Humans are on the brink of taking their first independent steps in space, as the SpaceX-operated Polaris Dawn mission prepares to launch a four-person crew of civilian astronauts. This historic mission marks the first spacewalk ever conducted by individuals not employed by a national space agency. The launch was delayed due to a helium leak but is expected to take off later this week, led by billionaire entrepreneur and pilot Jared Isaacman.
The five-day journey aboard SpaceX’s Dragon capsule will be a landmark moment for private space exploration. Jared Isaacman will be joined by Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. The crew will first ascend to 870 miles above Earth, an altitude last visited during NASA’s lunar missions in 1972, before descending to 435 miles, where Isaacman and Gillis will perform a spacewalk in SpaceX’s advanced new spacesuits.
During the spacewalk, the astronauts will collect data on the health effects of space and test Starlink’s laser-based communications. This mission is a significant step forward in understanding human health in space and advancing private space travel capabilities.
The Polaris Dawn mission is just the beginning, with two more Polaris missions already planned. These include a project to reposition NASA’s Hubble Telescope and the first-ever crewed flight of SpaceX’s Starship spacecraft, designed for lunar and Martian exploration.
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