SpaceX launches historic mission with all-civilian crew
SpaceX successfully launched the Polaris Dawn mission on September 10, making history with the first spacewalk by a team of civilian astronauts.
Led by Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments, the mission aims to reach an altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometres) — the highest any manned mission has achieved in over 50 years.
How the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was launched into space:
SpaceX celebrated the launch with the announcement, "Liftoff of Polaris Dawn!" and shared a photo of the rocket's ascent.
The highlight of the mission is its all-civilian spacewalk. The crew will wear newly designed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits, featuring heads-up displays, helmet cameras, and advanced joint mobility.
Mission control erupted in applause as the Dragon capsule successfully separated from the rocket and provided the crew with their first view of Earth from space. SpaceX tweeted, "The Polaris Dawn crew is now in Zero-G!" as the team experienced weightlessness.
The mission will briefly enter the Van Allen radiation belts, known for their high-energy particles, which can pose health risks over time. However, the Crew Dragon capsule will not dock with the International Space Station, making favourable weather conditions crucial for both the launch and splashdown, expected around six days later.
The Polaris Dawn mission experienced delays due to technical issues and weather conditions, AFP reported. Isaacman has not disclosed the total cost of the mission but reportedly spent around $200 million on SpaceX’s previous all-civilian mission, Inspiration4, in September 2021.
The crew includes Scott Poteet, a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel serving as mission pilot; Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX lead space operations engineer; and Anna Menon, a SpaceX lead space operations engineer and medical officer. The team has undergone over two years of intensive training, including simulations, skydiving, centrifuge training, scuba diving, and climbing an Ecuadorian volcano.
Future missions will test laser-based satellite communication with SpaceX’s Starlink network to improve space communication speeds and conduct 36 scientific experiments. These include trials with contact lenses embedded with microelectronics to monitor eye pressure and shape.
