The Polaris Dawn crew, comprising billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and three other members, is on a historic mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, aiming to reach a height of 870 miles above Earth’s surface – higher than any human has traveled since the Apollo lunar program. The crew will spend five days testing space technology critical for future deep space exploration, including the possibility of conducting the first-ever private citizen spacewalk. The crew will also test a new laser-based satellite communication system, amongst other experiments.
The crew includes experienced aviator Jared Isaacman as the mission commander, pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon, who is also the medical officer. The crew hopes to become the first employees at SpaceX to be part of a human spaceflight crew.
The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three human spaceflights planned under the Polaris Program to test and refine SpaceX technologies required for future missions deeper into the cosmos. The second mission is set to include further advancements in human spaceflight, in-space communications, and scientific research, with details of a launch date yet to be announced. The final mission is intended to be the first human spaceflight on the SpaceX Starship rocket, part of NASA’s Artemis program to ferry astronauts from lunar orbit to the moon’s surface.
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