SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon capsule will take four astronauts to the International Space Station for six months before returning them to Earth.
"It's historic because even things like the certification of the space flight had to be done by the FAA this time instead of NASA because it's commercial," NASA Astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson told Cheddar on Thursday.
The launch, made possible through a private-public partnership, is scheduled for 7:49 p.m. ET on Saturday from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch will be simulcast on Discovery and the Science Channel where Whitson and other astronauts will help viewers understand the space flight experience better as they watch the Falcon 9 rocket pierce through the atmosphere.
"I think the folks will find it interesting," Whitson said. "When you go from zero to 17,500 miles-an-hour in nine minutes, it's a pretty good ride."
Whitson says getting the private sector involved in space travel and advancement could help with the development of new technologies and medicines. She even thinks a lunar space station could be in the cards in the future.
"It has the potential to open up commercial markets in space," Whitson said. "I've done enough research onboard the space station that I really feel it's going to be an important tool for us to advance technologies here on the ground as well."
The retired astronaut holds the records for most time spent in space by any American (665 days), as well as being the first woman to command the International Space Station twice (2008 and 2013).
"You've got to challenge yourself to live outside your comfort zone. Challenge yourself to do things that are not easy," Whitson said. "You will find that you can achieve so much more than you even dreamed about."
With a rising number of COVID-19 cases due to the omicron variant, the FDA is making big moves. First, Pfizer's COVID-19 booster has been authorized for those ages 12 to 15. The agency also reduced the amount of time to wait between receiving a second vaccine dose and booster from six months to five. Finally, a third primary series dose of Pfizer's shot is approved for immunocompromised children five to 11 years old. Professor Peter Pitts joins Cheddar News to discuss.
California's new composting law will affect what residents do in their kitchens. As of this week, Californians will have to recycle excess food in an effort to reduce emissions caused by food waste. Cities and counties will turn recycled food into compost or use it as a renewable energy source. California's new law is the largest mandatory residential food waste recycling program in the country. Rachel Wagoner, Director of the California Department of Resources, Recycling and Recovery called the law 'the biggest change to trash' since recycling started in the 1980s. She joined Cheddar Climate to discuss.
Deborah Brosnan, President of Deborah Brosnan & Associates, joins Cheddar Climate, where she explains why global warming brought about 'a year of reckoning' in 2021 and why previously unprecedented weather events could become the norm going forward.
On this episode of Cheddar Reveals, Dr. Anita Gupta, Adjunct assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, shares her forecast for the healthcare industry in 2022; Waseem Asghar, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, breaks down the latest progress, trends, and innovations in wearable health tech; Cheddar gets a look at Curiosity Stream's 'Hacking our Biome.'
Dr. Anita Gupta, Adjunct assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, joins Cheddar Reveals to share her forecast for the healthcare industry in 2022.
Waseem Asghar, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Computer & Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, Florida Atlantic University, joins Cheddar Reveals to break down the latest progress, trends, and innovations in wearable health tech.
Washington DC and the surrounding areas saw a record breaking snow storm Monday as a strong storm system works its way across the eastern U.S. The extreme weather event caused extensive damage in the greater Washington area, leaving thousands in the region without power. Jonathan Porter, Chief Meteorologist, AccuWeather, joined Wake Up with Cheddar to discuss the fierce storm.
Sweta Chakraborty, U.S. President of We Don't Have Time and climate change expert, joins Cheddar News to discuss how mining the proper resources for the clean energy sector is crucial.
Over the past year alone, we've seen an increasing push-back on fossil fuels, legislation to reduce plastic pollution, greater protection over our worlds' forests, and a growing number of companies working to reduce total carbon footprint. To discuss the sustainability trends that defined 2021 and the changes individuals can make in 2022, J.D. Durkin is joined by Ashlee Piper, a sustainability expert and author of 'Give a Sh*t: Do Good. Live Better. Save the Planet,' joins Cheddar News.
