Stefanie Waldek

Stefanie Waldek is a contributing writer for Space.com with a background in travel and design journalism. She specializes in the space tourism industry and Earth-based astrotourism, and her work can be found on her personal website at www.stefaniewaldek.com as well as on Space.com.

Biography:  https://www.space.com/author/stefanie-waldek

89%

The overall score is a weighted number that takes into account conflict of interest, bias, deception and other practices that undermines the credibility of the source. It is calculated as:
Analysis.OverallConflictOfInterestScore * 0.3F + Analysis.OverallBiasScore * 0.3F + Analysis.DeceptivenessScore * 0.3F + Analysis.ReadabilityScore * 0.1F

A score that takes into consideration the content for flow, interruptions with ads, and overt search engine optimization techniques that makes the content hard to understand

The Daily's Verdict

This author has a mixed reputation for journalistic standards. It is advisable to fact-check, scrutinize for bias, and check for conflicts of interest before relying on the author's reporting.

Bias

96%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally uses sensational language to describe space events (e.g., 'Newly discovered cave on the moon could house future lunar astronauts').
  • The author often highlights the positive aspects of space exploration and related industries (e.g., discussing the potential for pharmaceutical production in space).

Conflicts of Interest

75%

Examples:

  • The author has a background in travel and design journalism, which may influence their coverage of space tourism and astrotourism topics.
  • The author's focus on the budding space tourism industry might lead to a positive slant in their reporting.

Contradictions

89%

Examples:

  • Incorrectly states that Aditya-L1 is ISRO's first mission to observe the sun when it is actually the second mission after INSAT-3D.
  • Incorrectly states that a newly discovered moon cave is located in the Sea of Tranquility when it is actually in the Mare Vaporum (corrected by Space.com editors).
  • Reports conflicting information about Voyager 1's operational status, stating it was fully operational again with all instruments returning data, but also mentioning a problem identified in the flight data subsystem.

Deceptions

95%

Examples:

  • The author occasionally uses misleading phrases or descriptions (e.g., 'Varda Space just made an HIV medicine in Earth orbit', implying that the entire production process occurred in space when refurbishing and reusing capsules will not happen until 2027).
  • The author sometimes presents information out of context to create a more sensational story (e.g., discussing Varda Space's contracts with publicly traded biotech companies without providing the full scope of their pharmaceutical focus for the next 10-20 years).

Recent Articles

Newly Discovered Lunar Cave System: Potential Shelter for Future Astronauts and Insight into Lunar Volcanism

Newly Discovered Lunar Cave System: Potential Shelter for Future Astronauts and Insight into Lunar Volcanism

Broke On: Wednesday, 17 July 2024 Scientists discover a 45-meter wide, 30-80 meter long lunar cave system in Mare Tranquillitatis region, which could offer shelter for astronauts and provide new insights into lunar volcanism and geological history.
Voyager 1 Resumes Data Transmission After NASA Engineers Overcome Technical Difficulties

Voyager 1 Resumes Data Transmission After NASA Engineers Overcome Technical Difficulties

Broke On: Saturday, 15 June 2024 NASA's historic Voyager 1 spacecraft, over 15 billion miles from Earth and the first man-made object in interstellar space, has resumed normal operations after engineers resolved an issue with its Flight Data Subsystem. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 has provided valuable data about interstellar space for decades and is expected to continue doing so despite aging issues.
Solar Storms Disrupt GPS Technology on Farms: Impact on Farmers during Solar Maximum

Solar Storms Disrupt GPS Technology on Farms: Impact on Farmers during Solar Maximum

Broke On: Thursday, 16 May 2024 Solar storms, including the recent X5.8 flare, have disrupted GPS technology for farmers during this solar cycle, leading to inaccuracies and malfunctions. These storms can cause cascading calculation errors due to interactions between magnets and electronics. Farmers in regions like Saskatchewan and Ontario have been affected, with Tanner Borsa from Yellow Creek, Saskatchewan and Jordan Wallace from North Gower, Ont., experiencing GPS issues. NOAA issued warnings about these storms due to their potential impact on communication systems and power grids.
Varda Space Industries Raises $90 Million for Autonomous Drug Production in Space

Varda Space Industries Raises $90 Million for Autonomous Drug Production in Space

Broke On: Tuesday, 19 March 2024 Varda Space Industries, a startup developing autonomous drug production technology in space, raised $90 million in funding and successfully recovered its W-1 capsule. The company plans to transition from demonstration mission and serve biopharma and government customers.