Polaris Dawn mission will send crew on a wild, risky ride

When astronauts conduct spacewalks outside of the International Space Station, the view can be mesmerizing. The Polaris Dawn mission is set to attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk. The mission will involve four civilians who will spend five days aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, orbiting the Earth at a record-setting height. The crew members will encounter the Van Allen radiation belts but will conduct a spacewalk at a lower altitude wearing new spacesuits developed by SpaceX. In other news, orb-weaving spiders in central China have been observed using male fireflies’ light pulses to capture more prey. Additionally, a study has uncovered a family secret in the unmarked graves of the British settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. The study suggests that the secret may have motivated one of the deceased to join the colony.