Trending: Elon Musk’s SpaceX launched its all-civilian Polaris Dawn crew into low-Earth orbit early Tuesday morning. The mission, commanded by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, aims to make history with the first-ever private spacewalk.
Key Facts
Watch Dragon’s first spacewalk with the @PolarisProgram’s Polaris Dawn crew https://t.co/svdJRkGN7K
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024
☑️Mission duration: Up to 5 days
☑️Spacewalk scheduled for Thursday
☑️Crew members Jared Isaacman, Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon
☑️Mission objectives: Conduct first-ever private spacewalk and perform research experiments
“Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” — @rookisaacman pic.twitter.com/XE2NVyPHJE
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) September 12, 2024
It lifted from NASA‘s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:23 a.m. ET, SpaceX‘s Falcon 9 rocket carried the Dragon spacecraft and its four-member crew into orbit. The team, comprising Isaacman, Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon, will spend up to five days conducting research and science experiments.
The mission’s primary objective is to perform a spacewalk approximately 435 miles above Earth using SpaceX-designed extravehicular activity spacesuits. Scheduled for Thursday, the 20-minute spacewalk will mark a significant milestone for commercial spaceflight.
After multiple delays due to technical issues and unfavorable weather, SpaceX prioritized crew safety to ensure a successful launch. This mission is the first of up to three human spaceflight missions under the Polaris program, founded by Isaacman.
The Polaris Dawn mission signifies a significant breakthrough for private space companies, as NASA has traditionally conducted spacewalks. SpaceX’s achievement will pave the way for future commercial space exploration.
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