- Markets struggle at end of tough week
- China tests building Moon base with lunar soil bricks
- Film's 'search for Palestine' takes centre stage at Cairo festival
- Oil execs work COP29 as NGOs slam lobbyist presence
- Gore says climate progress 'won't slow much' because of Trump
- 'Megaquake' warning hits Japan's growth
- Stiff business: Berlin startup will freeze your corpse for monthly fee
- Wars, looming Trump reign set to dominate G20 summit
- Xi, Biden attend Asia-Pacific summit, prepare to meet
- Kyrgios to make competitive return at Brisbane next month after injuries
- Dominican Juan Luis Guerra triumphs at 25th annual Latin Grammys
- Landslide win for Sri Lanka president's leftist coalition in snap polls
- Australian World Cup penalty hero Vine takes mental health break
- As Philippines picks up from Usagi, a fresh storm bears down
- Tropical Storm Sara pounds Honduras with heavy rain
- Pepi gives Pochettino win for USA in Jamaica
- 'Hell to heaven' as China reignite World Cup hopes with late winner
- Rebel attacks keep Indian-run Kashmir on the boil
- New Zealand challenge 'immense but fantastic' for France
- Under pressure England boss Borthwick in Springboks' spotlight
- All Blacks plan to nullify 'freakish' Dupont, says Lienert-Brown
- TikTok makes AI driven ad tool available globally
- Japan growth slows as new PM readies stimulus
- China retail sales pick up speed, beat forecasts in October
- Asian markets fluctuate at end of tough week
- Gay, trans people voicing -- and sometimes screaming -- Trump concerns
- Argentina fall in Paraguay, Brazil held in Venezuela
- N. Korean leader orders 'mass production' of attack drones
- Pakistan's policies hazy as it fights smog
- Nature pays price for war in Israel's north
- New Zealand's prolific Williamson back for England Test series
- Mexico City youth grapple with growing housing crisis
- After Trump's victory, US election falsehoods shift left
- Cracks deepen in Canada's pro-immigration 'consensus'
- Xi inaugurates South America's first Chinese-funded port in Peru
- Tyson slaps Paul in final face-off before Netflix bout
- England wrap-up T20 series win over West Indies
- Stewards intervene to stop Israel, France football fans clash at Paris match
- Special counsel hits pause on Trump documents case
- Japan's Princess Mikasa, great aunt to emperor, dies aged 101
- Cricket at 2028 Olympics could be held outside Los Angeles
- Trump names vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. to head health dept
- Ye claims 'Jews' controlling Kardashian clan: lawsuit
- Japan into BJK Cup quarter-finals as Slovakia stun USA
- Sri Lanka president's party headed for landslide: early results
- Olympics 'above politics' say LA 2028 organisers after Trump win
- Panic strikes Port-au-Prince as residents flee gang violence
- Carsley hails England's strength in depth as understudies sink Greece
- Undefeated Chiefs lose kicker Butker to knee injury
- Wallabies winger Vunivalu signs for La Rochelle
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SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission set to launch early Friday
The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, a multiday orbital expedition set to feature the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens, is now scheduled to launch on Friday, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
An operations plan released by the agency indicates a four-hour launch window opening at 3:33 am (0733 GMT) on Friday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, with backup opportunities on Saturday and Sunday. Elon Musk's company has not yet commented on the new launch window.
Organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission aims to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) -- the highest for any crewed mission in over half a century, since NASA's Apollo program.
The highlight of the mission is set to be the first spacewalk by a four-member crew composed entirely of non-professional astronauts, who will be wearing sleek, newly developed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits.
The launch was delayed twice last week, initially due to a technical issue with the launch tower and subsequently because of weather constraints affecting the splashdown phase.
Complicating matters further, a separate SpaceX Falcon 9 mission lost its first stage booster, which typically performs a precision upright landing on a drone ship.
This incident led to a temporary grounding, since lifted, of the prolific launch vehicle heavily relied upon by NASA and private companies for deploying astronauts and satellites into orbit.
T.Perez--AT