CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A daredevil billionaire rocketed back to space Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than...
this time around, which included developing and testing brand new spacesuits to see how they'll hold up in the harsh vacuum.
But first the passengers are shooting for way beyond the International Space Station — an altitude of 870 miles , which would surpass the Earth-lapping record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. Only the 24 Apollo astronauts who flew to the moon have ventured farther. Isaacman and SpaceX's Sarah Gillis will take turns briefly popping out of the hatch. They’ll test their white and black-trimmed custom suits by twisting their bodies. Both will always have a hand or foot touching the capsule or attached support structure that resembles the top of a pool ladder. There will be no dangling at the end of their 12-foot tethers and no jetpack showboating. Only NASA’s suits at the space station come equipped with jetpacks, for emergency use only.
Spacesuit development took longer than anticipated, delaying this first so-called Polaris Dawn flight until now. Training was extensive; Poteet said it rivaled anything he experienced during his Air Force flying career. Poor weather caused a two-week delay. The crew needed favorable forecasts not only for launch, but for splashdown days later. With limited supplies and no ability to reach the space station, they had no choice but to wait for conditions to improve.The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
NASA International Space Station Chartered Flight Spacewalk Apollo Astronauts Spacex Sarah Gillis Spacex Falcon 9 Custom Suits William Gerstenmaier Air Force Thunderbirds
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
SpaceX Falcon 9 flight operations cleared to resume by FAAIn this photo provided by SpaceX, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, carrying 21 Starlink internet satellites, launches from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024.
Read more »
SpaceX launches billionaire to conduct the first private spacewalkCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A daredevil billionaire rocketed back to space Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA's Apollo moonshots.
Read more »
NASA still deciding whether to keep 2 astronauts at space station until next yearCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA said Wednesday it's still deciding whether to keep two astronauts at the International Space Station until early next year...
Read more »
Boeing will fly its empty capsule back to Earth soon. Two NASA astronauts will stay behindCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing will attempt to return its problem-plagued capsule from the International Space Station later this week — with empty seats...
Read more »
Boeing will fly its empty capsule back to Earth soon. Two NASA astronauts will stay behindCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Boeing will attempt to return its problem-plagued capsule from the International Space Station later this week — with empty seats...
Read more »
NASA will decide Saturday if Boeing's new capsule is safe enough to fly 2 astronauts back from spaceCAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA said Thursday it will decide this weekend whether Boeing’s new capsule is safe enough to return two astronauts from the...
Read more »