Next week, four private citizens are set to launch on an ambitious space mission called Polaris Dawn, funded and organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman in partnership with SpaceX. The crew includes Isaacman as commander, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel Scott Poteet as pilot, and two SpaceX engineers, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. They will conduct the first spacewalk by a commercial crew and reach an orbital altitude higher than the International Space Station.
The five-day mission will involve scientific experiments and testing of laser-based satellite communication using SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. The Crew Dragon capsule will travel to altitudes up to 870 miles, passing through the inner Van Allen radiation belt to study the effects on crew and spacecraft health. The astronauts, including the SpaceX engineers, have spent two years training for the mission.
The mission aims to inspire humanity to look beyond Earth and imagine the possibilities in space. It will also raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. Isaacman has not disclosed the cost of the mission or the plans for the subsequent Polaris flights. The spacewalk during the Polaris Dawn mission is scheduled to take place at an altitude of 435 miles above Earth, and all crew members will wear and test spacesuits designed by SpaceX for future long-duration missions. This groundbreaking mission represents a significant step forward for commercial space travel and exploration.
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