ScientistPankaj: SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn astronauts to attempt world's 1st-ever private spacewalk (video)

Tuesday, September 10, 2024

SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn astronauts to attempt world's 1st-ever private spacewalk (video)

Polaris Dawn launches 1st-ever private spacewalk mission | Europa Clipper takes big step toward its Oct. 10 launch | Partial lunar eclipse of the Harvest Moon: What to know

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September 10, 2024

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The Launchpad

Polaris Dawn launches 1st-ever private spacewalk mission

(SpaceX)

Polaris Dawn, which aims to conduct the first-ever private spacewalk, lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket today at 5:23 a.m. EDT (0923 GMT) from historic Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Pad 39A also hosted most of NASA's Apollo moon launches, which were the last crewed missions to fly as far as the Polaris Dawn astronauts will travel.

Full Story: Space (9/10)

Europa Clipper takes big step toward its Oct. 10 launch

(NASA/JPL)

NASA's highly anticipated Europa Clipper probe bound for an icy moon of Jupiter is on track for its liftoff next month. Europa Clipper, which will study the potentially life-harboring Jupiter moon Europa up close, passed a crucial technical review called Key Decision Point E (KDP-E) today (Sept. 9). The good news means that Clipper can proceed into final preparations for launch, which is scheduled to take place atop a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Oct. 10.

Full Story: Space (9/9)

Skywatching

Partial lunar eclipse of the Harvest Moon: What to know

(FEDERICO PARRA/AFP via Getty Images)

The Harvest Moon isn't exclusively a September event because the full moon occurring closest to the autumnal equinox gets hung with this moniker. Every few years, October (rather than September) hosts this moon that once was critical to farmers. Before electricity and tractors with lights were used to harvest crops all night long, farmers relied on the Harvest Moon's light to extend workdays when fields were most bountiful.

Full Story: Space (9/10)

Spaceflight

Astronauts would have been fine on Starliner, NASA says

(NASA)

After more than three months in space, Starliner's 10-day Crew Flight Test (CFT) has finally concluded. The Boeing spacecraft made a successful landing over the weekend, parachuting to a soft touchdown in the dark desert night of White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, at 12:01 a.m. EDT (0401 GMT) Saturday (Sep. 7). The return marked an end to a long-delayed and issue-ridden mission, which launched with two NASA astronauts, but returned with none. It turns out they would have been totally fine.

Full Story: Space (9/9)

Science & Astronomy

7 years ago, the sun unleashed a record-breaking solar flare

(NASA/SDO/Goddard)

As August 2024 set another 20-year high for sunspot numbers on the sun, recent solar flares have yet to top two solar flares from September 2017. One of these flares, which took place seven years ago on Sept. 10 2017, still holds further unbroken records.

Full Story: Space (9/10)

SpaceX

Polaris Dawn astronauts will trek into Van Allen belt

(SpaceX)

SpaceX's trailblazing Polaris Dawn mission will soon begin its daring trek into Earth orbit - and with it, the plunge through the belt of radiation wrapped around our planet.

Full Story: Space (9/9)

Technology

'Unbreakable' quantum communication closer to reality

(Silver555 via Getty Images)

Scientists have created an "exceptionally bright" light source that can generate quantum-entangled photons (particles of light) which could be used to securely transmit data in a future high-speed quantum communications network.

Full Story: Space (9/9)