SpaceX Plans to Launch Human Spaceflight Program Polaris Dawn on July 31

SpaceX Plans to Launch Human Spaceflight Program Polaris Dawn on July 31
(Photo: Wikimedia Commons/Steve Jurvetson)

SpaceX already has a date for launching the historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission. Elon Musk's space company wants to launch the human spaceflight program at the end of the month.

SpaceX Wants To Launch Polaris Dawn on July 31

Finally, there is a launch date for the first spacewalk-based commercial spaceflight mission, Polaris Dawn. The private human spaceflight initiative backed by billionaire Jared Isaacman is scheduled to launch on July 31 at the latest, according to a brief statement released by project spokespeople on X, formerly Twitter, on Wednesday (July 3)

Elon Musk, the founder and CEO of SpaceX, and Isaacman have not yet released statements on social media regarding their company's contribution of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule to Polaris Dawn.

Aside from Isaacman, the mission includes retired United States Air Force (USAF) Lieut. Col. Scott "Kidd" Poteet is a pilot and mission specialist. Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon are both SpaceX operations engineers.

Along with several experiments, the crew intends to perform the first-ever private spacewalk while wearing specially designed SpaceX spacesuits for the mission. Polaris Dawn is about to embark on the highest-altitude crewed journey since the Apollo lunar missions of the 1960s and 1970s, traveling nearly 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth in its orbit. The International Space Station, in contrast, circles at about 250 miles per hour (400 km).

Project representatives stated that development delays were necessary because of the mission's complexity. The original launch deadline was set for late 2022. The most recent significant delay occurred in February 2024, delaying the planned April launch into the summer.

In February, Polaris gave an update via X, formerly Twitter, saying that the crew was actively training at Hawthorne to prepare for their mission, which includes the first commercial spacewalk and testing Starlink's internet aboard Dragon. They also reportedly prepared all the science and research needed before the launch.

Polaris added that the extra time will continue to offer the required development time to guarantee the accomplishment of these mission objectives as well as the safe launch and return of Dragon and the crew.

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About Polaris Dawn

Polaris Dawn is a research spacecraft that will orbit parts of the Van Allen radiation belt to gather more information on how space radiation and spaceflight affect human health. The crew will try the first-ever commercial extravehicular activity (EVA) at a height of around 700 kilometers above Earth, using spacesuits manufactured by SpaceX specifically for extravehicular activity (EVA), an advancement above the current intravehicular (IVA) suit. Thousands of spacesuits are needed to build a Mars metropolis and a Moon base.

The astronauts will use scalable-design spacesuits for upcoming long-duration missions. The Polaris Dawn crew will test the Starlink laser-based communications system in space for the first time. This will provide important information for future space communications systems required for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

The crew will carry out scientific studies while in orbit to improve human health on Earth and our comprehension of human health for upcoming extended space missions. This consists of, but is not restricted to, the following:

Monitoring, identifying, and measuring venous gas emboli (VGE) by ultrasonography, which contributes to research on the incidence of decompression sickness in humans;
Compiling radiation environment data to enhance comprehension of the impact of space radiation on human biological systems;
Supplying biological samples for long-term Biobank multi-omics analysis and
Studies on Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), a major health concern to humans during extended spaceflight.