SpaceX set to launch historic mission with first-ever spacewalk by private citizens

NEWS WIRES

27 August 2024 at 6:19 pm·1-min read

SpaceX is set to launch its Polaris Dawn mission, featuring an all-civilian crew aiming for the first private citizen spacewalk, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a window starting Wednesday at 3:38 am local time. An earlier launch was postponed due to a helium leak.

SpaceX is poised for another attempt at launching a daring orbital expedition featuring an all-civilian crew that is aiming to carry out the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens.

The Polaris Dawn mission, organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman is now set to lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida during a four-hour window beginning on Wednesday at 3:38 am local time (0738 GMT), with backup opportunities available Thursday if required.

Weather conditions appeared 85 percent favorable, according to a US Space Force forecast.

An earlier launch attempt on Tuesday was scrapped due to a helium leak on a line connecting the tower to the rocket.

Riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket, the SpaceX Dragon capsule is set to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- higher than any crewed mission in more than half a century, since the Apollo era.

Mission commander Isaacman will guide his four-member team through the mission's centerpiece: the first-ever spacewalk carried out by non-professional astronauts, equipped with sleek, newly developed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits.

Each will spend 15 to 20 minutes in space, 435 miles above Earth's surface.

(AFP)

Yahoo News Australia
Ancient discovery in Aussie outback provides clue to development of modern humans
Remains of the long-extinct creature were found in a dried-up landscape that was once a flourishing reef.
The Independent
New ‘bone-crushing’ Tasmanian tiger ancestor discovered in Australia
Tasmanian tiger went extinct 88 years ago
CNN
Cave discovery in France may explain why Neanderthals disappeared, scientists say
The fossilized remains of a Neanderthal discovered in a cave in southern France shed fresh light on why the ancient humans may have disappeared 40,000 years ago.
CNN
The Great Dying once wiped out 90% of life on Earth. A new theory may explain why
Mega El Niños could have intensified the world’s most devastating mass extinction, which ended the Permian Period 252 million years ago, a new study found.
Futurism
Experts Find NASA Is in Major Trouble
Death Becomes Her In a new report, a group of aerospace experts have declared that NASA is at a turning point — and the agency's death could be imminent. As the Washington Post notes, the new report, fittingly titled "NASA at a Crossroads" and published at the behest of Congress by the National Academies of Science, […]
Futurism
Scientists Puzzled by Hundreds of Little Red Dots in James Webb Images of Distant Universe
Galactic Enigma Earlier this year, astronomers revealed one of the James Webb Space Telescope's most spectacular and intriguing discoveries yet — and that's saying something. Lying in one of the most ancient regions of the observable universe are hundreds of galaxies that have come to be known as the "Little Red Dots." These aren't ordinary […]
The Conversation
Friday essay: Giant shark megalodon was the most powerful superpredator ever. Why did it go extinct?
Megalodon, the giant shark species that disappeared around 3.6 million years ago, was the most ferocious creature that ever lived. What do we know about it?
Sky News
Mega-tsunami caused Earth to vibrate for nine days, study shows
A mega-tsunami caused by a landslide in Greenland caused the Earth to vibrate for nine days, a new study has shown. The collapse of a 1.2km-high (0.7 miles) mountain peak last September caused water in the fjord below to splash back and forth, causing vibrations right through to the Earth's crust, researchers found. It was caused by the glacier at the foot of the mountain thinning, which was the result of climate change, according to the study, which included scientists from University College London (UCL).
The Independent
Why a billionaire just stuck his head out of a spacecraft – and the risks he faced in doing so
Team tested radiation and new suits – as well as showing off the possibilities of private space flight
The Independent
3000-year-old Egyptian fort that guarded kingdom against mysterious ‘sea peoples’ uncovered
Artefacts shed light on daily lives, religious beliefs, and military activities of Egyptian soldiers
TechCrunch
This Week in AI: OpenAI's new Strawberry model may be smart, yet sluggish
This week in AI, OpenAI's next major product announcement is imminent, if a piece in The Information is to be believed. The Information reported on Tuesday that OpenAI plans to release Strawberry, an AI model that can effectively fact-check itself, in the next two weeks. Strawberry will be a stand-alone product but will be integrated with ChatGPT, OpenAI's AI-powered chatbot platform.
Storyful
NASA Discovers Closest Pair of Supermassive Black Holes to Date
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has discovered the closest pair of supermassive black holes to date using their Hubble Space Telescope and the Chandra X-ray Observatory, according to research published on September 9.The pair of black holes, which exist 300 lightyears apart, were detected serendipitously when researchers noticed three spikes of bright light using the Hubble’s high-resolution imaging. “This view is not a common occurrence in the nearby universe, and told us there’s something else going on inside the galaxy,” Anna Trindade Falcao, lead author of the study, said.While several pairs of black holes have previously been detected, they are usually much farther apart; this duo is the closest one detected in the local universe.The third source of bright light seen by Hubble is of unknown origin, and more data is needed to understand it, according to NASA.The research said that the two supermassive black holes will continue to spiral closer together until they eventually merge, “rattling the fabric of space and time,” an event that is predicted to happen 100 million years from now. Credit: NASA via Storyful
BBC
How farms are using 'magic dust' to capture carbon
Farmers in Scotland are spreading crushed rock onto fields to improve soil health and fight climate change.
CNN
A landslide triggered a 650-foot mega-tsunami in Greenland. Then came something inexplicable
It started with a melting glacier that set off a landslide, which triggered a tsunami. Then the Earth began to shake
The Daily Beast
Trump Reveals Who He Will Blame If He Loses Election
Is Donald Trump gearing up to blame old folks if he loses the presidential election to Kamala Harris in November? It sure sounded that way Thursday at a rally held by the former president in Tucson, Arizona, where he took note of the changing demographic of his supporters and wondered aloud if they will be to blame if he’s defeated on Election Day.“We have a lot of young people here,” Trump said. “My audiences, they’ve gotten younger and younger, do you notice that?”Read more at The Daily Beast.
Cosmo
Rita Ora just blessed our timelines with a new nude selfie
There simply aren't enough fire emojis, for Rita Ora's latest Instagram Story upload which sees her completely nude.
HuffPost
Trump's Mental Acuity Called Into Question With Devastating Debate Comparison
Abby Phillip spotted the former president's differing answers on a topic right in his "wheelhouse."
Yahoo Finance AU
China collapse fuelling $180 billion bloodbath as Australia's backbone threatened
China's economic spiral could impact Aussies in ways they didn't imagine; from an interest rate cut to the collapse of an industry supporting our nation.
HuffPost
GOP Pollster Delivers Some Really Bad News To Trump After Debate Disaster
Frank Luntz revealed how the debate will "cost" the former president.
HuffPost
Dem Lawmaker Points To Moment That ‘Brought Me Right Back Down To Earth’ After Debate High
Michigan Rep. Debbie Dingell calls to mind the stark reality check.

Latest stories