A SpaceX mission launching this week will see four civilian astronauts embark on a daring spacewalk, the first of its kind. The crew will venture outside their capsule in a new kind of spacesuit, pushing the boundaries of space exploration.
This mission, called Polaris Dawn, is the first in a series of planned SpaceX flights funded by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman. It’s a risky endeavor, as all four astronauts will be exposed to the vacuum of space during the spacewalk. Their capsule, unlike those used by NASA, doesn’t have an airlock.
Here are the key details of the mission:
- Launch: Tuesday, August 27th at 3:38 AM EDT
- Crew: 4 civilians – mission commander Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott Poteet, and mission specialists Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis
- Mission duration: 5 days
- Highlights:
- First all-civilian spacewalk
- Highest altitude for astronauts since Apollo 17 (1972)
- Testing of new SpaceX spacesuits
- Live-streamed spacewalk
This mission is a big step forward for private spaceflight companies. It paves the way for future space tourism and exploration beyond Earth’s orbit.
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