Produced by: Tarun Mishra
SpaceX is preparing for its most ambitious crewed mission to date, Polaris Dawn, set to launch this summer. This mission marks the beginning of the Polaris Program, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman.
Polaris Dawn aims to push the boundaries of private spaceflight by flying the Dragon spacecraft higher than any crewed mission since the Apollo Program. The crew will conduct the first all-civilian extravehicular activity (EVA) and test SpaceX's new spacesuit design in the vacuum of space.
Isaacman, the mission commander, is a billionaire entrepreneur and the founder of Shift4 Payments. He previously led the Inspiration4 mission and has extensive experience in high-speed aviation.
Serving as the mission pilot, Poteet is a retired U.S. Air Force colonel and former Thunderbird pilot. He brings over 3,200 flight hours and extensive business development experience to the team.
Gillis, a lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, will serve as a mission specialist. She played a crucial role in training the Inspiration4 crew and has supported numerous SpaceX missions.
Another lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, Menon will also serve as a mission specialist and medical officer. With experience at NASA and a passion for space since childhood, Menon brings valuable expertise to the team.
Originally planned for late 2022, the Polaris Dawn launch was delayed multiple times due to hardware development timelines, particularly for the new spacesuit design.
Over the past three years, the crewmembers underwent rigorous training focused on group cohesiveness and teamwork. Training included scuba diving, mountain climbing, skydiving, and high-G jet flights.
SpaceX engineers developed innovative methods to simulate microgravity and train for EVA procedures without access to traditional underwater facilities. The crew will conduct their EVA without an airlock, venting Dragon's cabin to expose themselves to space.
The interior of Crew Dragon underwent refurbishment to withstand vacuum exposure and accommodate EVA operations. Additional features include handholds, footholds, and a nitrogen repressurization system.
Polaris Dawn will reach a highly elliptical orbit, conducting research on topics such as radiation exposure, venous gas emboli, and Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS). The crew will also perform a laser- communication experiment using SpaceX's Starlink satellite network.
The success of the Polaris Dawn mission sets the stage for future flights in the Polaris Program, potentially using SpaceX's Starship for deep space exploration and servicing aging space missions like the Hubble Space Telescope.