Photo: Polaris
Jared Isaacman, the billionaire who commanded SpaceX's Inspiration4 mission last year, revealed plans to advance human space exploration. He recently announced the Polaris Program, which will include three space trips with SpaceX, with the first one is scheduled to be launched later this year.
The first mission is called Polaris Dawn and will be commanded by none other than Isaacman, who will rely on the experience gained with Inspiration4, the world's first all-civilian mission to orbit. He will be accompanied by a crew consisting of pilot Scott Poteet and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
Together, they will ride inside a SpaceX Dragon Capsule, which will be launched from a Falcon 9 rocket into Earth's orbit. According to a statement, the team will attempt to fly "higher than any Dragon mission to date and endeavoring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown."
They'll be in orbit for five days. During this time, the crew will perform its first spacewalk using improved SpaceX extravehicular activity suits. This will be a crucial step in developing a scalable design for spacesuits that can withstand long-duration missions.
The crew will also test Starlink laser-based communications and conduct research to better understand the impacts of spaceflight on human health.
"Polaris Program is an important step in advancing human space exploration while helping to solve problems through the use of innovative technology here on Earth," explained Isaacman.
The first mission is set to take place in the fourth quarter of 2022, with additional information on the other missions expected to be released in the future. These missions will culminate in the first crewed launch of SpaceX Starship, a deep-space transportation system under development designed to take humans to the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
Currently, the Starship prototype is resting on the launch pad at the SpaceX Starbase facility located near the South Texas village of Boca Chica. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, is hopeful that the first orbital launch of the prototype is going to happen this year.
Together, they will ride inside a SpaceX Dragon Capsule, which will be launched from a Falcon 9 rocket into Earth's orbit. According to a statement, the team will attempt to fly "higher than any Dragon mission to date and endeavoring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown."
They'll be in orbit for five days. During this time, the crew will perform its first spacewalk using improved SpaceX extravehicular activity suits. This will be a crucial step in developing a scalable design for spacesuits that can withstand long-duration missions.
The crew will also test Starlink laser-based communications and conduct research to better understand the impacts of spaceflight on human health.
"Polaris Program is an important step in advancing human space exploration while helping to solve problems through the use of innovative technology here on Earth," explained Isaacman.
The first mission is set to take place in the fourth quarter of 2022, with additional information on the other missions expected to be released in the future. These missions will culminate in the first crewed launch of SpaceX Starship, a deep-space transportation system under development designed to take humans to the Moon and, eventually, Mars.
Currently, the Starship prototype is resting on the launch pad at the SpaceX Starbase facility located near the South Texas village of Boca Chica. The company's CEO, Elon Musk, is hopeful that the first orbital launch of the prototype is going to happen this year.
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