Leaders of NASA sit in an awkward position. While they are the head of a widely recognized organization, they’re often not the most famous individual in the agency. More people probably know the names of Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, the astronauts currently “stranded” on the International Space Station, than Bill Nelson, the current NASA administrator. Astronauts might be the people most closely associated with NASA, but administrators are arguably more integral to getting programs off the ground. As a space policy expert, I’ve seen the impact that individual NASA leaders can have on NASA’s success. They play a vital…
Author: Wendy Whitman Cobb, Professor of Strategy and Security Studies, Air University
SpaceX’s upcoming Polaris Dawn mission aims to be historic in more ways than one. Polaris Dawn plans to not only orbit Earth higher than any astronauts have in more than 50 years but to also feature the first private spacewalk. The mission was originally scheduled to launch August 27, but has encountered delays – first for a helium leak and then for bad weather. SpaceX officials have said they’re monitoring the weather to reschedule the launch. It will feature a crew of four: the mission’s commander, Jared Isaacman; Scott Poteet, a 20-year Air Force veteran pilot; and SpaceX employees Anna…
SpaceX’s upcoming Polaris Dawn mission aims to be historic in more ways than one. Polaris Dawn plans to not only orbit Earth higher than any astronauts have in more than 50 years but to also feature the first private spacewalk. It’s expected to launch Aug. 27, 2024, and feature a crew of four: the mission’s commander, Jared Isaacman; Scott Poteet, a 20-year Air Force veteran pilot; and SpaceX employees Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Launching on a Falcon 9 rocket, they will travel in a SpaceX Dragon capsule named Resilience. The crew members of Polaris Dawn in Boca Chica, Texas.…