First private spacewalk marks milestone for space travel

Hello. Above Earth this morning, a privately funded crew completed a historic spacewalk. Georgina Rannard has the details. In the United States, John Sudworth speaks to undecided voters about the Trump-Harris debate. From Afghanistan, Yogita Limaye reports on how women's lives are being affected by increasingly strict laws. And finally, we head over to Brazil, where officials are celebrating the return of a sacred cloak created by an indigenous tribe.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Inside the first private spacewalk

The suits the crew wore were untested in space, making the trip experimental in several ways. Credit: SpaceX

A non-professional crew has completed the first commercially funded space walk. Billionaire Jared Isaacman, who sponsored the mission, was joined by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis in stepping out of the Dragon capsule to float 435 miles (700km) above the blue Earth below.

What made this trip historic?

Spacewalks are one of the most difficult manouevres in space, so the fact that a private company has pulled it off is a milestone in the history of space travel. This walk was higher than any previous walk, and used innovative technology in the new extravehicular activity (EVA) astronaut suits.

How do they work?

The EVA suit incorporates a heads-up display in its helmet, which provides information about the suit while it is being used. Sarah Gillis read out data from her heads-up display during her time outside the Dragon capsule. SpaceX say the suits are comfortable and flexible enough to be worn during launch and landing.

What were the risks?

Mr Isaacman was the only member of the four-person crew on the Polaris mission to have previously been to space. The Dragon capsule the team have flown in launched to space 46 times before, taking 50 crew in total. The capsule and the spacesuits the astronauts wore are not subject to regulation and were untested in this environment.

Watch: Here are some key moments from first non-professional spacewalk.

THE BIG PICTURE

Women's voices lost under Taliban law

Women get fewer and fewer chances to meet and girls cannot attend school. Credit: BBC

In Afghanistan, a new law has decreed that if a woman is outside her home, her voice must not be heard. Yogita Limaye speaks to women and girls who say it's another blow as their freedoms have been crushed by a relentless series of decrees.

And finally... in Brazil

Denmark has handed over an iconic cloak belonging to an indigenous group in Brazil, with a ceremony marking its return held in Rio de Janeiro today. Considered sacred by the indigenous Tupinambá people, the 1.8m-long cloak is made of 4,000 red feathers from the scarlet ibis bird. Take a look.