spacewalk

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First Billionaire to Walk in Space: It Wasn't 'Peaceful'

Jared Isaacman describes the 'hard, very threatening environment' on Polaris Dawn mission

(Newser) - "Earth sure looks like a perfect world," billionaire Jared Isaacman proclaimed last week during the first spacewalk ever by a private citizen. But while our planet may have looked perfect, it wasn't exactly a perfect experience for Isaacman and his three Polaris Dawn spacemates. The Shift4 founder...

Billionaire Space-Walker Is a High School Dropout
Billionaire
Space-Walker
Dropped Out
of High School
the rundown
Sep 12, 2024 12:07 PM CDT

Billionaire Space-Walker Dropped Out of High School

Jared Isaacman went on to become a tech entrepreneur with a passion for space

(Newser) - The world's first commercial spacewalk took place on Tuesday morning, a private operation bankrolled by the first person who emerged from the SpaceX craft. That would be Jared Isaacman, a 41-year-old tech billionaire who is now the subject of plenty of coverage:
  • Dropout: Steve Jobs famously dropped out of
...

'Earth Sure Looks Like a Perfect World'

SpaceX crew members make history with private spacewalk

(Newser) - "Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world," billionaire Jared Isaacman said Thursday morning after emerging from the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule in the first-ever spacewalk by a private citizen. The tech entrepreneur was...

Civilians Head to Space to Walk, Make History

SpaceX's risky Polaris Dawn mission launched early Tuesday

(Newser) - After numerous delays , SpaceX has launched one of its riskiest missions yet , sending four civilians into Earth's Van Allen radiation belt and out on what could be the first commercial spacewalk. The roughly five-day mission, known as Polaris Dawn, launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center at 5:23am...

These 4 Will Have to Wait a Bit Longer for Historic Mission
SpaceX Postpones
Historic Mission Again
THE RUNDOWN
Aug 28, 2024 8:41 AM CDT

SpaceX Postpones Historic Mission Again

Weather delays SpaceX's Polaris Dawn expedition, to feature first spacewalk ever by private citizens

(Newser) - A civilian quartet was set to blast off into space from Florida on Wednesday morning, on their way to the first spacewalk ever by private citizens, but that mission has now been postponed. The BBC reports that Elon Musk's SpaceX, just hours before liftoff, cited "unfavorable weather forecasted"...

This Is a First for China's Space Program

First female Chinese astronaut conducts spacewalk

(Newser) - Wang Yaping has become the first Chinese woman to conduct a spacewalk as part of a six-month mission to the country's space station, per the AP . Wang and fellow astronaut Zhai Zhigang left the station's main module on Sunday evening, spending more than six hours outside installing equipment...

Astronauts Install Solar Panel to Power Up Space Station

More will be coming in plan to increase electrical capacity

(Newser) - Spacewalking astronauts equipped the International Space Station with the first in a series of powerful new solar panels Sunday, overcoming suit problems and other obstacles with muscle and persistence. It took two spacewalks for French astronaut Thomas Pesquet and NASA astronaut Shane Kimbrough to install and unfurl the panel to...

2 Female Astronauts Just Made History
2 Female Astronauts
Just Made History
Oct 18, 2019 12:12 PM CDT

2 Female Astronauts Just Made History

Christina Koch, Jessica Meir are first to make women-only spacewalk to fix the ISS power grid

(Newser) - For the past 50 years, the guys have gone out into space to carry out all needed repairs. On Friday, that all changed, thanks to Christina Koch and Jessica Meir. The two NASA astronauts became the world's first all-female team to do a spacewalk when they were sent out...

US Astronauts Plan Historic Spacewalk Friday

All-female mission was delayed until a medium suit was delivered

(Newser) - Christina Koch and Jessica Meir plan to step outside the International Space Station on Friday to replace a broken part, but also to make history. It will be the first all-female spacewalk. "We don’t even really think about it on a daily basis," Meir told reporters in...

He Was the First to Walk in Space
First Human to Walk
in Space Is Dead
OBITUARY
Oct 11, 2019 12:00 PM CDT

First Human to Walk in Space Is Dead

Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov was 85

(Newser) - The first-ever spacewalk had an unexpected snag when Alexei Leonov was unable to get back in his space capsule. As the AP reports, Leonov's suit had ballooned in the vacuum of space so much that he needed to vent oxygen through a valve in his suit in order to...

First All-Female Spacewalk Will Happen This Month

Spacesuit issue forced earlier cancellation

(Newser) - A space milestone is set to happen later this month—the first all-female spacewalk, which was canceled earlier this year because of a lack of medium-sized spacesuits . NASA says American astronauts Christina Koch and Jessica Meir will pair up Oct. 21 in one of five planned spacewalks to swap out...

NASA Calls Off First All-Female Spacewalk Over Odd Problem

They don't have enough spacesuits of the right size

(Newser) - NASA officials didn't realize until after they had scheduled it that a Friday mission involving American astronauts Anne McClain and Christina Koch would be the first all-women spacewalk. But the milestone has now been called off because of a lack of medium-sized spacesuits, the New York Times reports. NASA...

Astronaut Who Made History With Spacewalk Dies at 80

Bruce McCandless 'encouraged all of us to reach new heights'

(Newser) - NASA astronaut Bruce McCandless, the first person to fly freely and untethered in space, has died, the AP reports. He was 80. McCandless was famously photographed in 1984 flying with a hefty spacewalker's jetpack, alone in the cosmic blackness above a blue Earth. He traveled more than 300 feet...

Space Station Shield Lost During Spacewalk

US astronauts 'MacGyvered' a solution

(Newser) - In space, nobody can hear you scream, "Oh no, there goes the shielding"—apart from Mission Control. American astronauts Peggy Whitson and Shane Kimbrough suffered a frustrating setback during a spacewalk Thursday when one of the four fabric shields they were installing on the exterior of the International...

Computer Glitch May Force Spacewalk

It's a backup, and the crew is not in danger

(Newser) - It's never fun when your computer goes down, but it's especially bad if you happen to be about 200 miles above Earth at the time. A computer outage at the International Space Station may require a spacewalk by astronauts and threatens to delay next week's launch of...

Astronauts Make Rare Christmas Eve Spacewalk

Astronauts swap in new cooling pump

(Newser) - A pair of astronauts installed a new ammonia pump on the International Space Station during a spacewalk today, in just the second Christmas Eve spacewalk in NASA's history, the AP reports. "It's like Christmas morning opening up a little present here," astronaut Rick Mastracchio said as...

Astronauts Begin Space Station Repairs

First of multiple spacewalks needed is underway

(Newser) - Two US astronauts are in the midst of the first of two and perhaps three spacewalks needed to repair the cooling system of the International Space Station, reports AP . Rick Mastracchio and Michael Hopkins will work on the faulty pump today, Monday, and again on Christmas Day if necessary. You...

Xmas Spacewalk Planned for Space Station Fix

Cooling system in urgent need of repair

(Newser) - Before they can tuck into their freeze-dried turkey dinners, two American astronauts are going to have to venture out on a spacewalk to fix a faulty pump that has shut down part of the International Space Station's cooling system. The Christmas Day spacewalk is one of three that NASA...

Olympic Torch Returns From Space

Crew parachutes into Kazakhstan

(Newser) - A Russian space capsule carrying the Sochi Olympic torch and three astronauts returned to Earth today from the International Space Station in a flawless landing on the steppes of Kazakhstan. The Soyuz capsule landed at 8:49 local time, about three and a half hours after undocking from the station...

Close Call: Helmet Leak Endangers Astronaut

Spacewalk aborted as Italian astronaut runs into trouble

(Newser) - In one of the most harrowing spacewalks in years, an astronaut had to rush back into the International Space Station today after a mysterious water leak inside his helmet robbed him of the ability to speak or hear and could have caused him to choke. Italian Luca Parmitano seemed fine...

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