SpaceX is set to launch the ambitious Polaris Dawn mission next week, featuring the first spacewalk conducted entirely by a commercial crew. The mission, scheduled to lift off Monday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, will be commanded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, who is funding the mission as part of the Polaris program.
The crew includes pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Over five days, they will reach an altitude more than three times higher than the International Space Station and conduct a spacewalk at 435 miles above Earth, a first for a private mission. The entire capsule will be exposed to space during the spacewalk, requiring all four crew members to wear and test SpaceX’s newly designed spacesuits.
The mission will also involve conducting scientific experiments and testing laser-based communication using SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. This journey will help gather valuable data on astronaut health and spacecraft performance in different radiation environments, crucial for future missions to the moon and Mars.
The Polaris Dawn mission will also raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, continuing Isaacman’s philanthropic efforts from his previous space journey. Isaacman has not disclosed the mission’s cost or the timeline for the subsequent Polaris flights.
