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USA TODAY
Spacewalking into history
By Laura L. Davis, USA TODAY,
14 days ago
The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission pulled off the first-ever all-civilian spacewalk. Thousands of people are without power after Hurricane Francine pushed ashore in Louisiana. And a wildfire in California exploded in size.
👋 Hey, Thursday! It’s your old pal Laura Davis here, with a bundle of news to get you caught up on the day.
For the first time, a crew of private spacefarers have pulled off a daring orbital maneuver that – until now – had been left up to only government astronauts.
Walking in space: In the predawn hours Thursday, the Polaris Dawn crew suited up in specially designed SpaceX gear to prepare for the vacuum of space 435 miles above Earth. When billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and SpaceX employee Sarah Gillis exited their capsule, they became the first commercial astronauts to do so.
What to know: The pioneering private spacewalk came on the third day of the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, which Isaacman is commanding and funding along with SpaceX in a venture intended to test technology that could one day make SpaceX founder Elon Musk's vision of crewed trips to Mars a reality. 🚀 How the mission unfolded.
Powerful Hurricane Francine muscled its way inland Thursday; its winds ratcheted down to tropical depression status, but still a dangerous storm pounding heavy rain across Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida panhandle.
Landfall in Louisiana: Over 400,000 homes and businesses were without power earlier Thursday, hours after the center of the storm crashed onto shore in Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, as a Category 2 storm driving 100-mph winds. 👉 Read our coverage of the storm.
A raging wildfire in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties has exploded in size, forcing residents to flee in a hurry and destroying dozens of homes.
What's going on: The Bridge Fire grew over 13,000 acres, setting nearly 50,000 acres ablaze, and is 0% contained, officials said Thursday. Its rapid growth made it the largest active fire in the state, surpassing the Line Fire, which is also burning in San Bernardino and has scorched another 37,000 acres with 18% containment. 👉 See the latest updates.
Aliens, flaming crossbows and pythons?
For the MTV Video Music Awards, this is 40. Sabrina Carpenter, Chappell Roan, Lenny Kravitz and more stars rocked the UBS Arena on Long Island during Wednesday's 40th VMAs, a lively concert where awards were occasionally handed out. Megan Thee Stallion nailed her double duties as host and performer for the ceremony, which used a sprawling stage and had a 62-foot-tall Moon Person towering over the audience, its helmet doubling as a screen. ✨ The night's biggest moments.
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