Polaris Dawn: A Historic Space Mission
SpaceX is preparing for its challenging Polaris Dawn mission, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman. This mission marks the first of three planned flights under the Polaris program, following Isaacman's previous Inspiration4 mission. The crew includes Isaacman as commander, Air Force veteran Scott Poteet as pilot, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis in medical and mission specialist roles.
The crew will travel aboard the Crew Dragon 'Resilience' to an altitude of 1,400 km, the farthest any human has been since the Apollo missions. The five-day mission will feature 40 experiments and the first commercial spacewalk, where crew members will briefly exit the spacecraft while wearing specially designed suits.
Polaris Dawn will also navigate through high-radiation areas, exposing the crew to significant radiation levels. Future Polaris missions may involve more ambitious activities, including a full spacewalk and a crewed flight aboard SpaceX's Starship.