Latest news with #spacewalk
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Breaking Barriers: Bernard Harris Jr.'s Journey Beyond Earth
Temple, TX (FOX 44) — Temple native and astronaut Bernard Anthony Harris, Jr. made history as the first African-American to walk in space. In 1995, Harris completed a feat in his second space shuttle mission. He spent four hours and 39 minutes walking in space, setting the stage for future explorers. Inspired by the 1969 Moon Landing, he began his journey in medicine before becoming a NASA astronaut. He logged more than 438 hours in space, traveling over 7 million miles. Now, through the Harris Foundation, he works to inspire the next generation to explore careers in STEM fields. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
CNN
09-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
ISS astronauts discuss recent all-female spacewalk
Astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain speak to CNN's Wolf Blitzer from the International Space Station about their research, the success of their rare all-female spacewalk, and the future of space exploration.
CNN
09-07-2025
- Science
- CNN
ISS astronauts discuss recent all-female spacewalk
Astronauts Nichole Ayers and Anne McClain speak to CNN's Wolf Blitzer from the International Space Station about their research, the success of their rare all-female spacewalk, and the future of space exploration.
Digital Trends
08-07-2025
- Science
- Digital Trends
Watch how NASA is using VR to prep for upcoming moon missions
NASA is aiming to put astronauts back on the lunar surface in the Artemis III mission, currently scheduled for 2027. While the date could slip, the space agency will continue with training and other preparation for the highly anticipated mission, so that when the day for launch does finally come, the crew will be ready. NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas, has just dropped a video (top) showing how it's utilizing virtual reality (VR) technology to prepare astronauts for spacewalks — also known as extravehicular activities (EVAs) — on the moon's surface. The specially designed lab uses sandboxes, multi-directional treadmills, and mockups of spacesuits to create a realistic spacewalk environment, while other gear is used to collect data on human health and performance, enabling mission planners to design an experience for the astronauts that's efficient, comfortable, and above all, safe. 'We find virtual reality to be really helpful in our EVA testing and research,' Patrick Estep, a NASA human performance engineer, said in the video. 'It's really important that we can simulate as many great aspects of EVA as we can in a rapid, controllable, and repeatable test environment.' Estep said that one of the beauties of virtual reality is that they're able to recreate pretty much anything digitally with different tools, widgets, and heads-up displays, and then place someone virtually on the lunar surface to learn more about how astronauts might perform in such an environment. 'We're going to test a whole bunch of different scenarios,' NASA astronaut Kate Rubins said. Understanding emergency situations is of course a priority, and when a crew is eventually assigned to the Artemis III mission, they'll be trained to help them deal with a range of extreme situations. The video shows some of the training sessions the team has been engaging in as they prepare for the Artemis III mission in a few years from now. Jeff Somers of NASA's Human Physiology, Performance, Protection, and Operations Lab described virtual reality as 'a critical part' of enabling the crew members to get the big picture before embarking on their mission, 'so that they can experience what it will be like to do an EVA on the [lunar] surface.'
Yahoo
02-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
I was the first Black man to walk in space. My career as an astronaut was hard for my family.
Dr. Bernard Harris is a medical doctor, astronaut, and venture capitalist. In 1995, he became the first African American to do a space walk. He attributes his success to education, and his foundation supports STEM for kids. This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Dr. Bernard Harris, author of "Embracing Infinite Possibilities: Letting Go Of Fear To Reach Your Highest Potential". It has been edited for length and clarity. I was one of the original Star Trek enthusiasts. I was about 10 when the show debuted, and I would rush home each week to watch a new episode. My imagination ran wild with the idea of space and being in space. Then, when I was 13, NASA landed on the moon. When Neil Armstrong said those famous words — "one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind" — it really set my passion off. I studied medicine, always with the goal of becoming an astronaut. In 1990, when I was about 34, I was selected for the astronaut program. Over the next four years, I flew twice into space and became the first Black man to do a space walk. Many people don't realize that the space shuttle weighs 5 million pounds. To haul that into space, we light five engines that produce 7.5 million pounds of thrust. Once those are ignited, you're leaving the planet in a hurry. The first time I went to space, my daughter was about 8 months old. Her mom — my life partner — had the hardest job, raising our daughter and my three stepchildren. My work took away from family time. When it was time to launch, my family watched nervously, hoping everything went right. Inside the shuttle, I was laser-focused on making sure everything went right, so I didn't have time to worry. Later, when the hatch opened for my space walk, I felt like I was falling, just for a second. My brain expected to feel gravity's pull, but after a moment, I adjusted to the floating sensation. I was tethered to a robotic arm 35 feet above the space shuttle. Below, I could see the shuttle and the Earth beyond that. Surrounding it all was the clearest view of the Milky Way galaxy that you could ever imagine. It was an incredible view for a human. I was struck by the silence. With no air to transmit sound, space is completely quiet. Floating there, I had a great sense of peace. It was even more wonderful than I expected. The year after that walk, I left NASA, but continued to work around the space industry. I also practiced medicine and saw patients at community clinics. That's been an important way for me to give back. I've had experiences that very few people get, particularly people of color. Part of my legacy is to translate that experience and use it to create awareness here on Earth. That means sharing my story and also helping create opportunities for other people to follow in my footsteps. I founded The Harris Foundation to focus on that legacy. Our work is structured around three pillars of success: education, health, and wealth. Health is important to me, as a physician, and I want everyone to have access to quality healthcare. In order to participate equally in the American dream, we need to build wealth, not only individually but generationally. My family was poor when I was a child, but today I have built a great deal of wealth. I hope to help others do the same. Doing so starts with education. My father only had an 11th-grade education, but my mother's college degree gave her power. It changed not only her life, but mine. I may not have been so successful if she hadn't had her education. I've seen how education can change the trajectory of a person and their descendants. Read the original article on Business Insider
