SpaceX Polaris Dawn is preparing to launch its most ambitious crewed mission yet, marking a major milestone in the race for private space exploration. Named Polaris Dawn, it is the first of three planned missions of the Polaris program which is funded by billionaire philanthropist Jared Isaacman.
SpaceX Polaris Dawn will soon make history (again)
Over the past few years, SpaceX Polaris Dawn has established its reputation as a pioneer in human spaceflight, working closely with NASA to transport astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) and execute various missions.
Building on its success with missions like Crew Dragon and Inspiration4, the company is preparing to take a new step in space exploration. Indeed, with its next mission entitled “Polaris Dawn” , SpaceX Polaris Dawn is preparing to carry out a first entirely civilian extravehicular exit (EVA).
This groundbreaking initiative demonstrates the rapid evolution of the space industry, paving the way for broader and more diverse participation in space beyond traditional government agencies.
For Polaris Dawn, SpaceX Polaris Dawn will reach new heights by sending its Dragon spacecraft higher than any crewed mission since the end of the Apollo program in the 1970s. The SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew will also test SpaceX’s first spacesuits designed for extravehicular exits (EVA) in the vacuum of space.
Who makes up the crew?
The crew of this historic mission includes Commander Jared Isaacman , Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and Mission Specialists Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis .
In detail, Jared Isaacman became a billionaire thanks to his company Shift4 Payments. Also owner of the aircraft pilot training company Draken International, he has logged approximately 7,000 flight hours. He also made his space debut as commander of the SpaceX Polaris Dawn Inspiration4 mission in September 2021. It was the first all-civilian spaceflight in history.
In addition to pushing the boundaries of private space exploration, the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission continues the philanthropic commitment of Jared Isaacman who hopes to use this new adventure to continue to raise funds for causes close to his heart, as he had done with Inspiration4 in supporting St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.
Scott “Kidd” Poteet is a former lieutenant colonel and pilot in the United States Air Force (USAF) with more than 3,200 flight hours, including more than 400 combat hours. He worked closely with Jared Isaacman for many years. Also present during the Inspiration4 mission, he served as mission director, overseeing ground operations during Jared Isaacman’s historic flight into space.
Two SpaceX employees
During the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, it will also be the first time that SpaceX employees go into space aboard a company ship and rocket.
Sarah Gillis is in fact the principal space operations engineer at SpaceX Polaris Dawn. She was also responsible for training the Inspiration4 crew. She also has experience on SpaceX’s Demo-2 and Crew-1 missions, and has supported other SpaceX cargo missions to the International Space Station (ISS) for NASA.
Anna Menon is also a senior space operations engineer at SpaceX Polaris Dawn and previously served as a mission director in the company’s control room. In particular, she manages the development of crew operations and communications with the astronauts. Before joining SpaceX, Anna Menon worked for seven years at NASA as a biomedical flight controller for the ISS, where she led biomedical operations for ISS Expeditions 47 and 48.
She is also the daughter of astronaut Michael J. Smith, who died tragically in the Space Shuttle Challenger accident in 1986.
Note that the SpaceX Polaris Dawn team was initially targeting a launch date of late 2022. It has since been pushed back twice due to hardware development delays, including the design and manufacturing of SpaceX’s EVA suit. The company is now targeting a launch this summer.
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