NASA's Artemis program will mark a significant milestone in US space flight history when it lifts off in late 2024. Not only will it be the first time that American astronauts have travelled further than LEO since the 1970s, and not only will it be the first opportunity for a female astronaut to step foot on the moon. The Artemis mission will perform the crucial groundwork needed for humanity to further explore and potentially colonize our nearest celestial neighbor as well as eventually serve as a jumping-off point in our quest to reach Mars. Given how inhospitable space is to human physiology and psychology, however, NASA and its partners will face a significant challenge in keeping their lunar colonists alive and well. Back in the Apollo mission era, the notion of constructing even a semi-permanent presence on the surface of the moon was laughable -- largely because the numerous lunar regolith samples collected and returned to Earth during that period were "found to be dry as a bone," Rob Mueller, Senior Technologist in Advanced Projects Development at NASA said during a SXSW 2021 panel.

"What is your customer acquisition strategy?" is a typical question for startups. And many of the 40 companies pitching in eight categories during the 13th annual SXSW Pitch Event showed they had a clear roadmap for attracting ideal customers to grow their businesses. A few highlights from this year's incredible group of SXSW Pitch finalist include: Using XR, holoride takes everyday car rides and transforms them into hyper-immersive experiences by capturing the real-time physical feedback of the vehicle you're in, making every journey fun for children and adults. If you're behind the wheel, MicroTraffic makes it safer to drive by measuring near-misses at intersections with AI technology. Other companies aim to help often overlooked populations.

During the coronavirus pandemic, video games haven't just been a good pastime, they have been a pastime for good, too. And the charitable good video games could bring may escalate after COVID-19 concerns pass. The ability of video games to help others is just one of the topics at this week's South By Southwest Festival, which takes place virtually through Saturday. Keynote speakers include former President George W. Bush, voting rights advocate Stacey Abrams, Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Tinder CEO Jim Lazone, filmmaker Ava DuVernay ("Selma"), Facebook Chief Diversity Officer Maxine Williams, Willie Nelson and Keenan Thompson interviewed by Chance the Rapper. In addition to more than 230 conference sessions, the festival will debut 75 new films including "Tom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free."