A groundbreaking space mission known as Polaris Dawn is set to take off next week with four private citizens on board. The mission is expected to feature the first ever spacewalk conducted entirely by a civilian crew.
The commander of the mission is billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who is also the founder and CEO of Shift4, a payment processing company. Polaris Dawn is the first of three spaceflights funded and organized by Isaacman in collaboration with SpaceX, collectively known as the Polaris Program. This will be the first private SpaceX mission to reach orbit in 2021.
The crew of three includes pilot Scott Kidd-Poteet, a retired Air Force Lt. Col., and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. They will be venturing into space aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket for a planned five-day mission.
One of the highlights of the mission will be a spacewalk on the third day, where two crew members will exit the capsule via cables and spend up to 20 minutes in space. This is a historic moment as until now, spacewalks have been carried out exclusively by astronauts from government space agencies.
During the spacewalk, the Crew Dragon capsule will be fully exposed to the vacuum of space at an altitude of 435 miles above Earth. To prepare for this event, all four astronauts will don SpaceX-designed spacesuits for testing and future long-duration missions.
The mission aims to inspire people to dream big and push the boundaries of human exploration beyond Earth. The crew, including Isaacman, have undergone extensive training over the past two years in preparation for this momentous journey.
In addition to conducting science experiments and testing technology during the mission, the crew will also raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, continuing Isaacman’s philanthropic efforts in space.
Details regarding the cost, objectives, and timeline of future Polaris flights have not been disclosed by Isaacman at this time.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
