09/13/2024

SpaceX Crew Completes First Citizen Spacewalk

An astronaut in a space suit opens a hatch inside a spacecraft.
Footage from SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission. Credit: SpaceX

Big news in the world of commercial space flight: On Thursday morning, Jared Iasaacman and Sarah Gillis, members of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, became the first civilians to complete a spacewalk. The mission is a collaboration between Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Isaacman, a billionaire tech entrepreneur. While outside the spacecraft, the two crew members conducted mobility tests on their spacesuits.

SciFri Producer Kathleen Davis talks with Jason Dinh, climate editor at Atmos Magazine about this and other top science news of the week including deadly cholera outbreaks, germs at 10,000 ft, and Japanese eels that can escape a fish stomach through their gills.


Segment Guests

Jason P. Dinh

Jason P. Dinh is Climate Editor at Atmos Magazine in Washington, DC.  He previously was an NSF-funded intern at Science Friday.

Segment Transcript

The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.

Meet the Producers and Host

About Shoshannah Buxbaum

Shoshannah Buxbaum is a producer for Science Friday. She’s particularly drawn to stories about health, psychology, and the environment. She’s a proud New Jersey native and will happily share her opinions on why the state is deserving of a little more love.

About Kathleen Davis

Kathleen Davis is a producer at Science Friday, which means she spends the week brainstorming, researching, and writing, typically in that order. She’s a big fan of stories related to strange animal facts and dystopian technology.

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