SpaceX Sends Private Crew on Historic Spacewalk Mission
On Tuesday morning, SpaceX launched a crew of four private astronauts into space on a significant mission named Polaris Dawn. Their journey started from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, aboard a modified SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule. This marks SpaceX’s fifth private mission, but this one is especially notable because it includes plans for the first-ever private spacewalk.
The crew includes Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who is funding the mission, Scott Poteet, a retired fighter pilot, and two SpaceX engineers, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Liftoff occurred at 5:23 a.m. EST, and about 9 minutes later, the capsule successfully reached orbit. The crew, experiencing weightlessness, played around with a plush astronaut toy as they floated in zero gravity. Shortly after, they separated from the support trunk, allowing them to witness breathtaking views of Earth.
The Mission Highlights SpaceX
The Falcon 9 rocket that carried the capsule safely returned to Earth, landing on a seaborne platform. This mission is considered one of SpaceX’s riskiest private ventures yet. The Crew Dragon will travel in an elliptical orbit around the Earth, getting as close as 190 km and as far as 1,400 km from the planet. This will be the farthest any humans have traveled from Earth since NASA’s Apollo missions, which ended in 1972.
Last month, the mission was delayed due to a minor helium leak at the launchpad. Although SpaceX repaired the issue, a booster recovery failure during an unrelated mission caused further delays. Weather conditions also pushed the launch on Tuesday by two hours.
The Spacewalk
One of the most exciting elements of this mission is the planned spacewalk, set to occur on the third day. The spacewalk will take place at an altitude of 700 km and will last approximately 20 minutes. Unlike traditional spacecraft such as the International Space Station (ISS), the Crew Dragon capsule doesn’t have an airlock. To compensate, the entire cabin will be depressurized, and the astronauts will rely on their slimmed-down SpaceX-designed spacesuits for oxygen.
The spacewalk procedure is reminiscent of the first U.S. spacewalk in 1965 aboard the Gemini capsule, where the cabin was depressurized, the hatch opened, and an astronaut ventured outside while tethered.
Who’s On Board SpaceX?
Jared Isaacman, the man behind this mission, previously funded and led the Inspiration4 mission with SpaceX in 2021. He has not disclosed how much the Polaris mission costs, but estimates suggest it’s likely in the hundreds of millions. Isaacman’s goal with the Polaris program is to push the boundaries of private space travel and eventually expand to SpaceX’s Starship, a spacecraft designed for lunar and Mars missions.
Scott Poteet, a 50-year-old retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, is serving as the mission’s pilot. Sarah Gillis, 30, and Anna Menon, 38, both senior SpaceX engineers, are also part of the crew. During the spacewalk, Isaacman and Gillis will exit the spacecraft, tethered to the capsule by oxygen lines, while Poteet and Menon will remain inside.
Scientific Experiments
The four-person crew is part of several scientific experiments aimed at studying how space conditions, such as cosmic radiation and the vacuum of space, impact the human body. These studies will build on the decades of data collected by astronauts aboard the ISS, providing more insights into how humans might fare on long-duration space missions, including potential missions to Mars.
Since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011, NASA has relied heavily on SpaceX for space travel. SpaceX’s Crew Dragon is currently the only U.S. spacecraft capable of taking astronauts to and from the ISS. The Polaris mission continues to push the envelope, demonstrating the potential of private space missions.
Competition in Space
While SpaceX is pioneering private space exploration, other companies are trying to keep up. Boeing, for example, is developing its own spacecraft, Starliner, which is intended to rival Crew Dragon. However, Boeing has faced significant setbacks. Its most recent NASA test mission, which began in June, left astronauts stranded on the ISS for an extended period due to propulsion issues. For now, SpaceX remains the leader in the private space race.
Final Thoughts
With the Polaris Dawn mission, SpaceX is proving that private space exploration is no longer science fiction but a rapidly evolving reality. As the crew embarks on this historic journey, including a groundbreaking private spacewalk, the mission marks another step toward a future where space is accessible to more than just government astronauts. As we look ahead, this mission could be the precursor to even more ambitious plans, such as manned missions to the moon and Mars.
The excitement surrounding this launch reflects the growing momentum in the space industry, where private missions are pushing the limits of what’s possible in space exploration.
