A trailblazing crew named Polaris Dawn, led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, is set to embark on a historic mission, becoming the first civilians to conduct a spacewalk and venturing to altitudes higher than any human has traveled since the Apollo lunar program ended in the 1970s. The crew will spend five days in Earth’s orbit, testing space technology for SpaceX that could be vital for future deep space exploration. This mission, aimed at raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, includes conducting scientific experiments and testing a new laser-based satellite communication system using Starlink. The crew will splash down into the ocean on day six.
The Polaris Dawn launch is scheduled for Wednesday morning, with the crew lifting off on a Falcon 9 rocket aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. The crew includes pilot Scott Poteet, mission specialist Sarah Gillis, and mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon. The crew will have to navigate through the dangerous Van Allen radiation belts, which pose a hazard to future space voyages. The mission is part of the Polaris Program, which aims to test SpaceX technologies for future human spaceflights, including potential missions to the moon and Mars.
Isaacman, an experienced aviator, adventurer, and space enthusiast, previously led the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the first all-civilian spaceflight mission. The Polaris Program has two more planned missions, with the final mission intended to be the first human spaceflight on the SpaceX Starship rocket. This mission will ferry NASA astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface as part of the Artemis program.
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