SpaceX is set to embark on a groundbreaking mission with the Polaris Dawn launch, scheduled for 3:38 am ET on Tuesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission marks a historic milestone as it will attempt the first-ever private spacewalk, utilizing new spacesuits and a redesigned spacecraft.
The Polaris Dawn crew consists of four astronauts: billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, retired military fighter pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Isaacman, who is funding the mission, is also the founder of the electronic payment company Shift4. The team will journey aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule, marking this as the spacecraft’s fifth private mission and its most ambitious to date.
The launch had been initially planned for last month but was delayed due to a small helium leak in the ground equipment at SpaceX’s launchpad. With the Falcon 9 rocket now cleared for flight, the mission is rescheduled, though weather conditions present a challenge, with only a 40% chance of favorable conditions according to US Space Force’s weather modeling. Additional launch windows are available at 5:23 am and 7:09 am.
Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX, highlighted the mission’s significance on his social media platform, X, emphasizing that it carries more risk than usual. “Crew safety is absolutely paramount, and this mission carries more risk than usual, as it will be the furthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo and the first commercial spacewalk!” Musk stated.
The Polaris Dawn mission is planned to last about five days and will follow an elliptical orbit that brings the spacecraft as close as 190 kilometers to Earth and as far as 1,400 kilometers—further than any human has traveled since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. The spacewalk, slated for the mission’s third day, will occur at an altitude of 700 kilometers and last approximately 20 minutes. During this spacewalk, the Crew Dragon capsule will be depressurized, as it lacks an airlock, with astronauts relying on their SpaceX-built spacesuits for oxygen.
Isaacman and Gillis will exit the spacecraft while tethered by an oxygen line, with Poteet and Menon remaining inside the capsule. The mission aims to test an array of scientific experiments, including how cosmic radiation and the vacuum of space impact the human body. These experiments will contribute valuable data to the ongoing research on astronaut health and performance.
The Polaris Dawn mission is not only a significant leap for private space exploration but also a crucial step in advancing human understanding of space environments. The mission reflects the growing role of private enterprises in space travel and exploration, with SpaceX leading the charge in making these extraordinary endeavors more accessible and frequent.
As the launch window approaches, all eyes will be on SpaceX as it seeks to make history with its innovative mission and continue its role as a pioneer in the commercial space industry.
