On September 10, 2024, the Polaris Dawn crew began a historic mission on a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft. At 5:23 a.m. EDT, the Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted off from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, opening a new chapter in private spaceflight.
Successful liftoff of the Polaris Dawn mission
Since the program’s announcement in 2022, the crew has undergone more than two years of rigorous training, including zero-gravity simulations, centrifuge operations, skydiving, and the construction of next-generation EVA spacesuits . These aerospace suits will enable the crew to perform the first-ever commercial spacewalk, at an altitude of up to 1,400 kilometers above Earth.
“The goal the crew aims to achieve in the coming days, from the first commercial spacewalk to testing Starlink in space, represents a breakthrough in human access to space and the mission to Mars.”
Jessica Jensen, SpaceX vice president of operations.
In addition to this spacewalk, the mission will test Starlink satellite communications via optical links, revolutionizing communications on future space missions. Nearly 40 scientific experiments aimed at improving knowledge of human health during long-duration spaceflight will also be conducted.
A mission with beneficial impact
SpaceX launches Polaris Dawn crew. Source: VideoFromSpace
The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three flights scheduled under the SpaceX-led Polaris Program. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the mission’s charitable partner. St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is the mission’s charity partner, and several brands such as DORITOS and IWC Schaffhausen have joined the cause. Funds raised throughout the mission will contribute to the children’s hospital.
The mission can be followed on the program’s social media channels: Twitter and Instagram.
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Source and photo: Polaris Program
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