SpaceX is attempting its first private spacewalk in historic crewed mission: Polaris Dawn
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. - SpaceX is on the verge of making history again. Next week, the company will launch a fully private crewed mission, taking astronauts further than they’ve been in 50 years.
The four-person team flew into Kennedy Space Center on Monday morning, saying they were ready for the week-long mission.
The private company will attempt a spacewalk in brand-new spacesuits for the first time in history. They will launch on a Dragon vehicle from Launch Complex 39A next Monday morning, Aug. 26.
"I can tell you without a doubt, this has been one of the most challenging training I’ve ever experienced, and I could not imagine a more qualified crew than these three individuals leading the charge," said Scott Poteet, the mission pilot for Polaris Dawn.
The team is led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, who purchased this flight from SpaceX in 2022.
He’s taking along his longtime colleague and former fighter pilot Scott Poteet.
Two SpaceX employees, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, round out the crew.
"Here we are, sitting seven days out from our first launch opportunity," said Menon, the mission specialist and medical officer.
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One of the mission's major historical moments is that the team will attempt the first commercial spacewalk, tethered to their Dragon vehicle.
"The suit is fed from oxygen in the spacecraft using the umbilical to the suit," said Sarah Gillis, mission specialist.
The suits have been under a microscope and gone through several updates for two years.
SpaceX had to ensure they'd keep the astronauts safe when they leave Dragon.
Another first for SpaceX is flying higher than any other Dragon mission. The team will reach new heights, three times farther from Earth than the International Space Station.
"Maybe in the not-too-distant future, humans are going to finally reach another planet," said Jared Isaacman, the mission commander.
SpaceX is laser-focused on reaching the moon and Mars. This mission is another step toward that goal!
Some of the training they’ve done over the years is mountain climbing, scuba diving, and skydiving, on top of 2,000+ hours in the simulators. Astronauts said this helped them communicate more with each other and face their fears before liftoff.