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The Polaris Dawn Mission aims to perform the first commercial spacewalk, marking a new chapter in space exploration with a highly qualified crew and previous experience in space.
A Polaris Dawn mission is about to redefine the limits of space exploration as it prepares to perform the first commercial spacewalk. Scheduled to be launched by August 27, this mission promises to take four astronauts into Earth's orbit in a SpaceX capsule, from Elon Musk's company, Crew Dragon, reaching an altitude of 700 kilometers, the largest since the historic Apollo missions. The crew, made up of experienced professionals, will be responsible for carrying out this unprecedented mission, financed by billionaire Jared Isaacman.
The Polaris Dawn Mission is an ambitious initiative, financed entirely by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of payments company Shift4. Isaacman is no stranger to space; he was already in orbit during the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission in September 2021. Now, he is leading a new team to carry out the first commercial spacewalk, a feat that will be a landmark in the history of private space missions.
Jared Isaacman: the visionary behind the Polaris Dawn Mission
Jared Isaacman, who commands the Polaris Dawn Mission, is an experienced pilot with over 6.000 flight hours in high-performance aircraft. In addition to circumnavigating the globe and performing at air shows, Isaacman founded Draken International, a company specializing in jet pilot training. With his vast experience, he now turns his attention to space, planning three missions under the Polaris Program, with the Polaris Dawn Mission being the first of them. In recent statements, Isaacman mentioned that the third mission of this program it will be the first manned flight of Starship, the SpaceX ship developed for interplanetary missions.
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Scott “Kidd” Poteet: the pilot
Scott “Kidd” Poteet, retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel, is the chosen pilot for the Polaris Dawn Mission. With over 3.200 flight hours, including 400 combat hours in a variety of high-speed aircraft, Poteet brings extensive military and management experience to the team.. His career included leadership positions such as commander of the 64th Aggressor Squadron and demonstration pilot for the USAF Thunderbirds. He also has experience in private industry, having served as director of business development at Draken International and vice president of strategy at Shift4.
Sarah Gillis: the astronaut training expert
Sarah Gillis, chief space operations engineer at SpaceX, is one of the mission specialists for the Polaris Dawn Mission. She is responsible for managing astronaut training and plays a crucial role in preparing the team for the first commercial spacewalk. Gillis has participated in previous SpaceX missions, including Inspiration4 and NASA's Demo-2 and Crew-1 missions.. Since 2015 at SpaceX, Gillis was inspired to pursue a career in aerospace engineering by her high school mentor, former NASA astronaut Joe Tanner.
Anna Menon: the operations engineer
Anna Menon, another mission specialist for the Polaris Dawn Mission, is chief operations engineer at SpaceX, focused on developing crew operations. Menon has already worked in mission control at SpaceX, a company owned by well-known Elon Musk, for NASA's manned space flights, including the Demo-2 and Crew-1 missions. His experience includes developing crew capabilities on the Dragon vehicle. Menon also has previous experience at NASA as a flight controller biomedical and is a private pilot of small aircraft, which complements his technical knowledge and confidence for the mission.
Polaris Dawn Mission Expectations
A Polaris Dawn mission represents a significant advancement in private space exploration, especially with the execution of the first commercial spacewalk. The mission not only demonstrates the growing role of private companies in space exploration, but also highlights the innovation and leadership capabilities of Jared Isaacman and his team. The expectation is that the success of this mission will pave the way for new opportunities in space exploration, bringing humanity closer to a future where space is accessible to everyone.
As the launch of the Polaris Dawn Mission approaches, global anticipation is growing to see how this highly qualified team will meet the challenge of carrying out the first commercial spacewalk. With the experience and determination of Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, the mission promises to be a milestone not just for SpaceX, (or Elon Musk), but for all of humanity, ushering in a new era in space exploration. space.
With information from Space.com
What did you think of the approach to the Polaris Dawn Mission and the first commercial spacewalk? Did any detail catch your attention the most?
