keneci
News • Science & Tech • Comedy
SpaceX Polaris Dawn Astronauts Complete First-ever Commercial Spacewalk
September 12, 2024
post photo preview

Astronauts aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon(a.k.a. Resilience) on Thursday (Sept. 12), performed the world's first commercial spacewalk while the spacecraft was soaring about 737 kilometers(km) above Earth during the third day of the Polaris Dawn mission to far Earth orbit. The 1 hour 46 minutes spacewalk started at 1012 UTC.

While Resilience was soaring ~737 km above Earth, Polaris Dawn crew -- Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet" and SpaceX mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon -- embarked on the spacewalk(or extravehicular activity, EVA), starting with depressurization of the capsule and hatch opening which exposed the crew to the harsh void of space.

The crew wore new SpaceX-designed EVA suits that were made to be lightweight and flexible while still offering protection against the harsh, unforgiving environment in Earth's orbit. "All that stands between you and the nothingness of deep space vacuum is that [spacesuit]," SpaceX chief Elon Musk noted on X just hours after the completion of the spacewalk.

Isaacman and Sarah Gillis took turns to pop out out from Crew Dragon into the void, at about 1048 UTC and 1104 UTC respectively.

SXe4i37BmOlSlp2BvIV47BaAYeitrSBqeFj4i2DjDBEtOQoKv6FPLViBrzu-c_dBOEC_EaVWpMZruAFFFwqHFwxVtPv4GoPTTOTQ8d8W4xXfYIFZwgHk7Q7nn3s4Dp8b4g=w1280
OHTkV6zZs5_pRSM0YGA2ruD6eUwyHv4tVZl4_dfVhGFcc7AfUMvfzOdl-wy4K9waCSgkF2NMLSWrd8397nHG2qKkqHntyIMXOtYwKH_kMnKTDcbO4bqgVhDX_p7IzLDFFw=w1280

"SpaceX, back at home we have a lot of work to do, but from here it looks like a perfect world," Isaacman said as he looked down on Earth while floating upright above the Dragon hatch.

The Crew Dragon was heavily modified with a specialized hatch designed just for the mission. Skywalker -- which replaced the capsule's typical International Space Station(ISS) docking port -- features a ladder and both handholds and footholds for the Polaris Dawn astronauts to grab onto as they maneuvered around the outside of the capsule.

During his ~7 minutes 56 seconds spacewalk maneuver, Isaacman conducted a series of spacesuit mobility tests, one of Polaris Dawn's main goals. Gillis did the same during her ~7 minutes 15 seconds maneuver.

ElZZ8tnCtv1ZPGxp5YGvnKukIsHvPPDX0k-0XnDKThJp28s7aOnOBzsMNGURAyiI931jeHlOROUYI2owX6L5Yc4=w1280

SpaceX aims to use the spacesuit on a variety of future missions both in Earth's orbit and farther into space. "It's not lost on us that, you know, it might be 10 iterations from now and a bunch of evolutions of the suit, but that, someday, someone could be wearing a version of [it] that might be walking on Mars," Isaacman said on Aug. 26. "And it feels like, again, a huge honor to have that opportunity to test it out on this flight."

After Gillis completed her spacewalk and lowered into Crew Dragon, the Dragon hatch was closed at about 1114 UTC as SpaceX began repressurizing the spacecraft. The entire spacewalk lasted one hour and 46 minutes, from 1012 UTC to 1158 UTC.

"Whew! Smell that? Space," Isaacman said after the hatch was closed and the capsule began its repressurization process. "Nice job for everyone at SpaceX who made it possible."

MtVLY_V1OvxYz4NyLNxgAyQAo1Z8nwVTQeWa9aPMNhtu2uZQoQR8vDZm0aIUMYwd7OpZ22ClcxZtJ0OYVip8CSkIUIFCCzxFaxo3vQIgsHzC64gM1bKYdCIm2Y7-8tOJ-w=w1280
Vm24sY9RirFtc9WcsjrzTFBhaGw-4WGQdChjPYe92wwcqDtDNw8a_AbwFL_u8BHNUKwNU-ckLU1q8m62uHnOa7s=w1280

"The Polaris Dawn spacewalk is now complete, marking the first time commercial astronauts have completed a spacewalk from a commercial spacecraft! Congratulations to @rookisaacman, @Gillis_SarahE, @KiddPoteet, @annawmenon, and to all the SpaceX teams!" SpaceX wrote on X.

SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission launched four astronauts into orbit on Tuesday (Sept. 10). Fifteen hours later, the crew made space history when they reached an altitude of 1,400.7 km, higher than any other crewed mission since the Apollo program a half-century ago. Another NASA mission, Gemini 11, previously held the altitude record for a crewed spacecraft in Earth's orbit at 1,373 km.

Polaris Dawn is also testing a new communication system that uses lasers to link up with SpaceX's Starlink satellites, a megaconstellation that provides broadband internet worldwide. The system "has the opportunity to open up an entirely new communication pathway, not just for Dragon, but for [...] Starships or other satellites or telescopes out there," Isaacman said at a press conference on Aug. 19.

qdCTtoDOANLW67-pTJ5XM3e5CN6RRH6Liuz51CZMi3sYUoT7gsrHsbe4PQR83XY5BEhR6ZH7SMj4G60ipMGxG2wslNSMubeiAK4RRLfOF_vOJpRFKitJXy1XKhlGnKv_UQ=w1280

"Polaris Dawn is the first mission to test @Starlink laser-based communications, using the 'Plug and Plaser' inside Dragon’s trunk to communicate with Starlink satellites throughout the mission," SpaceX wrote Xbefore mission launch on Tuesday.

The Polaris Dawn astronauts have also been conducting 36 different science experiments provided by 31 separate institutions. These experiments will be conducted throughout the mission, including some that will contribute data to NASA's Human Research Program, helping scientists better understand how the human body reacts to spaceflight.

The experiments conducted during Polaris Dawn, range from testing wearable devices that collect biometric data, attempts to mitigate motion sickness, and tests on eye health in microgravity. Polaris Dawn has also traveled through portions of Earth's Van Allen radiation belt, offering the opportunity to better understand how this radiation affects the human body.

 "Each mission, whether the crew is comprised of commercial or NASA astronauts, provides a key opportunity to expand our knowledge about how spaceflight affects human health," Jancy McPhee, associate chief scientist for human research at NASA, said in a statement. "Information gathered from Polaris Dawn will give us critical insights to help NASA plan for deeper space travel to the moon and Mars."

Polaris Dawn is scheduled to return to Earth on its sixth day, with Crew Dragon splashing down under parachutes off the coast of Florida.

community logo
Join the keneci Community
To read more articles like this, sign up and join my community today
0
What else you may like…
Videos
Posts
Articles
SpaceX Starlink Internet Satellites

With Starlink internet, data is continuously being sent between a ground dish and a Starlink satellite orbiting 550km above. Furthermore, the Starlink satellite zooms across the sky at 27,000 km/hr! MORE VIDEOS ON KENECI NETWORK RUMBLE CHANNEL: https://rumble.com/c/Keneci

00:28:08
Elon Musk, DOGE Speak On Waste And Fraud

US Department of Government Efficiency Services (USDS) led by Elon Musk speak on the "mind-boggling" fraud and waste in UInited States federal government

00:00:45
January 17, 2025
SpaceX Launches Starship 7th Test Flight

SpaceX successfully executed its second-ever “chopsticks” catch of a Super Heavy booster (or Booster 14) using the “Mechazilla” launch tower on Thursday(Jan. 16), during the seventh uncrewed test flight of the company's 123-meter Starship rocket. However, the megarocket's upper stage(or Ship 33) was lost approximately 8.5 minutes into the flight in a “rapid unscheduled disassembly(RUD)” or explosion

00:10:30
Welcome to Keneci Network!

Join the conversations!

September 17, 2024
Charges Against Sean 'Diddy' Combs In Grand Jury Indictment

The rapper was charged with racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, and transportation to engage in prostitution in the indictment unsealed Tuesday(Sept. 17)

Combs-Indictment-24-Cr.-542.pdf
"Dear husband"

A Dubai princess took to social media to announce she's divorcing her husband who's worth $40B.

She claims the billionaire is busy with his "other [female] companions"

post photo preview
post photo preview
Ex-FBI Director James Comey Indicted By Grand Jury For Obstruction Of Justice Lying To Congress

A federal grand jury on Thursday,  in Northern Virginia indicted former FBI Director James Comey on two felony counts: one for making false statements to Congress and one for obstruction of justice. Each charge carries a potential penalty of up to 5–10 years in prison.

These charges arise from Comey's testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2020, during which prosecutors allege he provided misleading information about his handling of the FBI's investigation into contacts between Russia and Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign.

The indictment was unsealed late Thursday, marking a significant escalation in the long-simmering feud between Comey and President Trump, who was re-elected in 2024. The trial date has not been set, but it could extend into 2026.

Comey served as FBI Director from 2013 until his abrupt firing by Trump in May 2017, amid the early stages of the Russia investigation. Trump has long accused Comey of orchestrating a "witch hunt" against him, blaming the former director for the appointment of Special Counsel Robert Mueller, whose probe dominated much of Trump's first term.

The charges stem from Comey's 2020 congressional testimony, where he reportedly downplayed the extent of his communications with Trump regarding the Russia probe and his role in leaking memos about those interactions.

The case gained momentum earlier this year when the Secret Service interrogated Comey over a social media post showing seashells arranged as "86 47"—a reference interpreted by Trump allies as a coded assassination threat against the president (the 47th). Comey deleted the post, calling it a "restaurant-themed joke" about removing Trump from office.

Responding in a video message, Comey declared: "I'm not afraid.. I'm innocent. Let's have a trial."

President Trump celebrated the indictment on social media, posting: "Today he was indicted by a Grand Jury on two felony counts for various illegal and unlawful acts. He has been so bad for our Country, for so many years... One of the worst human beings this Country has ever been exposed to." Supporters echoed this sentiment, with conservative commentator Jesse Kelly warning that the trial's location—potentially in Washington, D.C.—could lead to an acquittal due to liberal bias of the jury pool.

Read full Article
post photo preview
'I Control Donald Trump:' Netanyahu Brags To World Leaders -Tucker Carlson

Popular American commentator, journalist and conservative firebrand Tucker Carlson has publicly accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of boasting to foreign leaders that he controls both President Donald Trump and U.S. foreign policy, calling the situation "humiliating" for America.

The Tucker Carlson Show host made these remarks during a recent appearance on the System Update podcast hosted by Glenn Greenwald, where he also criticized U.S. support for Israel's war in Gaza and argued that American leaders are being forced into actions detrimental to the nation's interests.

Carlson stated he has direct knowledge of Netanyahu's claims based on conversations with people who heard him say it, asserting that the Israeli leader is "running around" the Middle East and telling people point blank, "I control the United States. I control Donald Trump."

The conservative firebrand emphasized that his criticism is directed at U.S. leaders who, in his view, are allowing the country to be subjected to a "humiliation ritual" due to foreign influence, arguing that this undermines the fundamental relationship between citizens and their government.

Carlson described Israel's military actions in Gaza as an "expansion" and dismissed accusations of bigotry against him, stating he is not hurt by such labels because he knows he is not a bigot.

The conservative commentator has faced backlash from Jewish Zionists, for his remarks at Charlie Kirk’s memorial service, where he recounted a story likening Kirk’s murder to the crucifixion of Jesus, including a scene of men in a lamplit room eating hummus plotting to kill Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthews 26: 1-5).

Critics, including Jewish groups and Israeli officials, have condemned the speech as an antisemitic dogwhistle, arguing that the reference to hummus—a modern Middle Eastern food—was a deliberate and offensive trope implying Jewish involvement in Kirk’s assassination.

Carlson defended his remarks in the System Update podcast interview., pointing out that he categorically and publicly makes his views about Israel and Netanyahu known, and doesn't need to imply it in a speech about Kirk.

While prominent Zionist and Jewish neoconservative voices criticized the speech, many MAGA-aligned conservative movement’s figures, including Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and former Congressman and OANN host Matt Gaetz praised Carlson's speech.

The controversy underscores the growing concern on the American right over Israeli influence on U.S. foreign policy especially in the Middle East. Growing number of conservatives -- traditionally allied with the Israeli right -- have started in recent years, started questioning the policies of Netanyahu's government in the region since the break out of the ongoing genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza. "It is America First, not Israel First," is a common meme on social media among right-leaning critics of Trump's bizarrely submissive pro-Israel policies.

Read full Article
post photo preview
KA-03: ULA Atlas V Launches 27 Amazon Project Kuiper Internet Satellites

A United Launch Alliance (ULA) Atlas V 551 rocket successfully launched 27 Project Kuiper broadband satellites into low Earth orbit on Thursday, Sept, 25, at 1209 UTC from Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.

The Atlas V 551 rocket, featuring five GEM 63 solid rocket boosters and a single RL10C-1-1 engine on its Centaur upper stage, lifted off on schedule. The launch window was 29 minutes long, and favorable weather conditions, with a 95% chance of acceptable conditions, were confirmed by the U.S. Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron.

The payload fairing, a 23-meter composite shroud, was jettisoned after ascent through the atmosphere. The Centaur upper stage's main engine cutoff (MECO) was confirmed, and the 27 satellites were successfully deployed at an initial altitude of 450 kilometers(km).

The satellites will now be gradually raised to their operational orbit of 630 km by Amazon's mission operations center in Redmond, Washington.

The Kuiper 3 (or KA-03) mission marks the fifth launch for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation and the third batch of satellites delivered by ULA on the Atlas V rocket. The launch was part of a morning doubleheader, following a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch carrying 28 Starlink satellites just hours earlier.

This launch is the third of nine planned Atlas V missions for Amazon's Project Kuiper constellation, with the remaining five scheduled before transitioning to the next-generation Vulcan rocket.

ULA is delivering more than half of the constellation's 3,200 satellites under the world's largest commercial launch agreement. These spacecraft will be lofted on more than 80 launches performed by a variety of rockets — SpaceX's Falcon 9, Arianespace's Ariane 6, Blue Origin's New Glenn and ULA's Atlas V and Vulcan Centaur.

Thursday's successful launch brings Amazon's total number of in-orbit Project Kuiper satellites to 129. Project Kuiper faces competition from SpaceX's Starlink, which operates the world's largest satellite constellation with over 8,000 satellites as of September 2025.

Read full Article
See More
Available on mobile and TV devices
google store google store app store app store
google store google store app tv store app tv store amazon store amazon store roku store roku store
Powered by Locals