A new dawn in space travel arrives this week with the launch of the Polaris Dawn mission.
The mission, which is expected to last up to five days, intends to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown, with the goal of better understanding the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health.
The crew will attempt the first-ever spacewalk conducted by nonprofessional astronauts. They will also be the first to test Starlink laser-based communications in space.
Polaris Dawn crew members will be wearing new spacesuits that provide greater mobility. The suits, which are made from new thermal management textiles, are equipped with a state-of-the-art helmet heads-up display and camera. The development of the spacesuit is an important step toward building a base on the moon and a city on Mars.
The crew consists of Jared Isaacman, mission commander; Scott Poteet, mission pilot; Sarah Gillis, mission specialist; and Anna Menon, mission specialist and medical officer.
The New York Times reports on the ambitious private space mission. Here’s the start of the story:
On Tuesday morning, Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur, launched to space for a second time. The mission, known as Polaris Dawn, is a collaboration between Mr. Isaacman and SpaceX, the rocket company led by Elon Musk.
“Send us, SpaceX,” Mr. Isaacman said with just over 30 seconds left in the countdown.
At 5:23 a.m. Eastern time, a Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Less than 15 minutes later, the crew of four astronauts inside the Crew Dragon capsule — that will be their home for the next five days — were in orbit.
“We’re going to get to work now,” Mr. Isaacman said in an exchange with the launch controllers on the ground.
The Polaris Dawn mission will mark some milestones for private spaceflight — the first spacewalk conducted by nonprofessional astronauts, and the farthest journey from Earth by anyone since NASA’s moon landings more than 50 years ago.