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The Polaris Dawn mission will set a new benchmark for human space exploration by surpassing the Apollo era’s distance records.
SpaceX is on the brink of history as it prepares to launch a groundbreaking mission that will attempt the first-ever private spacewalk.
The Polaris Dawn mission is scheduled to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday at 3:38 AM local time (8:38 AM BST), with backup launch windows available later that day.
SpaceX announced that the Polaris Dawn mission is intended to pave the way for future space endeavours by sending astronauts farther from Earth than any human has been in more than 50 years.
According to SpaceX, the Polaris Dawn mission will aim to achieve the highest Earth orbit ever flown since the Apollo missions during their multi-day journey.
SpaceX announced that two of its employees will be part of the Polaris Dawn mission, offering valuable insights for future missions that seek to make human life multi-planetary.
The Polaris Dawn mission will be led by US billionaire Jared Isaacman, who personally funds the endeavour. Isaacman has prior spaceflight experience, having participated in a three-day Earth orbit mission in 2021 that he also financed. The mission included four people with no previous spaceflight experience.
The Polaris Dawn mission will be a historic undertaking. The crew of private citizens will attempt to become the first non-government astronauts to perform a spacewalk, venturing into the void of space.
“We’re more than willing to take an extra day to ensure everything is ready,” Mr. Isaacman wrote on X following SpaceX’s announcement of the new Polaris Dawn launch date.
Neither SpaceX nor Jared Isaacman, the founder of Shift4 Payments, have disclosed the financial cost of the Polaris Dawn mission. The Independent has contacted SpaceX for a statement.
In addition to the billionaire’s personal goal of conducting a spacewalk, the Polaris Dawn mission will also test SpaceX’s newly designed Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) suits, which are capable of taking humans farther into space than ever before.
The EVA suits will be exposed to the inner band of Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. The Polaris Dawn craft’s orbit reaches an altitude of 1,400 kilometres (870 miles).
The spacewalk is planned for the third day of the mission. During it, Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis will exit the spacecraft while connected to an umbilical cord.
The crew will conduct 36 research studies and experiments throughout the five-day mission, including testing the Starlink communications system in space and exploring ways to improve human health on Earth and during extended space missions.
The launch will be live-streamed on SpaceX’s official X page Tuesday morning.
As Polaris Dawn blasts off, it carries the dreams and aspirations of countless individuals who look to the stars for inspiration and hope. This mission is a testament to the human spirit’s indomitable drive to explore the unknown and reach the heavens.
