SpaceX to Launch Billionaire on Highest Altitude Flight in 50 Years

Entering a groundbreaking chapter of private space exploration, the Polaris Dawn mission is set to make waves this week by taking four private citizens to ultra-high orbit and conducting the first civilian spacewalk in history.

This ambitious mission, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman in partnership with SpaceX, aims to reach altitudes of up to 870 miles above Earth. This altitude would represent the highest distance any human spaceflight has achieved in over 50 years, since the Apollo program.

SpaceX confirmed that the Falcon 9 rocket designated to launch the Polaris Dawn crew could lift off as early as Tuesday at 3:38 a.m. ET, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

Isaacman, who is also the CEO of Shift4, will be accompanied on this journey by former Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, alongside SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.

The Polaris Dawn mission is designed to last five days under typical conditions. During this time, two crew members are expected to participate in the first-ever commercial spacewalk at an altitude of 435 miles above Earth.

In a press event last week, Isaacman provided insights into this bold mission, noting that the entire crew will experience the vacuum of space due to the absence of an airlock on the SpaceX Dragon capsule.

This spacewalk will also serve as an important test of SpaceX’s new Extravehicular Activity spacesuits, representing an upgrade from their current designs.

The newly designed spacesuits come equipped with a heads-up display, a helmet-mounted camera, and enhanced joint mobility. They also provide thermal protection, solar shielding, and a suspension system, enabling astronauts to perform tasks as if they were in weightlessness.

The Dragon spacecraft has undergone major enhancements, including improvements to its life support systems, which now offer more oxygen during spacewalks. These upgrades also enhance environmental sensing capabilities and incorporate a new nitrogen repressurization system.

The Polaris Dawn mission marks Isaacman’s second venture into space. His first mission took place in 2021, which was funded by him and billed as a fundraiser for childhood cancer research, raising an impressive $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. This mission also marked the first all-civilian crew to orbit the earth.

Looking beyond the Polaris Dawn mission, Isaacman is optimistic about the future of commercial space travel, noting that SpaceX vehicles could revolutionize the industry. He compared the potential of the SpaceX Starship to the iconic Boeing 737 in human spaceflight.

“It could very well be the 737 for human space flight someday,” he said. He expressed further aspirations for the vehicle, indicating it would be instrumental in returning humans to the moon and pursuing larger missions to Mars and beyond.

The world will now wait in anticipation of this mission that promises to elevate human spaceflight to new heights.

Source: ABC News