#allen isaacman

[silasfiorotti]

“Samora revisitado após Guebuza“, resenha publicada no Jornal A Pátria (30/9/2022).

[spacenutspod]

SpaceTime Series 27 Episode 112 First Ever Spacewalk by Private AstronautsA historic milestone as the first commercial non-government astronauts successfully complete a spacewalk using a SpaceX Dragon capsule. The mission, launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket, aimed to monitor radiation exposure levels during its journey into the Van Allen radiation belts. Boeing Starliner Returns Safely to EarthBoeing's trouble-plagued Starliner spacecraft has safely returned to Earth, landing unmanned at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. NASA opted for an unmanned return due to ongoing safety concerns with the spacecraft. *Asteroid Creates Spectacular Fireball Over the Philippines: A small asteroid created a stunning fireball as it entered Earth's atmosphere over the Philippines. The asteroid, designated 2024 RW1, was detected just hours before its atmospheric entry, providing a dazzling light show without causing any harm.  https://spacetimewithstuartgary.com https://www.bitesz.com/  Become a supporter of this podcast and access commercial-free, triple episode editions plus bonus content. Details: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spacetime-with-stuart-gary--2458531/support. 🌏 Get Our Exclusive NordVPN deal here ➼ www.bitesz.com/nordvpn . The discount and bonuses are incredible! And it’s risk-free with Nord’s 30-day money-back guarantee! ✌

[catherine-media]

Walking Above the Air: The Captivating Evolution of Spacewalks

Spacewalks, or extravehicular activities (EVAs), represent some of the most breathtaking moments in human space exploration. While they are visually stunning and technically remarkable, not every spacewalk unfolds without challenges—from astronauts getting stuck in hatches to losing tools or facing near-drowning incidents.

The upcoming Polaris Dawn mission by SpaceX marks a potential milestone in commercial spaceflight: the first spacewalk by a private citizen. Billionaire Jared Isaacman, a major funder of the mission, aims to become the first non-professional astronaut to conduct a private spacewalk outside SpaceX's Dragon capsule. The mission is set to reach an altitude of approximately 870 miles (1,400 km), making it the highest crewed spaceflight since the Apollo missions over 50 years ago. Isaacman’s spacewalk, scheduled at a lower orbit of around 434 miles (700 km), will be accompanied by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis. Both will wear SpaceX's new spacesuits, featuring helmet displays and mounted cameras.

However, the Crew Dragon capsule lacks an airlock, necessitating full depressurization of the capsule before exiting. This, combined with the use of new spacesuits, introduces additional risks for the crew.

Spacewalks have come a long way since the first historic event nearly 60 years ago. Here’s a look back at some of the most notable moments in the history of spacewalks:

The First Spacewalk

On March 18, 1965, Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov became the first human to walk in space, stepping outside the Voskhod 2 spacecraft through an inflatable airlock. Although Leonov spent 12 minutes in space tethered to the spacecraft, his mission faced challenges. His spacesuit became rigid in the vacuum of space, hindering movement and photography. He also struggled to re-enter the spacecraft and had to reduce the suit’s pressure to fit through the hatch, resulting in his spacesuit being soaked with sweat.

The First American Spacewalk

Just over two months later, on June 3, 1965, Ed White became the first American to step outside a spacecraft during the Gemini 4 mission. Using a hand-held oxygen-jet gun, White maneuvered outside the capsule for 23 minutes. The gun’s fuel depletion forced him to move by tugging on a tether. Tragically, White would die in the Apollo 1 fire less than two years later.

The First Space 'Selfie'

During the Gemini XII mission in November 1966, Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin not only contributed to the mission’s success but also took what is considered the first space "selfie." Aldrin’s photo, captured with a camera mounted on the edge of the spacecraft hatch, shows Earth in the background and has become an iconic image in space exploration history.

Untethered Spacewalk

In 1984, Bruce McCandless II performed the first untethered spacewalk using a nitrogen-propelled Manned Manoeuvring Unit (MMU). During the STS-41-B Space Shuttle Mission, McCandless floated 91 meters (300 feet) from the Shuttle Challenger, showcasing the MMU’s capabilities and setting a new precedent for space mobility.

Space Salvage with a Twist

Later in 1984, astronauts Dale Gardner and Joseph Allen conducted the first space salvage mission, retrieving faulty satellites from orbit. Using the MMU, Allen maneuvered to the Palapa B-2 satellite, which had failed to reach its intended orbit, and inserted a capture device to stabilize it. The mission, dubbed a "scrap-yard salvage," successfully returned the satellites to the Space Shuttle’s cargo bay.

These historic spacewalks illustrate the human spirit’s resilience and innovation in exploring the vastness of space. With each new mission, astronauts continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, paving the way for future achievements in space exploration.

[mattthebest99]

SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn crew on daring excursion into Earth's radiation belts - https://www.9news.com.au/world/spacex-polaris-dawn-elon-musks-spacex-launches-polaris-dawn-crew-with-jared-isaacman/105fbc2c-241e-49c9-b57b-63910c8413d3

[dm2024bd]

For His Second Trip to Space, Billionaire Has Grander, Riskier Aspirations

Billionaire Jared Isaacman is preparing for his second trip to space with even more ambitious and risky goals. This mission, known as Polaris Dawn, is being conducted in partnership with SpaceX. The plan involves pushing the boundaries of space exploration by attempting the highest crewed orbit ever, reaching up to 870 miles above Earth. This altitude would place the crew inside the Van Allen radiation belt, which is a highly challenging environment due to intense radiation levels.

See More

[grammarlyapp]

Letter: Kaler's comments on Coffman renaming a specious argument

Hopefully, he will be up to the task. This letter has been lightly edited for grammar and style. Allen Isaacman is a regents professor at the University of ... http://ift.tt/2y1rI7Z

[spacenutspod]

One of the most highly anticipated missions in 2024 is now mere days away from taking flight. The Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled to launch on SpaceX’s Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon with a four-person complement no earlier than Monday, Aug. 26, will see the introduction of new technologies and many records eclipsed — setting a high benchmark for the program going forward. This mission will be the first of three flights currently listed under the banner of Polaris, a private spaceflight program run by entrepreneur and aerospace tourist Jared “Rook” Isaacman. The New Jersey native founded the program to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities whilst making charitable contributions to and raising awareness for children’s medical research at St. Jude’s Hospital. In addition to organizing and managing the SpaceX-contracted venture, Isaacman will serve to command each Polaris flight (Dawn included), building upon his spaceflight résumé as commander of the all-civilian Inspiration4 mission that flew to low-Earth orbit in September 2021. We are targeting no earlier than August 26 for the launch of Polaris Dawn pic.twitter.com/tkkiRke64a — Polaris (@PolarisProgram) August 7, 2024 Polaris Dawn will see the first trips to space for the remainder of the mission’s crew, which consists of three individuals with prior experience within the aerospace industry. See AlsoPolaris Dawn Mission UpdatesSpaceX Missions SectionL2 SpaceX ResourcesClick here to Join L2 Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a retired United States Air Force pilot with 3,200 flight hours under his belt, will be the spacecraft pilot for the Polaris Dawn mission. Poteet has allied with Isaacman for many years, having held management positions at Isaacman’s companies Draken International and Shift4. Additionally, he served as mission director for the Inspiration4 mission. SpaceX lead space operations engineer Sarah Gillis will join the Polaris Dawn crew as one of the mission specialists. Her main responsibility at SpaceX has been to oversee the company’s astronaut training program, having prepared the crews of the Demo-2, Crew-1, and Inspiration4 for their respective flights on Crew Dragon. Anna Menon will hold the distinction of being Polaris Dawn’s onboard medical officer, alongside her role as a mission specialist. She previously served as a biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station at NASA’s Johnson Space Center, working in the post for six years before joining SpaceX to become a Dragon mission director. The crew is slated to spend up to five days in Earth orbit after launching from Kennedy Space Center in Florida and attempt to achieve a maximum altitude of 1,400 km (870 mi) — the furthest any human has been from Earth since the Apollo program. This will also result in the Dragon spacecraft passing through the Van Allen radiation belt, which will aid the mission objective of studying the health effects of space radiation. Visualization of a Polaris Dawn astronaut egressing Dragon as part of the mission’s planned spacewalk. (Credit: Polaris/SpaceX) After this, Dragon will move to a lower orbital altitude on the third flight day to meet one of the mission’s main objectives: the first commercial spacewalk in history. During the spacewalk, the crew will test the new SpaceX-designed extravehicular activity (EVA) suit in the vacuum of space for the first time. These suits are based on the company’s intravehicular activity (IVA) suit design and feature many structural and engineering upgrades. This two-hour EVA will see the mission crew donning the EVA suits before the Dragon spacecraft is depressurized. After this, commander Isaacman and mission specialist Gillis will egress the vehicle’s forward hatch and perform a tethered spacewalk. In addition to the new suits, the Dragon spacecraft has been appropriately modified to support this mission profile. Polaris Dawn will also feature the first crewed operational test of laser interlink communications from Dragon via SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet constellation, aimed at reducing latency and increasing data bandwidth for human spaceflight missions. Following these tests and other experiments, Dragon will bring the Polaris Dawn crew back home and splashdown off the Florida coast, either in the Gulf of Mexico or the Atlantic Ocean. Jared, Kidd, Anna, & Sarah – welcome to the KSC! The crew of @PolarisProgram’s inaugural mission have arrived to America’s premier spaceport in a trio of Alpha Jets and pair of L-39’s. Standing by for the upcoming press conference ~12:45pm local time. 7 more days until game… pic.twitter.com/ufQZF4xyoi — Max Evans (@_mgde_) August 19, 2024 Dawn is only the beginning of Polaris’ mission plans. A second mission is also slated to launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon, but the launch date, crew, and mission profile have not been announced at this time. Isaacman has offered to service or reboost NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope on this mission, but the agency has since indicated it has decided to not pursue the option. The third and currently final Polaris flight is set to be the first crewed mission launched on SpaceX’s next-generation Starship launch system, with a launch date, crew complement, or mission profile yet to be determined. As Starship is still in early flight testing as of 2024, the mission is understood not to occur until the vehicle is fully matured and certified for human spaceflight. With three ambitious flights ready to go in its catalog and a healthy contingent of support, Polaris is set to change the face of commercial and human spaceflight in short order, eventually leaving a ripple effect to be felt by future crews as they leave Earth for missions to the Moon, Mars, and possibly beyond. (Lead image: the crew of Polaris Dawn give a thumbs-up after their arrival at Kennedy Space Center in preparation for launch. Credit: Max Evans for NSF) The post Polaris aiming to break barriers, build experience with Dawn appeared first on NASASpaceFlight.com.

[silasfiorotti]

“Review of Mozambique's Samora Machel: A Life Cut Short, by Allen F. Isaacman and Barbara S. Isaacman.” por Silas Fiorotti, in Africa Today, 69(1-2): 268-270, 2022. 

[silasfiorotti]

“Mozambique's Samora Machel: A Life Cut Short” by Allen F. Isaacman and Barbara S. Isaacman (OUP, 2020).