Boeing's Long-Awaited Launch was Scrubbed, and SpaceX has Brand-New Spacesuits

Happy Tuesday, everyone! This week’s newsletter is 693 words, a 5-minute read.

Table of Contents

• 1 Big Thing: Boeing’s Long-Awaited Crewed Launch W …

• 2. Cool Stuff You Might Have Missed

• 3. SpaceX’s Next Private Astronauts Will Wear Bran …

• 4. A Personal Book Recommendation

• 5. Upcoming Launches & Missions

1 Big Thing: Boeing’s Long-Awaited Crewed Launch Was Scrubbed for a Rocket Issue

Yesterday, May 6th, Boeing was set to launch its CST-100 Starliner, a crewed spacecraft performing its final test before it’s fully operational. The launch was scrubbed a few hours before for technical issues.

What’s This?: When NASA retired the Space Shuttle, it put out contracts for private companies to carry astronauts to and from the International Space Station. Two companies - SpaceX and Boeing - ended up being awarded the contracts.

Far Behind: SpaceX successfully launched its first crewed mission to the International Space Station in 2020 and has been ferrying astronauts ever since. Boeing, on the other hand, has faced so many delays that it’s just now getting close to joining SpaceX in launching crewed missions.

Ready for Launch?: Boeing’s Starliner was rolled out to the launchpad with astronauts aboard when the launch was called off - about two hours before scheduled liftoff.

Valve Issues: The launch was cancelled because of a faulty oxygen relief valve on the rocket’s upper stage.

What’s Next?: Boeing’s crewed Starliner flight could happen tonight (May 7th), provided everything checks out and the valve proves to be in good shape, so be on the lookout for that.

2. Cool Stuff You Might Have Missed

1. The sun released a solar flare that caused some radio blackouts. (Earth)

2. Rocket Lab announced supplier agreements for military satellite project. (SpaceNews)

3. The annual Humans to Mars Summit is happening right now. (Space)

3. SpaceX’s Next Private Astronauts Will Wear Brand-New Fancy Spacesuits

This Summer, SpaceX is Planning to launch its next set of private astronauts.

Cool Name, Cooler Mission: The mission is called Polaris Dawn, and it’ll feature the first EVA by private astronauts.

What’s an EVA?: EVA stands for Extra-Vehicular Activity. It’s when astronauts venture outside their spacecraft to perform repairs, conduct scientific research, or - in this case - make history.

What’s the Big Deal?: EVAs present their own set of challenges, particularly the challenge of keeping someone alive in the middle of cold, dark space.

The Solution: SpaceX just revealed their brand-new EVA spacesuits for their private astronauts, and they look awesome.

Packed with Features: The new suit looks a lot like SpaceX’s current flight suit, but comes with many more internal features. It’s made with better materials, includes a thermal management layer, and a smart HUD in the helmet which will allow astronauts to monitor their vitals during their EVAs.

In Good Company: Jared Isaacman will be commanding the Polaris Dawn mission which will utilize these new spacesuits. He’s the billionaire founder of a payment processing company called Shift4.

4. A Personal Book Recommendation

We’ve probably all heard the story of the race to the moon between the Soviet Union and the United States in the 1960s. What we haven’t heard nearly as much about is the race to manned spaceflight itself - especially from the Soviet Union’s perspective.

In his book “Beyond”, Stephen Walker tells the story of Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin and the mission that made him the first human being in space. The book has crazy high ratings and reads like a piece of well-written fiction, except it actually happened.

You can check it out here:

5. Upcoming Launches & Missions

SPECIAL EXCITING NEWS: If you refer just 3 friends (used to be 5, now it’s 3) to this newsletter, I’ll send you a free copy of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s A Brief Welcome to the Universe. Use the link below to share and get credit for your referrals!

Thanks as always,

-Michael