an 11% gain year-to-date. UFO said it's the world's first pure-play space ETF and holds Loral Space, Viasat, and Gilat, among others.</p><p>"We see that as validation that we were first to this pure-play space industry and providing investors with this global exposure," Andrew Chanin, CEO of Procure AM, told Insider. Chanin is behind the UFO space ETF, which launched in 2019.</p><p>Wood's last fund was launched two years ago, with the debut of ARK Fintech Innovation ETF, which focuses on financial technology innovation. It has had an incredible run thus far, jumping 150% in one year. Wood's flagship fund, ARK Innovation ETF, is also higher by 169% in the same period. </p><p>The space industry has gained traction in the past months as companies ranging from Elon Musk's SpaceX and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic have made developments in their pursuits to go outer space.</p>

Cathie Wood's space ETF to launch as soon next week as famed investment manager readies first fund since 2019

<ul class="summary-list"><li> ARKX collected $536 million in its first five trading days, as reported by The Wall Street Journal.</li><li>This figure far surpasses the industry average of ETFs collecting $100 million in three years.</li><li>ARKX may be well on track to hit the $1 billion mark in merely months.</li></ul><p><keyword id="10473418" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="cathie-wood">Cathie Wood</keyword>'s newly launched exchange-traded fund focused on investments in <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> exploration is on its way to becoming one of the most successful fund launches in history.<br /><br /><a href="https://ark-funds.com/arkx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ark Space Exploration and Innovation ETF</a> took in $536.2 million in its first five days since it began trading on March 30, according to FactSet data, as reported by <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/cathie-wood-extends-hot-hand-with-ark-space-exploration-etf-11617787802">The Wall Street Journal</a>. This figure far surpasses the industry average of ETFs collecting $100 million in three years. <br /><br />At its current pace, the newest fund of <keyword id="1041631" type="CITY" weightage="60" keywordseo="ARK">Ark</keyword> Investment Management may be on track to hit the $1 billion mark in a few months. The fastest ETF to reach the $1 billion threshold was State Street's SPDR Gold Trust <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/GLD?mod=chiclets"></a>fund in 2004, which <a href="https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20191118005142/en/SPDR%C2%AE-Gold-Shares-the-First-US-Gold-backed-ETF-That-Changed-How-Investors-Access-Gold-Celebrates-15-Years">made this record in just three days</a>.</p><p>"I think in terms of metrics of volume and inflow, it would be hard to argue that it's anything but a successful launch," Andrew Chanin, ProcureAM CEO and co-founder, told Insider.</p><p>But Chanin, the man behind UFO, a passive space-themed ETF, noted that Wood's ETF affords her more wiggle room to invest in companies that do not necessarily generate their revenues from space. </p><p>The <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/cathie-wood-space-etf-ark-innovation-volume-trading-investing-stocks-2021-3-1030260593">top holding</a> of ARKX is <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/trmb-stock?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Trimble</a>, a technology company that provides GPS, laser, and optical technologies. The California-based company has an 8.61% weight in the ETF. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/ba-stock?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Boeing</a>, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/lmt-stock?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Lockheed Martin</a>, and Ark's 3D printing <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/etfs/the-3d-printing-etf-us00214q5009?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ETF</a> are also among the <a href="https://ark-funds.com/arkx">top 10 holdings</a>. </p><p>Wood's <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/cathie-wood-space-ark-etf-launch-first-fund-since-2019-2021-3-1030247159">last fund was launched two years ago</a>, with the debut of ARK Fintech Innovation ETF,  which focuses on financial technology innovation. <br /><br />The arrival of ARKX comes amid rising interest in space exploration among the broader public. <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/6-etfs-for-stock-market-zeitgeist-buzz-fomo-mvp-tickers-2021-3-1030229608?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFO</a> has seen a 14% gain year-to-date although it has lagged the S&amp;P 500 since its inception in 2019. UFO is the world's first pure-play space ETF and holds Loral Space, Viasat, and Gilat, among others.</p><p>"It's not being about creative and buying tangential plays on whether the company is affected by space," Chanin said, talking about his fund. "We are actually looking at companies that are generating revenue from space."</p><p>The space industry has become mainstream in the past years as more well-known companies including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Richard Branson's Virgin Galactic continue to make progress.</p><p>ARKX closed at $20.81 on Wednesday, down 1.37%.</p>

Cathie Wood's ARKX Space ETF on track for one of most successful fund launches ever

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Elon Musk's <keyword id="6360701" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="spacex">SpaceX</keyword>, Jeff Bezos' <keyword id="199288" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Blue-Origin">Blue Origin</keyword>, and startup <keyword id="1289688" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rocket-Lab">Rocket Lab</keyword> are among 17 companies partnering with <keyword id="6360409" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Nasa">NASA</keyword> to develop new technologies for <keyword id="41531" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="space">space</keyword> missions to "the <keyword id="42440" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Moon">moon</keyword> and beyond."</li><li>NASA announced 20 partnerships total on Monday, all of which are unfunded. The chosen space companies will gain access to NASA's testing facilities and expertise.</li><li>"<keyword id="6422364" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="space-technology">Space technology</keyword> development doesn't happen in a vacuum," Jim Reuter, the associate administrator for NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate, said.</li><li>The space industry is booming, and expected to grow by more than $1 trillion in the next 10 years.</li></ul><p>NASA has picked 17 US companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, to develop new tech for space missions, it announced Monday.</p><p>In a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/new-nasa-partnerships-to-mature-commercial-space-technologies-capabilities">statement</a>, NASA said it had signed 20 Space Act Agreements with the 17 companies. No money will be exchanged, but the chosen firms will get access to NASA's testing facilities and expertise, which it valued at about $15.5 million.</p><p>The space companies chosen range from huge aerospace firms such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/elon-musk-jeff-bezos-blue-origin-insult-space-feud-2020-7">Musk's SpaceX and Bezos' Blue Origin</a> to smaller startups such as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rocket-lab-reusable-rockets-parachute-recovery-test-return-sender-mission-2020-11">Rocket Lab</a>.</p><p>SpaceX will partner with NASA's <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/langley">Langley Research Centre</a> to monitor the temperature of its <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starship-could-help-clean-up-space-junk-in-orbit-2020-11">Starship vehicle</a>, in order to develop reusable thermal protection, NASA said.</p><p>Blue Origin will partner with NASA on two projects — one to improve the intelligence of space robots, and the other to improve rocket engine designs.</p><p>New Jersey-based AI SpaceFactory, which was awarded $500,000 after <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/directorates/spacetech/centennial_challenges/3DPHab/19-017.html">winning a NASA challenge</a> in May 2019, is also on the list. The aerospace business will link up with the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/centers/kennedy/home/index.html">Kennedy Space Centre</a> to make a new material for 3D-printing, with the goal of building large structures on the moon's surface, NASA said.</p><p>These partnerships are part of a program managed by NASA's Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD).</p><p>The other space companies are:</p><ul><li>Aerojet Rocketdyne Inc. of Redmond, Washington</li><li>Ahmic Aerospace LLC of Oakwood, Ohio</li><li>Box Elder Innovations LLC of Corinne, Utah</li><li>Cornerstone Research Group Inc. of Miamisburg, Ohio</li><li>Elementum 3D Inc. of Erie, Colorado</li><li>Gloyer-Taylor Laboratories LLC of Tullahoma, Tennessee</li><li>IN Space LLC of West Lafayette, Indiana</li><li>Orbital Sciences Corporation (Northrop Grumman Space Systems Inc.) of Dulles, Virginia</li><li>pH Matter LLC of Columbus, Ohio</li><li>Phase Four Inc. of El Segundo, California</li><li>Sensuron LLC of Austin, Texas</li><li>Space Systems Loral Inc. (Maxar Technologies) of Palo Alto, California</li><li>Stellar Exploration Inc. of San Luis Obispo, California</li></ul><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-deal-with-big-life-changes-from-psychologist-nasa-2020-9?r=US&amp;IR=T?r=kd-sub-sub">A former NASA psychologist shares 8 stress-free strategies for coping with big changes in your life</a></em></p><p>Jim Reuter, the associate administrator for NASA's STMD, who made the selections, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/new-nasa-partnerships-to-mature-commercial-space-technologies-capabilities">said</a>: "Space technology development doesn't happen in a vacuum.</p><p>"Whether companies are pursuing space ventures of their own or maturing cutting-edge systems to one day offer a new service to NASA, the agency is dedicated to helping bring new capabilities to market for our mutual benefit," he said.</p><p>The space industry has never been so popular. In October, Bank of America said in a new research note that it expects the industry to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stock-market-investing-space-industry-to-grow-1-trillion-bofa-2020-10?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">grow by more than $1 trillion</a> in the next decade.</p>

NASA is partnering with 17 US space companies, including Elon Musk's SpaceX and Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin, to develop new tech 'for the moon and beyond'

<p><strong></strong></p><ul><li><strong>There's a growing number of exchange-traded funds designed to capture the market zeitgeist and invest in popular themes.</strong></li><li><strong>"The rise of the so-called <keyword id="46780" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="sentiment">sentiment</keyword> <keyword id="46594" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="ETFs">ETFs</keyword> ... makes a lot of sense in a socially distanced world," Antoni Trenchev, co-founder and managing partner of Nexo, told Insider.</strong></li><li><strong>Insider provides a list of six sentiment- and specialty interest-driven ETFs available to investors right now.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://newsletter.businessinsider.com/join/4np/10-things-opening-bell">Sign up here for our daily newsletter, 10 Things Before the Opening Bell</a>.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p>In an attempt to capture the <keyword id="6357440" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stock-Market">stock market</keyword> zeitgeist, investors have launched various investment vehicles to profit from the current buyers market.</p><p>Exchange-traded funds are designed to track an index, sector, commodity, or currency - and they've most recently turned their sights on investor sentiment. It's an emerging trend that's been driven in recent weeks by the GameStop stock mania that transpired on Reddit and upended Wall Street.</p><p>"Paradoxically, the pandemic actually led to an influx of new investors, many of whom are likely partaking in the ongoing ETF push," Antoni Trenchev, co-founder and managing partner of Nexo, told Insider. "The rise of the so-called sentiment ETFs, for example, makes a lot of sense in a socially distanced world."</p><p>He continued: "Instead of talking over beer in the pub, people are taking to Twitter and Reddit to share their attitudes towards <keyword id="6354298" type="DEFINITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Stocks">stocks</keyword>."</p><p>Insider has compiled a list of six sentiment- and specialty interest-driven ETFs available to investors right now:</p><h3><strong>(1) BUZZ</strong></h3><p><em><strong>Who's it for?</strong> Those who l</em><em>ove social media</em></p><p>The VanEck Vectors Social Sentiment ETF aims to scrape websites like Reddit, StockTwits, and Twitter to determine which stocks are garnering the most positive attention online. It started trading on March 4 and quickly saw <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/buzz-etf-dave-portnoy-scores-280-million-inflows-first-day-2021-3-1030155160?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest">$280 million in fund inflows</a>. BUZZ, backed by Barstool Sports founder David Portnoy, passed <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/buzz-etf-david-portnoy-passed-500-million-net-assets-2021-3-1030225331">$500 million in total net assets</a> just two weeks after.</p><p>The portfolio is rebalanced monthly and composes of <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/vaneck-social-sentiment-etf-target-social-media-reddit-meme-stocks-2021-2-1030056054">75 US large-cap stocks</a> that have the highest degree of positive investor sentiment and bullish perception. Virgin Galactic, the commercial spaceflight developer overseen by billionaire Richard Branson, is its largest constituent.</p><h3>(2) FOMO</h3><p><em><strong>Who's it for? </strong></em>Those who fear missing out</p><p>This ETF from the Collaborative Investment Series Trust aims to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/fomo-etf-invest-in-market-trends-from-spacs-to-volatility-2021-3">invest in current or emerging trends</a> as a way to alleviate investors' fears of missing the next big thing<em>. </em>It was <a href="https://sec.report/Document/0001387131-21-003381/">filed</a> with the US Securities and Exchange Commission on March 10. </p><p>FOMO will primarily invest in everything from emerging companies of any market capitalization to SPACs, to equity ETFs, fixed-income ETFs, volatility and inverse volatility ETFs, among others. The fund, advised by Connecticut-based <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/quote/1011446D:US">Tuttle Tactical Management LLC</a>, will follow "a proprietary tactical model" in managing assets. </p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/stocks-to-buy-cheap-stocks-to-soar-in-the-value-rotation-jpmorgan-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">JPMorgan says buy these 50 beaten-down stocks as traders continue to flee high-flyers and pile into cheaper names</a></em></p><h3>(3) MVP</h3><p><em><strong>Who's it for? </strong></em>Those obsessed with sports</p><p>This <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/pro-sports-etf-roundhill-investments-launches-dedicated-professional-teams-leagues-2021-3-1030220907">ETF</a> consists of <a href="https://www.roundhillinvestments.com/etf/MVP/full-holdings">36 sports-related holdings</a> including sports teams, leagues, media companies, and even sports-related <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-a-spac?utm_source=markets&amp;utm_medium=ingestgest">SPACs</a>. It was launched on March 17 by Roundhill Investments and Huddle Up newsletter founder Joe Pompliano as the first ETF dedicated to professional sports teams and leagues. </p><p>MVP's largest holding is Madison Square Garden Sports at 9.39% of the total ETF value. It also includes Formula One and WWE as well as Nike, Puma, Adidas, and MSG Networks.</p><h3>(4) INFL</h3><p><em><strong>Who's it for? </strong></em>Those willing to face inflation</p><p>This Horizon Kinetics Inflation Beneficiaries ETF aims to identify companies that would thrive in an inflationary environment. Considering inflation is the foremost fear for equity investors right now, this fund rests firmly in the market zeitgeist.</p><p>It launched in January 2021 and will consist generally of common stock, ownership units of publicly traded master limited partnerships, and units of royalty trusts.</p><h3>(5) UFO</h3><p><em><strong>Who's it for? </strong></em>Those invested in the space race</p><p>The Procure Space ETF - which says it's the world's first pure-play space ETF - aims to invest in companies engaged in space-related industries. ProcureAM CEO and co-founder Andrew Chanin told Insider said he wants the public to realize the importance of space discovery not only in daily things such as communicating, but also in more far-looking reasons such as military and economic advancements.</p><p>UFO, launched in 2019, holds Loral Space, Viasat, and Gilat, among others. It may have a competitor in the field soon via star stock picker Cathie Wood's <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/cathie-wood-could-be-launching-a-space-exploration-etf-1029966283">Ark Space Exploration ETF</a> under the symbol ARKX. But Chanin is unperturbed.</p><p>"We see that as validation that we were first pure-play space industry and provided investors with this global exposure," he said.</p><h3>(6) HDRO</h3><p><em><strong>Who's it for? </strong></em>Those interested in clean energy</p><p>The Defiance Next Gen H2 ETF, a hydrogen and fuel cell-based ETF, aims to track the most liquid, innovative hydrogen stocks in the marketplace. The ETF is focused on companies that put importance on clean energy and next-gen tech innovation. </p><p>Thus far, it has already accrued <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/03/16/hydrogen-etf-aims-to-seize-on-11-trillion-opportunity-defiance-cio.html">$2.85 million in net assets</a> since its launch last week in March. HDRO composes of Plug Power, Ceres Power, and Ballad Power.</p><p><em><strong>Read more:</strong> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bitcoin-investing-crypto-hedge-fund-cio-explains-rally-defi-nfts-2021-3" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The CIO of a crypto hedge fund breaks down why bitcoin could rally as high as $400,000 in 2 years - and explains why he's also bullish on DeFi and NFTs</a></em></p>

6 ETFs designed to help investors capture the stock market zeitgeist, from Reddit buzz to space travel

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/567c1ec8c08a80e01b8b4c1c-711-533/ackman-raises-stake-in-valeant-pharma.jpg" alt="Activist investor Bill Ackman (R), chief executive of Pershing Square Capital, speaks with specialist trader Michael Cacace, at the post where Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc. is traded  on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange November 10, 2015. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid  " data-mce-source="Thomson Reuters" data-mce-caption="Activist investor Bill Ackman, chief executive of Pershing Square Capital, speaks with a specialist trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange " /><p class="source"><span>Thomson Reuters</span></p><p class="caption">Activist investor Bill Ackman, chief executive of Pershing Square Capital, speaks with a specialist trader on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange </p></div><p></p></div></div>It has been a horrible year for the hedge fund industry. </p><p>The average hedge fund is down 3.72% this year, <a href="https://www.hedgefundresearch.com/hfrx_reg/index.php?fuse=login&amp;hi">according to Hedge Fund Research</a>.</p><p>And t<span>here have been numerous highly publicized <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/hedge-fund-liquidations-in-2015-2015-12">hedge fund closings and redemptions in 2015.</a></span></p><p class="p1">Stan Altshuller, the cofounder and chief research officer of hedge fund data firm <a href="http://www.novus.com/">Novus</a>, put together the trades that soured 2015 for many hedge fund portfolios.</p><ol><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">Interest rate hike (now finally getting it right) long USD and short term Treasury yields</span></li><li>Large Macro bets (trends that didn't last) lead to a few macro fund closures: China slowing growth, global demand slow down.</li><li>Bad bets on energy, as oil slid and commodities fell. Also bad bets on individual companies within energy (Cheniere - LNG, SunEdison - SUNE, Oasis Petroleum - OAS)</li><li>Crowded long/short equity bets in Healthcare, Discretionary, Industrials and Technology sectors all but destroyed certain funds returns</li><ol><li>Health: Valeant (VRX), Community Health Systems (CYH), Sanofi (SNY)</li><li>Consumer: Loral Space (LORL) and Sears (SHLD)</li><li>Energy: Cheniere (LNG), SunEdison (SUNE)</li></ol><li><span style="line-height: 1.5em;">High yield credit is getting hurt as yields are blowing out. This actually creates opportunity long term, unfortunately some funds cannot stay liquid long enough to profit from them.</span></li></ol>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-ignition-future-of-digital-media-bi-intelligence-2015-12">HENRY BLODGET: This is where digital media is headed next</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="Izc2NleTpTiKF69e_jHUFRDkJ6XE_WhQ" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', 'Izc2NleTpTiKF69e_jHUFRDkJ6XE_WhQ',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

The trades that killed hedge funds in 2015

<img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/587ff399f10a9a1d008b8f39-960/mark zuckerberg.jpg" alt="Mark Zuckerberg" /><ul class="summary-list"><li><strong>Facebook is still actively working on plans to launch satellites, despite delays.</strong></li><li><strong>Paperwork filed with the FCC show the company has quietly been updating its efforts in anticipation of a future launch.</strong></li><li><strong>One possibility is that Facebook's Athena satellite may launch on an Arianespace rocket as soon as March 2020.</strong></li><li><strong>Athena is part of Facebook's efforts to improve internet connectivity around the world.</strong></li><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</strong></li></ul><p>Facebook is still determined to go to space - and it could happen within a month.</p><p>The Silicon Valley social network firm has long harbored plans to launch a satellite, but it has been beset by yearlong delays. Public filings, however, show that Facebook is still actively preparing for a launch. </p><p>Facebook's experiments with orbital technology are intended as a way to help provide internet access to parts of the world with poor connectivity. It's part of its mission to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/mark-zuckerberg/bringing-the-world-closer-together/10154944663901634/">"bring the world closer together"</a> - or in more concrete terms, to expand the total potential market for its services and fuel its future growth and profits. </p><p>The plans indicate that despite Facebook's years of bruising scandals, its bold, extraterrestrial ambitions remain undimmed. The satellite that's planned for launch is experimental, and only the first step in a broader project to create a network of satellites dedicated to providing people around the world with internet access. If successful, it could portend a future fleet of thousands of Facebook-owned satellites, to rival the likes of Elon Musk's SpaceX or OneWeb.</p><h2>Facebook has planned to go to space for years - but there have been delays</h2><p>Facebook's satellite plans have faced repeated hiccups. In September 2016, Facebook contracted with Elon Musk-helmed space firm SpaceX to launch a satellite, <a href="https://time.com/4476416/mark-zuckerberg-elon-musk-rocket-explosion-satellite/">but the rocket exploded on the launchpad before takeoff</a>. </p><p>The company has also been working on efforts to build low-Earth-orbit (LEO) satellites - distinct from the failed <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amos-6">geosynchronous transfer orbit satellite</a> that exploded - since at least 2016, under the codename Athena, <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/facebook-may-have-secret-plans-to-launch-a-internet-satellite">sleuthing from IEEE Spectrum in May 2018 found</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/facebook-confirms-its-working-on-new-internet-satellite/">emails obtained by Wired in July 2018 confirmed</a>. </p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5e4466d84b661b171f6e79c2-736/screen shot 2020-02-12 at 125548 pm.png" alt="Facebook connectivity" /><p>This Athena LEO project has been run through a shell company called PointView Tech LLC, disguising Facebook's involvement. <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=231563&amp;x=">In an application submitted to the FCC in April 2018</a>, lawyers for PointView Tech said that Athena would test new communications tech to "determine whether such satellite communications can effectively provide broadband to unserved and underserved areas throughout the world." </p><p>It was at that time aiming for a launch "in early 2019" - but that didn't happen. A spokesperson for Space Systems Loral, the company that built the satellite for Facebook, confirmed to Business Insider that the planned 2019 launch never took place.</p><p>Facebook declined to provide information about launch plans and sent Business Insider the following statment:</p><p>"While we have nothing to share about specific projects at this time, we believe satellite technology will be an important enabler of the next generation of broadband infrastructure, making it possible to bring broadband connectivity to rural regions where internet connectivity is lacking or non-existent."</p><h2>Documents indicate Facebook is still preparing to launch, and it could be as soon as March 2020</h2><p>Despite the various delays and setbacks, Facebook remains committed to the satellite project, as evidenced by <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=243115&amp;x=.">documents that lawyers for PointView tech filed with the FCC in December 2019</a>. </p><p>They show that Facebook was requesting to modify its "experimental authorization" license, to add <a href="https://apps.fcc.gov/els/GetAtt.html?id=243116&amp;x=.">additional Earth stations (in Norway and Antarctica)</a> for the satellite to communicate with, indicating that the firm is still making quiet preparations for an anticipated launch. </p><p>So why the delay? The problem appears to be issues with Vega, the type of rocket intended to ferry Athena into space. Vega is developed by Arianespace, a French firm, and in July 2019 <a href="https://spacenews.com/arianespace-aims-to-return-vega-to-flight-in-early-2020-after-investigation-pins-july-failure-on-rockets-second-stage/">suffered a launch failure that caused $415 million worth of damage</a>. Vega rocket launches were put on hold for the rest of the year, but the company is now preparing again for launches in 2020.</p><p>We don't know the Athena launch date for sure - but one seemingly likely possibility is that Facebook's satellite will launch on a proof-of-concept Small Spacecraft Mission Service (SSMS) flight that will include 42 different satellite payloads from varying companies.</p><p>A spokesperson for Arianespace declined to share the full manifest for the rocket, but <a href="https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/spire-selects-arianespace/">other</a> <a href="https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-to-launch-the-esail-satellite-for-exactearth-on-vegas-ssms-poc-flight/">confirmed</a> <a href="https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-to-launch-the-esail-satellite-for-exactearth-on-vegas-ssms-poc-flight/">payloads</a> <a href="https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-to-launch-the-first-striving-small-satellite-for-sitael-on-vegas-ssms-poc-flight/">for</a> <a href="https://www.arianespace.com/press-release/arianespace-and-d-orbit-sign-contract-to-launch-ion-cubesat-carrier-on-vega-ssms-poc-flight/">the</a> SSMS flight have similar low-Earth, sun-synchronous orbits to Athena of around 500km, and similar weights in the roughly 100kg range. The SSMS launch was also originally <a href="https://twitter.com/arianespaceceo/status/1002192020927066112">planned to launch in early 2019</a> but was delayed, like we know Facebook's Athena launch was. The Arianespace spokesperson said this delay was due to the issues Vega had that year, and it is now scheduled for a 2020 launch, which will have the same manifest as was planned for last year.</p><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a8e9ba9391d9421008b482c-2000/mark zuckerberg.jpg" alt="Mark Zuckerberg" /><p>In a press release issued in January 2020, Arianespace said that the SSMS Vega flight may launch "as early as March," and <a href="https://www.rocketlaunch.live/?filter=arianespace">an unofficial online calendar compiled by RocketLaunch.Live</a> has the launch date down as March 23, 2020. (It's not clear what the source of the site's info is, and an Arianespace spokesperson did not respond to a request for clarification on the launch date.)</p><p>In short: Facebook could entering the final frontier in a little over a month.</p><h2>Facebook Connectivity is experimenting with a bunch of different options</h2><p>Facebook's Connectivity unit has explored numerous different ways to improve internet access, though not without some roadbumps.</p><p><a href="https://connectivity.fb.com/">Current (publcily disclosed) projects include</a> Terragraph, a service for providing internet in urban environments; Free Basics, a service to provide free, limited internet connectivity in some markets; and the Telecom Infra Project, a collaboration with hundreds of other organisations in the telecoms industry to develop new tech. </p><p>One of its most high-profile effort was Aquila, a project to build huge, solar-powered drones that could beam wireless internet down to the ground, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/aquila-facebook-scraps-plans-build-its-own-internet-drones-2018-6">but it was marred by issues and Facebook ultimately ended its attempts to build the aircraft</a>. (<a href="https://connectivity.fb.com/high-altitude-connectivity/">It continues to work on high-altitude platform station (HAPS) tech</a>, which is fitted on such aircraft, however.)</p><p>In 2016, Facebook wrote to the FCC about its Connectivity plans, spelling out this multi-strand approach: "Connecting the unconnected will require a wide variety of technical solutions. For example, in dense urban areas, wireless terrestrial systems can efficiently serve end users and support backhaul links. In less dense areas, such as rural areas, where broadband infrastructure must be deployed over wide areas, using high altitude solar-powered aircraft to provide backhaul-type links to terrestrial aggregation points may be part of the optimal solution.</p><p>It added: "And, in remote, sparsely populated areas, where there are significant gaps in infrastructure and the economic barriers of installing that infrastructure are considerably higher, satellite services may provide the most efficient means to connect."<a href="http://sslmda.com/html/recent_launches.php"></a></p><p>For now, there's just one experimental Athena satellite, and it will have a working life of just two years. <a href="https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-talk/aerospace/satellites/facebook-may-have-secret-plans-to-launch-a-internet-satellite">IEEE Spectrum pointed out in May 2018</a> that for it to be functionally useful for ordinary people's connectivity needs, it will need to launch thousands.</p><p><em><strong>Do you work at Facebook Got a tip? </strong>Contact this reporter using a non-work device via e</em><em>ncrypted messaging app Signal (+1 650-636-6268), e</em><em>ncrypted email (robaeprice@protonmail.com), s</em><em>tandard email (rprice@businessinsider.com), </em><em>Telegram/Wickr/WeChat (robaeprice) or </em><em>Twitter DM (<a href="https://twitter.com/robaeprice">@robaeprice</a>). </em><em>PR pitches by standard email only, please.</em></p><h3><strong>Read more:</strong></h3><ul><li><em><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-hyp3r-saving-instagram-users-stories-tracking-locations-2019-8">Instagram's lax privacy practices let a trusted partner track millions of users' physical locations, secretly save their stories, and flout its rules</a></strong></em></li><li><em><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mark-zuckerberg-security-chief-liam-booth-misconduct-allegations-facebook-2019-5">Mark Zuckerberg's personal security chief accused of sexual harassment and making racist remarks about Priscilla Chan by 2 former staffers</a></strong></em></li><li><em><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-uploaded-1-5-million-users-email-contacts-without-permission-2019-4">Facebook says it 'unintentionally uploaded' 1.5 million people's email contacts without their consent</a></strong></em></li><li><em><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-old-posts-mark-zuckerberg-disappeared-2019-3">Years of Mark Zuckerberg's old Facebook posts have vanished. The company says it 'mistakenly deleted' them.</a></strong></em></li></ul>

Despite delays, Facebook's ambitious plan to build a constellation of satellites isn't dead - and it could launch the first one into space as soon as March 2020

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54f76c7869bedda22b8a9c27-834-625/atlanta-hawks-3.jpg" border="0" alt="atlanta hawks"><p class="source"><span>Kevin C. Cox/Getty</span></p></img></div><p></p></div></div>Mark Rachesky, a former protege of Carl Icahn and the chairman of Lions Gate Entertainment, wants to buy the Atlanta Hawks, <a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12419889/lionsgate-entertainment-chairman-mark-rachesky-bid-atlanta-hawks">according to a report from ESPN's Marc Stein</a>.</p><p>Stein's report said that Rachesky's interest in the team was piqued by John Malone, the controlling owner of the Atlanta Braves. </p><p>Malone is a member of Lions Gate's board and controls media conglomerate Liberty Media. </p><p>Stein also reported that Goldman Sachs and Inner Circle Sports, who have been hired by the Hawk's outgoing ownership group to screen potential buyers, will meet with interested groups in the next two weeks. </p><p>In 2014, Forbes valued the Hawks at $425 million, but Stein notes that this figure came out before Steve Ballmer's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/steve-ballmer-clippers-owner-2014-8">eye-popping $2 billion purchase</a> of the Los Angeles Clippers. The Hawks currently boast the best record in the NBA. </p><p>Back in 2009, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/meet-mark-rachesky-2009-3">Business Insider profiled Rachesky</a>, who runs MHR Fund Management and worked for Icahn for six years before setting out on his own in the mid-90s. </p><p>According to MHR's <a href="http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/1277742/000114036115007273/xslForm13F_X01/form13fInfoTable.xml">latest 13F filed with the SEC,</a> the fund's investments include stakes in Key Energy, Navistar, Titan International, Loral Space &amp; Communications, as well as its largest position in Lions Gate. </p><p><strong><a href="http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/12419889/lionsgate-entertainment-chairman-mark-rachesky-bid-atlanta-hawks">Read Stein's full report at ESPN here »</a></strong></p>

REPORT: One of Carl Icahn's proteges wants to buy the Atlanta Hawks

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b6dd3988905f287068b52ae-1414/vulcan-rocket-flight-illustration-united-launch-alliance-ula-youtube.jpg" border="0" alt="vulcan rocket flight illustration united launch alliance ula youtube" data-mce-source="United Launch Alliance/YouTube" data-mce-caption="An illustration of United Launch Alliance's next-generation Vulcan rocket in flight." data-link="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMUpb-atAw" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcMUpb-atAw">United Launch Alliance/YouTube</a></span></p><p class="caption">NASA's "Tipping Point" awards will help United Launch Alliance develop its next-generation Vulcan rocket.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/nasa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA</a> just awarded six private companies a total of $44 million.</strong></li><li><strong>The agency's "Tipping Point" program is intended to help the commercial space industry push next-generation technologies over the finish line.</strong></li><li><strong>The projects awarded funding include new <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/moon-landing">moon-landing</a> systems and a method to recover expensive rocket engines. </strong></li></ul><hr /><p>NASA is doling out a total of $44 million in awards among six private companies, including Jeff Bezos' secretive rocket company, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/blue-origin">Blue Origin</a>.</p><p>The new contracts are part of the agency's third "<a href="https://nspires.nasaprs.com/external/solicitations/summary!init.do?solId=%7b2526CB35-BBC9-BE00-E54A-F965B85401FE%7d" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Tipping Point</a>" competition and an ongoing push to commercialize space. The goal of the awards is to help companies take what NASA sees as exciting, almost-ready-to-debut devices and "tip" them over the finish line into commercial markets.</p><p>The money covers 10 distinct projects, including ways for robots to land on and explore the moon, a next-generation fuel cell to power deep-space missions, a deep-space propulsion system, and an inflatable shell that may one day help land people on Mars.</p><p>"These key technologies will support NASA's <keyword id="41551" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="science">science</keyword> and human exploration missions in the future," NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said in <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-announces-new-partnerships-to-develop-space-exploration-technologies">a press release</a>.</p><p>The biggest winner of the competition was United Launch Alliance, formed by Boeing and Lockheed Martin. The aerospace company (which is about to launch NASA's <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parker-solar-probe-plus-how-it-works-2017-5">Parker Solar Probe</a> to "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-parker-solar-probe-heat-temperature-radiation-survival-2018-8">touch</a>" the sun) scooped up $13.9 million. Blue Origin, meanwhile, walked away with $13 million in contracts.</p><p>Here's a quick look at the projects NASA picked:</p><h2>The companies that won NASA 'Tipping Point' awards and how much</h2><p><strong>Astrobotic Technology, Inc.</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Stand-Alone Sensor for High Precision Planetary Landing" ($10 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A "low-cost, reliable, high-performance, stand-alone" system to help Astrobotic, a former team in the Google Lunar X Prize competition (which <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ap-google-lunar-x-prize-competition-ends-without-a-winner-2018-1">ended without a winner</a>), continue its work to land a commercial lunar spacecraft on the moon and perhaps elsewhere in the solar system.</li></ul><p><strong>Blue Origin</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Advancing Sensor Suites to Enable Landing Anywhere on the Lunar Surface" ($3 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: "This project will mature critical technologies that enable precision and soft landing on the moon," Blue Origin says, such as detection systems for terrain and altitude. "The resulting sensor suite will enable precision landing anywhere on the lunar surface."</li><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Cryogenic Fluid Management-Enhanced Integrated Propulsion Testing for Robust Lander Services" ($10 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A propulsion system powered by ultra-cold liquid fuels for landing a robot on the moon.</li></ul><p><strong>Frontier Aerospace Corporation</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Flight Qualification of the DSE, MON-25 MMH Rocket Engine" ($1.9 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A crucial test of a deep-space rocket that may help Astrobotic land its probe on the moon.</li></ul><p><strong>Paragon Space Development Coporation</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Cryogenic Encapsulating Launch Shroud and Insulated Upper Stage" ($1.6 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A way to insulate a rocket's ultra-cold cryogenic fuel tanks and protect them "from meteoroids and debris" in space.</li></ul><p><strong>Space Systems/Loral, LLC</strong></p><ul><li><strong>Project</strong>: "High Efficiency 6kW Dual Mode Electric Propulsion Engine for Broad Mission Applications" ($2 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A new ion-powered engine that will provide "faster, more efficient, propulsive capabilities for future NASA missions."</li><li><strong>Project</strong>: "In-Space Xenon Transfer for Satellite, Servicer and Exploration Vehicle Replenishment and Life Extension" ($2 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A way to replenish xenon fuel in satellites, helping them stay in orbit longer.</li></ul><p><strong>United Launch Alliance</strong></p><ul><li><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5b6ddfb42154a33d008b4e26-1648/nasa-inflatable-aeroshell-atmospheric-reentry.jpg" border="0" alt="nasa inflatable aeroshell atmospheric reentry" data-mce-source="NASA" data-mce-caption="An illustration of an inflatable shield that could help spacecraft safely return to Earth, Mars, or other worlds with atmospheres." data-link="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/loftid/index.html" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/tdm/loftid/index.html">NASA</a></span></p><p class="caption">An illustration of an inflatable shield that could help spacecraft safely return to Earth, Mars, or other worlds with atmospheres.</p></div><p></p></div></div><strong>Project</strong>: "Cryogenic Fluid Management Technology Demonstration" ($2 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: A way to keep an upper-stage rocket's cryogenic fuel from boiling into a gas in space. The system would allow the rocket to remain capable of firing up weeks or months after launch, enabling unique deep-space missions. It would also help prevent explosions, which generate <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/space-junk-collision-statistics-government-tracking-2017-2018-4">dangerous space debris</a>.</li><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Integrated Vehicle Fluids Flight Demonstration" ($10 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: This system aims to use liquid hydrogen and oxygen, which are normally used just for propulsion. Extra fluid might be used to pressurize fuel tanks, generate electricity, propel a mission through space, and ultimately reduce the need for additional systems (e.g. batteries) that take up precious weight. This might better enable long-duration space missions, perhaps to the moon.</li><li><strong>Project</strong>: "Mid-Air Retrieval Demonstration" ($1.9 million)<br /><strong>What it is</strong>: This may be a way to recover (and reuse) rocket engines and other expensive parts after they fly to space. A big inflatable aeroshell would unfurl and protect the part during atmospheric reentry. Once the payload reaches air that's dense enough, parachutes would further slow descent. Then a powerful helicopter would swoop in to snag the parachutes and the rocket parts.</li></ul><p>Both awards to Bezos' aerospace company appear to be related to work that will help Blue Origin drop a "Blue Moon" lander on the lunar surface in 2023, as GeekWire <a href="https://www.geekwire.com/2018/blue-origin-targets-moon-landing-2023-early-step-toward-lunar-settlement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote in July</a>.</p><p>ULA, meanwhile, is working on a new and partly reusable <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-vulcan-rocket-works-united-launch-alliance-2018-2">rocket system called Vulcan</a> that may enable it to compete with SpaceX. Parts of that system appear to be included in NASA's Tipping Point awards.</p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nasa-flying-parker-solar-probe-into-sun-2018-8">NASA is flying a $1.5 billion spacecraft into the sun - here's why</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/NCUwUfFz-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

NASA just gave $44 million to 6 private companies - including Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin - to develop 'tipping point' space technologies

<p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a8597a2d0307219008b471f-1189/gettyimages-679314964.jpg" alt="Ajit Pai" data-mce-source="Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images" /><p class="source"><span>Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images</span></p><p class="caption">Ajit Pai, FCC chairperson.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><ul><li><strong>SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk, hopes to launch nearly 12,000 satellites in the coming years.</strong></li><li><strong>The proposed satellite constellation would network together to provide high-speed internet to most if not all of the world.</strong></li><li><strong>Ajit Pai, chairperson of the Federal Communications Commission - the entity that must approve SpaceX's plans - endorsed the project on Wednesday.</strong></li></ul><hr /><p><br />Elon Musk's SpaceX, fresh off the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-successfully-launched-falcon-heavy-rocket-2018-2">successful launch</a> this month of the world's most powerful rocket, won an endorsement on Wednesday from the top US communications regulator to build a broadband network using satellites.</p><p>Federal Communications Commission Chairman Ajit Pai proposed the approval of an application by SpaceX to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-starlink-microsat-launch-global-internet-2018-2">provide broadband services using satellites</a> in the United States and worldwide.</p><p>"Satellite technology can help reach Americans who live in rural or hard-to-serve places where fiber optic cables and cell towers do not reach," Pai said in a statement.</p><p>SpaceX told the FCC in a Feb. 1 letter that it plans to launch a pair of experimental satellites on one of its Falcon 9 rockets. That launch, already approved by the FCC, is set for Saturday in California.</p><p>The rocket will carry the PAZ satellite for Hisdesat of Madrid, Spain and multiple smaller secondary payloads.</p><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5949475ee592edd96f8b4f9d-1819/171080974393fe20e9a83k.jpg" alt="falcon 9 spacex" data-mce-source="SpaceX/Flickr" data-link="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/page2" /><p class="source"><span><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/spacexphotos/page2">SpaceX/Flickr</a></span></p><p class="caption">A Falcon 9 rocket prepares for launch.</p></div><p></p></div></div>Pai said after a staff review he was urging approval for SpaceX, saying: "it would be the first approval given to an American-based company to provide broadband services using a new generation of low-Earth orbit satellite technologies."</p><p>Democratic FCC Commissioner Jessica Rosenworcel said satellite internet service shows great promise.</p><p>"They will multiply the number of satellites in the skies, creating extraordinary new opportunities," Rosenworcel said. "The FCC should move quickly to facilitate these new services while underscoring our commitment to space safety."</p><p>On February 6, the company <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-spacex-epic-rocket-launch-in-person-2018-2">launched</a> the world's most powerful rocket, SpaceX's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-cost-industry-pricing-vs-ula-2018-2">Falcon Heavy</a>, from Florida. The 23-story-tall jumbo rocket carried a Tesla Roadster from Musk's private collection, and it's now bound to fly in a loop beyond Mars orbit and back toward Earth. Musk called for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/falcon-heavy-space-race-elon-musk-spacex-blue-origin-2018-2">a new space race</a> after the launch.</p><p>SpaceX was not immediately available for comment.</p><h2>Musk's plan to launch nearly 12,000 internet satellites</h2><p><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5a859a38d030725e048b45a5-1339/elon-musk-spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-florida-dave-mosher-business-insider-13.jpg" alt="elon musk spacex falcon heavy launch florida dave mosher business insider 13" data-mce-source="Dave Mosher/Business Insider" data-link="http://davemosher.com" /><p class="source"><span><a href="http://davemosher.com">Dave Mosher/Business Insider</a></span></p><p class="caption">Elon Musk in a press conference after the successful launch of Falcon Heavy on February 6, 2018.</p></div><p></p></div></div></p><p>SpaceX is looking to win <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-falcon-heavy-launch-cost-industry-pricing-vs-ula-2018-2">an increasingly competitive race</a> to establish fast, pervasive, and affordable internet access. The company thinks such a market is worth tens - if not hundreds - of billions of dollars a year and will only grow as more people get online.</p><p>Musk said in a speech in 2015 in Seattle that the satellite-internet business, informally known as Starlink, would help fund <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-elon-musk-mars-colony-plan-life-support-2017-10">a future city on Mars</a>. He said the company wanted to create a "global communications system" that he compared to "rebuilding the internet in space." It would be faster than traditional internet connections, he said.</p><p>The plan is audacious: In the coming years, the company hopes to<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacex-internet-satellite-constellation-2016-11">launch 4,425 interlinked broadband-internet satellites</a> into orbit some 700 to 800 miles above Earth, plus another 7,500 spacecraft into lower orbits. That is total of nearly 12,000 interconnected satellites that'd blanket Earth with high-speed internet access, which is nearly three times more spacecraft than <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/nuclear-weapons/space-weapons/satellite-database" target="_blank" rel="noopener">currently orbit the planet today</a> and a vast departure from dish-based internet providers today.</p><p>SpaceX is not alone in its push to reinvent the web in space. Over the past year, the FCC has approved requests by OneWeb, Space Norway, and Telesat to access the US market to provide broadband services using satellite technology that, the FCC said, "holds promise to expand Internet access in remote and rural areas across the country."</p><p>The approvals are the first of their kind, the FCC said, for "a new generation of large, non-geostationary satellite orbit, fixed-satellite service systems." It said it is also processing similar requests.</p><p>In January, Telesat launched a satellite operated by the Indian Space Research Organization to deliver "high-performing, cost-effective, fiber-like broadband anywhere in the world" and will conduct trials this year.</p><p>The initial deployment will consist of approximately 120 satellites by 2021, said privately held Telesat, principally owned by Canada's Public Sector Pension Investment Board and Loral Space &amp; Communications Inc.</p><p>The US government is working to try to bring high-speed internet access to rural areas that lack service. About 14 million rural Americans and 1.2 million Americans on tribal lands lack mobile broadband even at relatively slow speeds.</p><p>SpaceX hopes to achieve 1 Gbps broadband speeds with Starlink. The global average internet speed in late 2015, according to <a href="https://www.akamai.com/us/en/multimedia/documents/content/state-of-the-internet/q4-2015-state-of-the-internet-connectivity-report-us.pdf">Akamai's "State of the Internet" report</a>, was 5.6 megabits per second - about 1/180th the speed of SpaceX's target, and that statistic is with most of the higher speeds tied up in cable and fiber-optic connections.</p><p><em>This story was originally published on Wednesday at 11:49 a.m. ET and updated with new information.</em></p><p><em>Reuters reporting by David Shepardson and Munsif Vengattil; editing by David Gregorio</em></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/spacecraft-cemetery-pacific-ocean-dead-satellites-2017-10">There's a place at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean where hundreds of giant spacecraft go to die</a></h3>        <div>            <iframe class="bijwplayerclass" data-player="jwplayer" src="https://content.jwplatform.com/players/lapl6PJc-CEZHWCBG.html" width="100%" height="100%" frameborder="0" scrolling="auto" style="margin:0px;" allowfullscreen=""></iframe><script>function receiveMessage(event){ console.log(event.data.fullscreen); Android.fullscreen(event.data.fullscreen); }window.addEventListener("message", receiveMessage, false);</script>        </div>    </div>

Key government figures are backing SpaceX's plan to blanket Earth with high-speed internet

<p><img class="float_right" src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54da63216da811eb18f5f32f-800-600/wall-street-bull-3.jpg?maxX=480" border="0" alt="Wall Street Bull" width="480">Wall Street donors are a massive source of cash for political candidates.</img></p><p>Thanks to Crowdpac, <a href="https://www.crowdpac.com/about">a data firm dedicated to informing citizens about the political process</a>, Business Insider has identified the top 16 finance industry megadonors heading into the 2016 presidential race.</p><p>Crowdpac analyzed all of the Federal Election Commission's campaign finance reports from the two most recent election cycles - 2012 and 2014 - to identify the top donors that came from a list of financial firms provided by Business Insider. It includes some figures who have long been associated with campaign cash as well as others whose role in <keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Politics">politics</keyword> has been far more obscure.</p><p>In total, Crowdpac says these 16 Wall Streeters are all within the top 150 donors from the last two cycles. And when combined, they're responsible for 21% of all the donations from the top 200 in 2012 and 2014. </p><p>Based on <a href="https://www.crowdpac.com/about">Crowdpac's analysis</a>, this list skews conservative with six of the donors giving to mostly liberal figures and organizations compared to ten whose contributions lean conservative. However, the liberal donors are far less moderate while a few of the conservatives landed nearly on the middle of <a href="https://www.crowdpac.com/about">Crowdpac's scale</a>.</p><p>Here's the full list of donors along with the amount of money they're responsible for giving in the past two cycles.</p><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54da63546bb3f7cd2deef89e-1167-875/tom-steyer-7.png" border="0" alt="tom steyer" width="480"><p class="source"><span>AP</span></p><p class="caption">Tom Steyer</p></img></div><p></p></div>1. Thomas Steyer -  $167,471,767</strong><br>Steyer is the co-founder of the San Francisco-based hedge fund Farallon Capital Management, LLC. He <a href="http://nypost.com/2012/10/23/hedgie-steyer-hanging-it-up/">left the company in 2012</a> to focus on philanthropy, political, and environmental activism. Since then, Steyer's clearly been busy. According to Crowdpac, he's, by far, the top donor on this list. Based on Crowdpac's analysis of the causes he's supported, Steyer is also the most liberal of the top Wall Street donors. He spoke on stage at the Democratic National Convention in 2012. </br></p><p><strong>2. James Harris Simons- $17,191,500</strong><br>A mathematician who rarely gives interviews, Simons founded the hedge fund Renaissance Technologies. He used his mathematical expertise to become known as <a href="http://www.forbes.com/profile/james-simons/">the "king" of quantitative analysis</a> and to build up an estimated net worth of over $14 billion. Simons retired at the end of 2009. He donates to largely Democratic causes, but according to Crowdpac, ranks at the bottom of the six liberals on this list,  </br></p><p><strong>3. Robert Mercer- $15,189,788</strong><br>Mercer is currently the co-CEO of Renaissance and was <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2014/12/23/us/politics/ap-us-political-money-biggest-donors-glance.html?_r=0">recruited from IBM by Simons</a>. However, unlike his old boss, Mercer leans right. In fact, based on Crowdpac's analysis he's, by far, the most conservative donor on this list. He reportedly owns <a href="http://www.superyachtfan.com/superyacht/superyacht_sea_owl.html">a super yacht named "Sea Owl."</a> </br></p><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/54da638869bedd4241a764ce-1018-763/paul-singer-15.png" border="0" alt="Paul Singer" width="480"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:The_Global_Financial_Context_Paul_Singer.jpg">Wikimedia</a></span></p><p class="caption">Paul Singer</p></img></div><p></p></div>4. Paul Singer- $14,623,969</strong><br>Noted activist investor Paul Singer is the founder and CEO of Elliott Management Corporation. He is currently embroiled in a massive dispute with the government of Argentina and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/argentina-is-calling-paul-singers-bluff-2014-12">is suing them for over $1 billion in debt</a>. Singer is a conservative, but he supports same-sex marriage. In fact, Singer was one of the GOP donors who paved the way for the passage of gay marriage in New York in 2011 by <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/05/03/meet-the-billionaire-hedge-fund-manager-quietly-shaping-the-gop-gay-marriage-debate/">throwing his support behind that legislation</a>. </br></p><p><strong>5. George Soros- $9,523,200</strong><br>Long a bogeyman for the right wing, hedge funder George Soros was one of the top financial opponents of President George W. Bush. The amount of his donations has dropped off slightly over the past two cycles, but Soros is clearly still a player. According to Crowdpac, he's the second most liberal donor on this list coming in just a hair behind Steyer. </br></p><p><strong>6. John W. Childs- $6,955,400</strong><br>As a private equity executive based in Massachusetts, perhaps it's no surprise Childs was a major supporter of Mitt Romney in 2012. He is known as a leveraged buyout specialist and has worked on many high-profile deals involving companies including Snapple and Equinox. </br></p><p><strong>7. Donald Sussman- $5,891,540</strong><br>Donald Sussman is the husband of Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) and, naturally as the spouse of a Democrat, he's the third top liberal donor on this list.  Sussman started his career in finance as a 12-year-old in 1958 <a href="http://business.highbeam.com/392705/article-1G1-8025345/hedged-bets">with a winning bet on the effect the Cuban Revolution would have on sugar exports</a>. He went on to found his own hedge fund, Paloma Partners, which was <a href="http://www.wallstreetandtech.com/jpmorgan-acquires-hedge-fund-ops-creates-new-business-unit-and-more/d/d-id/1257563?">acquired by J.P. Morgan in 2006</a>. Since then, Sussman has continued to run the company in addition to backing and investing in other funds.</br></p><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right" style="width:400px"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/4dc9aaebccd1d5e12b050000-400-300/kengriffin-1.jpg" border="0" alt="ken griffin" width="400"><p class="source"><span><a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-05-10/scene-last-night-at-robin-hood-bundchen-lady-gaga-einhorn-cohen-och.html">Courtesy of Bloomberg</a></span></p><p class="caption">Ken Griffin</p></img></div><p></p></div>8. Kenneth C. Griffin- $5,671,050</strong><br>?Last year, Ken Griffin raised eyebrows with a $150 million gift to Harvard University that was the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/kenneth-griffin-harvard-2014-2">largest single gift in the school's history</a>. According to Harvard, the first is expected to "<a href="http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2014/02/kenneth-griffin-makes-largest-gift-in-harvard-college-history/">impact as many as 800 undergraduates every year</a>." Griffin, who is in the midst of a contentious divorce that could affect his fortune, also made millions in conservative donations between the last two election cycles.</br></p><p><strong>9. Dick DeVos- $5,290,281</strong><br>Dick DeVos, the son of the man who founded the multi-level marketing company Amway, hasn't just donated to conservatives. He ran for governor of Michigan as a Republican in 2006 and <a href="http://ballotpedia.org/Michigan_gubernatorial_election,_2006">lost to Democrat Jennifer Granholm</a>. DeVos is currently president of the Michigan-based investment management firm Windquest Group. </br></p><p><strong>10. Julian Robertson- $4,378,400</strong><br> Investor Julian Robertson founded Tiger Management in 1980. In a <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/1996/14/b34691.htm">nearly two decade old profile</a>, Business Week described him as the "reigning titan of the world of hedge funds" in the early 1990's and lauded his unparallelled "stock-picking acumen." Last year, Robertson <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2014-10-31/id-like-to-see-gop-majority-in-both-houses-robertson">discussed his desire to see a Republican majority in Congress</a> in an interview with Bloomberg. </br></p><p><strong>11. Sean M. Fieler- $3,063,031?</strong><br>Sean Fieler is president of Equinox Partners, L.P. and the Kuroto Fund, L.P.  He also works with a variety of conservative organizations. Fieler is Catholic and <a href="http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2014-02-04/fieler-finances-return-of-abortion-issue-to-2014-election">has focused some of his efforts</a> on organizing religious voters who are against gay marriage and abortion. According to Crowdpac, Fieler is the third most conservative donor on this list. </br></p><p><strong><div class="KonaFilter image-container float_right"><div class="image on-image"><img src="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/51ee95ae6bb3f7b44d000004-1200-924/daniel-loeb-third-point.jpg" border="0" alt="daniel loeb third point" width="480"><p class="source"><span>REUTERS/Phil McCarten</span></p><p class="caption">Daniel Loeb, CEO, Third Point LLC, participates in the "Financial Firms: Past, Present and Future" panel at the 2010 Milken Institute Global Conference in Beverly Hills, California, April 27, 2010.</p></img></div><p></p></div>12. Daniel Loeb- $2,865,867</strong><br>?Hedge fund manager Daniel Loeb is the founder and CEO of Third Point LLC. Loeb is a former supporter of President Barack Obama. Based on Crowdpac's analysis, his donations lean slightly conservative, but fall near the middle of the political spectrum. Loeb has a reputation for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-dan-loeb-2013-1">writing strongly-worded letters to other executives</a>. In 2012, he <a href="http://www.cnbc.com/id/40609823">aimed his pen at other hedge funders who supported Obama</a> with a missive comparing them to battered wives. Loeb has focused much of his political activism on supporting gay marriage and charter schools. </br></p><p><strong>13. Bernard Schwartz- $2,611,514 ?</strong><br>Bernard L. Schwartz is chairman and CEO of his own eponymous private investment firm, BLS Investments LLC. He established the company in 2006 after spending over three decades at Loral Corporation, a defense contractor with billions in revenues, and its successor company Loral Space &amp; Communications. He's a liberal donor who describes himself as <a href="http://www.democracyjournal.org/32/an-angry-democrat-speaks.php?page=all">a "capitalist" that believes in a "regulatory society."</a> </br></p><p><strong>14. David E. Shaw- $2,547,417</strong><br>Computer scientist and computational biochemist Dr. David E. Shaw founded D.E. Shaw Research in 1988. A liberal donor, he was appointed to the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology by President Bill Clinton in 1994 and by Obama in 2009. Shaw has served on the computer science faculty at Columbia University. </br></p><p><strong>15. Bruce Kovner- $2,228,600</strong><br> ?Commodities investor Bruce Kovner has been described by New York Magazine as "George Soros' right wing twin." He founded the hedge fund Caxton Associates in 1983. Kovner has sponsored conservative newspapers and think tanks, but based on Crowdpac's methodology, he is one of the more moderate GOP backers on this list. </br></p><p><strong>16. Seth Klarman- $1,851,400?</strong><br> Seth Klarman has been <a href="http://www.forbes.com/sites/moneybuilder/2014/12/23/investing-legends-seth-klarman/">called an "investing demigod" by Forbes</a>. Like Loeb, though his donations skew slightly conservative, Klarman sits near the middle of Crowdpac's scale. He founded the Baupost Group, <a href="https://sumzero.com/headlines/financials_and_insurance/MU/210-manager-spotlight-seth-klarman">which is focused on betting long</a>, in 1982. As of last year, the firm was managing around $30 billion in assets. </br></p>    <div class="margin-top">        <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/boys-asked-to-hit-a-girl-video-2015-1">What Happened When A Bunch Of Young Boys Were Told To Hit A Girl</a></h3>        <div>            <div>    <script src="http://player.ooyala.com/v3/6e12e8b3387a44daacfb73afba25a76e"></script>    <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="9rNWhtcjpiErbeYEZpeutYyTPqZIrd2_" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div>    <script>    if (typeof RunFunctions === 'undefined') { var RunFunctions = []; }     RunFunctions.push(function()    {         var ooyalapopvideo = OO.Player.create('ooyalaplayer_popvideo', '9rNWhtcjpiErbeYEZpeutYyTPqZIrd2_',{ autoplay: 'false' });     });    </script>    <noscript><div>Please enable Javascript to watch this video</div></noscript></div>        </div>        <script>(function() { function createPlayer() { OO.ready(function() { RunFunctions.forEach(function(ooyalaFunction) { ooyalaFunction(); }); RunFunctions = [];}); } createPlayer(); }()); </script>    </div>

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