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SpaceX Launches Billionaire to Conduct the First Private Spacewalk 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon Resilience capsule, carrying the crew of the Polaris Dawn Mission, lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon Resilience capsule, carrying the crew of the Polaris Dawn Mission, lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)
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SpaceX Launches Billionaire to Conduct the First Private Spacewalk 

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon Resilience capsule, carrying the crew of the Polaris Dawn Mission, lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon Resilience capsule, carrying the crew of the Polaris Dawn Mission, lifts off from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on September 10, 2024. (AFP)

A daredevil billionaire rocketed back to space Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA's Apollo moonshots.

Unlike his previous chartered flight, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman shared the cost with SpaceX this time around, which included developing and testing brand new spacesuits to see how they'll hold up in the harsh vacuum.

If all goes as planned, it will be the first time private citizens conduct a spacewalk, but they won’t venture away from the capsule. Considered one of the most riskiest parts of spaceflight, spacewalks have been the sole realm of professional astronauts since the former Soviet Union popped open the hatch in 1965, closely followed by the US. Today, they are routinely done at the International Space Station.

Isaacman, along with a pair of SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbirds pilot, launched before dawn aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. The spacewalk is scheduled for late Wednesday or Thursday, midway through the five-day flight.

But first the passengers are shooting for way beyond the International Space Station — an altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), which would surpass the Earth-lapping record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. Only the 24 Apollo astronauts who flew to the moon have ventured farther.

The plan is to spend 10 hours at that height — filled with extreme radiation and riddled with debris — before reducing the oval-shaped orbit by half. Even at this lower 435 miles (700 kilometers), the orbit would eclipse the space station and even the Hubble Space Telescope, the highest shuttle astronauts flew.

All four wore SpaceX’s spacewalking suits because the entire Dragon capsule will be depressurized for the two-hour spacewalk, exposing everyone to the dangerous environment.

Isaacman and SpaceX's Sarah Gillis will take turns briefly popping out of the hatch. They’ll test their white and black-trimmed custom suits by twisting their bodies. Both will always have a hand or foot touching the capsule or attached support structure that resembles the top of a pool ladder. There will be no dangling at the end of their 12-foot (3.6-meter) tethers and no jetpack showboating. Only NASA’s suits at the space station come equipped with jetpacks, for emergency use only.

Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX’s Anna Menon will monitor the spacewalk from inside. Like SpaceX’s previous astronaut flights, this one will end with a splashdown off the Florida coast.

At a preflight news conference, Isaacman — CEO and founder of the credit card processing company Shift4 — refused to say how much he invested in the flight. “Not a chance,” he said.

SpaceX teamed up with Isaacman to pay for spacesuit development and associated costs, said William Gerstenmaier, a SpaceX vice president who once headed space mission operations for NASA.

“We’re really starting to push the frontiers with the private sector,” Gerstenmaier said.

It’s the first of three trips that Isaacman bought from Elon Musk 2 1/2 years ago, soon after returning from his first private SpaceX spaceflight in 2021. Isaacman bankrolled that tourist ride for an undisclosed sum, taking along contest winners and a childhood cancer survivor. The trip raised hundreds of millions for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Spacesuit development took longer than anticipated, delaying this first so-called Polaris Dawn flight until now. Training was extensive; Poteet said it rivaled anything he experienced during his Air Force flying career.

As SpaceX astronaut trainers, Gillis and Menon helped Isaacman and his previous team — as well as NASA’s professional crews — prepare for their rides.

“I wasn’t alive when humans walked on the moon. I’d certainly like my kids to see humans walking on the moon and Mars, and venturing out and exploring our solar system,” the 41-year-old Isaacman said before liftoff.

Poor weather caused a two-week delay. The crew needed favorable forecasts not only for launch, but for splashdown days later. With limited supplies and no ability to reach the space station, they had no choice but to wait for conditions to improve.

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Varieties

Inside ‘7 Dogs,’ the Biggest Arab Film Production

Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz behind the scenes during filming (production company)
Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz behind the scenes during filming (production company)
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Inside ‘7 Dogs,’ the Biggest Arab Film Production

Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz behind the scenes during filming (production company)
Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz behind the scenes during filming (production company)

The makers of “7 Dogs” set out to do more than produce an action film to international standards. Their aim was to deliver a visual spectacle shaped by Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, built on a strategic vision for a transcontinental thriller with Hollywood-level technical standards, while preserving a Middle Eastern identity and cultural voice.

The film, which opened in Cairo on Friday evening in the presence of its makers, was written by Egyptian screenwriter Mohamed el-Dabbah, who was tasked with turning the Entertainment Authority’s ambitious vision into a fully developed screenplay.

El-Dabbah did not write a conventional chase story. He built a fast-paced, dramatic structure driven by escalating events and centered on the infiltration of an international criminal network, requiring a coherent narrative that could sustain the film’s heavy visual and action momentum.

The decisive moment that moved the project from concept to production came during the 2024 global tour for “Bad Boys: Ride or Die.”

During that period, Belgian-Moroccan directors Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah visited Riyadh and held a lengthy meeting with adviser Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority. Their talks focused on the major advances in Saudi Arabia’s film infrastructure.

The meeting reviewed Riyadh’s growing logistical capabilities and its ability to attract major global productions. Alalshikh then presented the idea for the film, drawing an immediate and enthusiastic response from the directing duo, who saw it as a chance to apply their experience in American cinema to a new production environment.

Riding the momentum of their film’s record commercial success at the Saudi and global box office, the directors became convinced that regional audiences were eager for action films made with a global sensibility.

A large-scale production partnership was formed to provide the financial and technical resources needed to carry out the project without restrictions or creative compromise.

To give the film its international scope, producer Ivan Atkinson was brought in as the project’s logistical maestro. His first task was to build a creative front by recruiting department heads with extensive experience in big-budget filmmaking, ensuring that every technical detail met contemporary Hollywood standards.

Among them was renowned production designer Paul Kirby, known for creating complex architectural spaces and adapting them to serve the drama.

Atkinson also brought in the global stunt and fight design team 87eleven, the celebrated group behind the combat identity of the “John Wick” franchise, giving the film a decisive edge in its action sequences.

The directors approached the script through rhythm. They wanted a visual experience with the pace and dynamism of modern video games. That choice pushed the editing and cinematography teams toward extremely fast movement, with a highly flexible camera designed to keep viewers alert as they follow the layers of the international conspiracy.

According to the film’s crew, preparatory workshops began in Riyadh months before filming.

The screenplay went through detailed technical reviews by el-Dabbah, the directors and the fight team to balance the characters’ human drama with the film’s action. The aim was to ensure the chases and explosions served the dramatic line rather than felt forced into the story.

Adil and Bilall’s artistic vision centered on breaking the stereotype of Middle Eastern action films that rely on easy visual solutions. They insisted on shooting the dangerous scenes with rough realism, which required the cast to undergo long, demanding physical training so they could perform complex fight movements themselves under the supervision of Hollywood stunt experts.

Sela Studios helped clear the logistical hurdles by providing advanced filming, lighting and lens equipment, including tools that had not previously been used in the region.

That production support allowed cinematographer Robrecht Heyvaert to create a visual identity that blends the warm colors of the East with the cooler, contemporary palette of modern global action cinema, according to sources from the production company.

The chemistry between El Arbi and Fallah important. The two worked in close coordination, with one focusing on the actors and dramatic performance while the other concentrated on visual design, camera movement and special effects.

The arrangement helped maintain a fast and efficient production flow on crowded, detail-heavy sets.

Early preparations required complex schedules to manage the movement of international stars and coordinate their filming dates in Riyadh. The logistics team created a flexible system that accommodated the project's evolving demands, allowing principal photography to begin on schedule amid enthusiasm and strict professional discipline from all parties involved.

The General Entertainment Authority placed government and security facilities at the filmmakers’ disposal, allowing them to close key areas and film complex car chases on open streets. That regulatory flexibility demonstrated that Riyadh can offer not only closed studios but also entire urban spaces ready to serve as stages for large-scale action scenes.

In the film, 7 Dogs is not presented as a conventional gang. It is written as a complex cross-border intelligence and criminal entity, an octopus-like network of businessmen and influential figures running globalized organized crime from distant locations. That makes it an invisible threat that cannot easily be tracked by traditional security methods.

The main dramatic trigger is the organization’s creation of a highly dangerous synthetic drug called Pink Lady. The lethal compound is not just a product for sale. It drives the plot, turning the conflict from a local criminal case into a major security threat that mobilizes international security agencies and INTERPOL.

To confront the network, Egyptian INTERPOL officer Khaled Al Azazi, played by Ahmed Ezz, launches a wide-ranging intelligence operation to infiltrate the organization from within.

His investigation leads him to a fragile lead, a professional transcontinental criminal named Ghali Abu Dawood, played by Karim Abdel Aziz. Ghali has close ties to The Seven Dogs’ pillars, making him the only one who can bring down the destructive network.

The disciplined officer and the elusive criminal are forced into an uneasy alliance. The stark contrast between a man who represents the law and another who embodies pragmatism and life outside it creates a tense dynamic marked by suspicion, shifting loyalties and deep psychological conflict throughout the journey.

Alongside Karim Abdel Aziz and Ahmed Ezz, the cast includes international names such as Monica Bellucci, Giancarlo Esposito, Bollywood star Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, Max Huang, Tara Emad, Nasser Algassabi, and Sayed Ragab. The geographic and cultural diversity of the cast reflects the organization’s reach across continents.

Bellucci plays Julia, the luxurious and dark European face of the organization. The character combines extreme elegance with absolute cruelty, creating a striking visual contrast with the Eastern characters.

The participation of Salman Khan as Johar and Sanjay Dutt as Ranjit adds strong visual and action energy to the film’s Asian track. Their screen presence is used in large-scale action scenes marked by violent combat, turning the Mumbai segment into an action climax tied to the broader dramatic arc.

Saudi actor Nasser Algassabi brings a local flavor and Gulf depth to the film’s web of international relationships.

His character serves as the logistical link in the region. Egyptian actress Tara Emad plays a young intelligence operative working in the shadows to support Khaled, alongside Jessica, played by Lebanese actress Sandy Bella, a member of the INTERPOL team.

Varieties

China Set for Latest Space Launch, with Hong Kong Astronaut Aboard

Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-23 space mission Lai Ka-ying (L), Zhu Yangzhu (C) and Zhang Zhiyuan (R) wave during a press conference before the launch of the mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert in Jiuquan, in northwestern China's Gansu province on May 23, 2026. (Photo by CNS / AFP) / China OUT
Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-23 space mission Lai Ka-ying (L), Zhu Yangzhu (C) and Zhang Zhiyuan (R) wave during a press conference before the launch of the mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert in Jiuquan, in northwestern China's Gansu province on May 23, 2026. (Photo by CNS / AFP) / China OUT
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China Set for Latest Space Launch, with Hong Kong Astronaut Aboard

Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-23 space mission Lai Ka-ying (L), Zhu Yangzhu (C) and Zhang Zhiyuan (R) wave during a press conference before the launch of the mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert in Jiuquan, in northwestern China's Gansu province on May 23, 2026. (Photo by CNS / AFP) / China OUT
Astronauts for China's Shenzhou-23 space mission Lai Ka-ying (L), Zhu Yangzhu (C) and Zhang Zhiyuan (R) wave during a press conference before the launch of the mission at the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in the Gobi desert in Jiuquan, in northwestern China's Gansu province on May 23, 2026. (Photo by CNS / AFP) / China OUT

A Hong Kong astronaut will join a Chinese space mission for the first time as part of a three-person crew launching on Sunday, as Beijing edges closer to its goal of landing people on the Moon.

The Tiangong space station -- crewed by teams of three astronauts that are typically rotated every six months -- is the crown jewel of China's space program, boosted by billions in state investment in a bid to catch up with the United States and Russia.

The Shenzhou-23 mission will blast off at 11:08 pm (1508 GMT) on Sunday from the Jiuquan Satellite Launch Center in northwestern China, carrying three astronauts to the space station, China Manned Space Agency (CMSA) spokesman Zhang Jingbo told reporters on Saturday.

The team comprises Lai Ka-ying, hailed by state media as Hong Kong's first astronaut, Zhu Yangzhu and Zhang Zhiyuan, AFP quoted the spokesman as saying.

Hong Kong's Chief Executive John Lee congratulated Lai on passing "the rigorous selection and training process.”

Flight engineer Zhu, who participated in the Shenzhou-16 mission in 2023, will be the commander.

"This is a ... test of our physical and psychological endurance, emergency response capabilities, coordination and teamwork, as well as our ability to work and live in orbit," Zhu told reporters.

"As mission commander, what I have thought about most is how to make thorough preparations in every aspect and how to lead the team in successfully completing the flight mission with zero mistakes and zero errors."

The mission's primary objectives are to "continue carrying out space science and application work, conduct astronauts' extravehicular activities and cargo transfer in and out of the cabin", the CMSA's Zhang told reporters.

One of the astronauts will remain on the station for a year, he added, without specifying who.
"Arranging for an astronaut to carry out a one-year in-orbit residency experiment is by no means a simple matter of adding together two six-month missions in terms of duration," Zhang said.

The one-year space residency, Zhang said, will collect data on astronauts on longer-duration spaceflights and test health support capabilities.

China is "steadily" building operational experience for "sustained occupation" of its Tiangong space station, and year-long missions are an important step towards future lunar and potentially deep-space ambitions, said Macquarie University's Richard de Grijs.

"A year in orbit pushes both hardware and humans into a different operational regime compared with the shorter Shenzhou missions of the program's earlier phases," the professor of physics and astronomy told AFP.

Beijing's space program, the third to put humans in orbit, has also landed robotic rovers on Mars and the Moon.

China has ramped up plans to achieve its "space dream" under President Xi Jinping.

Beijing says it aims to send a crewed mission to the Moon by 2030, with the goal of constructing a base on the lunar surface.

The CMSA said on Saturday it would "make every possible effort and strive tirelessly" to achieve that goal.

Varieties

AI Will Help Make a Nobel Prize-Winning Discovery Within a Year

A robot holding a medicine box at the simulated pharmacy of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (EPA)
A robot holding a medicine box at the simulated pharmacy of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (EPA)
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AI Will Help Make a Nobel Prize-Winning Discovery Within a Year

A robot holding a medicine box at the simulated pharmacy of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (EPA)
A robot holding a medicine box at the simulated pharmacy of the Beijing Humanoid Robot Innovation Center (EPA)

An AI system will work with humans to make a Nobel prize-winning discovery within 12 months and tradespeople will be helped by bipedal robots in two years, according to the co-founder of Anthropic.

Jack Clark described a “vertiginous sense of progress” in the technology and made a series of predictions, including that companies run solely by AIs would be generating millions of dollars in revenue within 18 months, and that by the end of 2028, AI systems would be able to design their own successors, according to The Guardian.

In a lecture at Oxford University on Wednesday, he also said there remained plausible scenarios in which the technology had “a non-zero chance of killing everyone on the planet” and that it was “important to clearly state that that risk hasn’t gone away.”

Anthropic’s most popular model is called Claude, but it recently launched a version called Mythos that proved alarmingly capable at exploiting cybersecurity weaknesses.

Clark told students it would be better if humans could slow the development of the technology “to give ourselves more time as a species” to deal with the implications of its powers.

But he said this wouldn’t happen, in the breakneck development “by a variety of actors and a variety of countries, locked in a competition with one another, where commercial and geopolitical rivalries are often drowning out the larger existential-to-the-species aspects of the technology being built.” This was “not ideal,” he said.

Clark is one of the most senior figures at Anthropic, which was established by AI researchers who quit the rival firm OpenAI over disagreements on safety.

The $900 billion company has been accused by Donald Trump’s White House and other AI accelerationists of “fear-mongering” to encourage regulation that could cement its competitive position.

Anthropic disputes this, and Clark said many people appeared to be in denial about AI’s progress.

He said he wanted to encourage humanity to prepare for a technology that would “soon be more capable than all of us collectively.”

Comparing the failure to prepare for AI to the failure to prepare for pandemics such as COVID, he said: “If we stand by and let synthetic intelligence multiply, then we’ll eventually be forced into reactivity.”

Critics of the frontier AI companies such as Anthropic, OpenAI and Google fear over-reliance on their few AI models – which have been backed by huge amounts of profit-seeking capital – could create a “single point of failure” in global systems.