On the first anniversary of the announcement of the Polaris program and its first mission, Polaris Dawn, an exciting launch update was provided for the private crewed space project. The launch of the mission performed by SpaceX for Jared Isaacman is scheduled no sooner than the summer of 2023.
The updated launch schedule for Polaris Dawn was revealed via the program’s Twitter account on Wednesday (Feb. 23). The mission, the first of three planned Polaris missions, will utilize the Crew Dragon capsule. It will be Crew Dragon’s ninth crewed flight overall.
Polaris Dawn Mission Is Almost Ready
The project will attempt to achieve the highest-ever Earth orbit, with its apogee around 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) above the earth. Gemini 11 established the previous record of 850 miles (1,368 kilometers) in 1966.
The whole crew of the Polaris Dawn consists of private persons, including Isaacman, the chief executive officer of Shift4 Payments, pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. According to the Polaris Program website, the team has trained for its five-day orbit of Earth over the past year by engaging in mission simulations, flying in fighter jets, and even climbing mountains in Ecuador. (opens a new window)
The site claims that the voyage will build on the strong synergy established during Isaacman’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the world’s first civilian spaceflight.
In addition to attempting a record-breaking orbit, the Polaris Dawn crew will pursue a number of other innovative goals. Among these is the first extravehicular activity (EVA) for a commercial mission, in which a civilian astronaut does a spacewalk outside of a spacecraft. This will be the first time SpaceX’s EVA spacesuit has been used.
