In a groundbreaking achievement, SpaceX launched four private astronauts into space on Tuesday, marking the first-ever private spacewalk. The mission, named Polaris Dawn, aims to test new spacesuit designs and push the boundaries of private space exploration.
The diverse crew includes Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur and founder of Shift4 Payments; Scott Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel; and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Liftoff occurred at 5:23 a.m. Eastern Time from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida aboard a modified Crew Dragon capsule.
Approximately nine and a half minutes after launch, the capsule reached orbit, and the crew began experiencing zero gravity, sharing a playful moment with a plush astronaut toy dog. SpaceX Launch Director Frank Messina encouraged the team, emphasizing their courage and teamwork.
The mission's Falcon 9 booster successfully landed on a seaborne platform, showcasing SpaceX's reliable rocket technology. Polaris Dawn is set to orbit Earth in an oval-shaped path, ranging from 190 to 1,400 kilometers above the surface—the farthest humans have ventured since the Apollo moon missions.
Originally scheduled last month, the launch faced delays due to a helium leak and regulatory issues, but SpaceX overcame these challenges to achieve a successful departure despite unfavorable weather conditions.
On the third day of the mission, the crew will conduct the spacewalk at an altitude of 700 kilometers, lasting about 20 minutes. Without an airlock, the Crew Dragon will depressurize, and the astronauts will rely on SpaceX-designed spacesuits for oxygen.
Polaris Dawn is the first mission in Jared Isaacman's Polaris program, which includes future Crew Dragon flights and a forthcoming journey on SpaceX's Starship, the company's ambitious rocket designed for moon and Mars missions.
The mission not only represents a significant milestone in private space travel but also serves as a platform for scientific experiments. Researchers aim to understand the effects of cosmic radiation and the vacuum of space on the human body, building on decades of studies conducted on the International Space Station.
Since the retirement of NASA's Space Shuttle in 2011, SpaceX has been a crucial partner, providing Crew Dragon missions to transport astronauts to and from the ISS. This mission underscores SpaceX's pivotal role in the future of space exploration.
Reference(s):
SpaceX launches all-civilian crew for first private spacewalk
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