Billionaire, three astronauts embark on SpaceX civilian mission

Billionaire-backed Private Spaceflight Set to Launch in Historic First for Citizen Astronauts

Four citizen astronauts will embark on a history-making mission: "Polaris Dawn." The first of three human spaceflights under the Polaris Program, funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and SpaceX, the mission will test next-gen spacesuits and conduct experiments.

Launch window: As early as Aug. 26, 3:30-7 a.m. from Kennedy Space Center, FL.

Crew arrived Monday to prepare:

• Commander Jared Isaacman,self-funded, aims to test deep-space technology and raise funds for St. Jude's.
• Pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, retired Air Force lieutenant colonel and former Thunderbirds pilot.
• Mission specialist Sarah Gillis, lead SpaceX space operations engineer, overseeing astronaut training.
• Mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon, SpaceX lead space operations engineer; will read her children's book from space.

Mission objectives:

• Reach altitudes above any since Apollo, exposing Dragon to radiation belt 870 mi. from Earth.
• First private spacewalk 435 mi. up, testing SpaceX EVA suits.
• Conduct 40+ experiments and test Starlink comms.

On day six, the SpaceX vehicle will reenter and splash down off Florida.

"We hope the results...will accelerate SpaceX's vision to make life multiplanetary," Isaacman said.
Sources:
Polaris Program: https://polarisprogram.com/dawn/
Crew arrival: https://bit.ly/3WW5oXo
NASA launch info: https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2024/august/rocket-launch-spacex-falcon-9-polaris-dawn
CNN: https://www.cnn.com/2024/08/19/science/spacex-polaris-dawn-jared-isaacman-spacewalk/index.html
Experiments: https://polarisprogram.com/polaris-dawn-selects-38-science-and-research-experiments-to-advance-human-health-and-space-exploration/
St. Jude's: http://www.stjude.org/
Isaacman statement: https://polarisprogram.com/polaris-dawn-a-groundbreaking-commercial-spaceflight-mission-to-launch-on-august-26-2024/