SpaceX's Historic Attempt: First Private Spacewalk on Polaris Dawn Mission

Historic Private Spacewalk: The Polaris Dawn Mission

SpaceX is on the verge of making history again. Next week, the company will launch a fully private crewed mission, taking astronauts further than they’ve been in 50 years. The four-person team flew into Kennedy Space Center on Monday morning, saying they were ready for the week-long mission.

The private company will attempt a spacewalk in brand-new spacesuits for the first time in history. They will launch on a Dragon vehicle from Launch Complex 39A next Monday morning, Aug. 26.

Training and Mission Details

"I can tell you without a doubt, this has been one of the most challenging training I’ve ever experienced, and I could not imagine a more qualified crew than these three individuals leading the charge," said Scott Poteet, the mission pilot for Polaris Dawn.

The team is led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, who purchased this flight from SpaceX in 2022. He’s taking along his longtime colleague and former fighter pilot Scott Poteet. Two SpaceX employees, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, round out the crew.

Major historical moments for this mission include the first commercial spacewalk, tethered to their Dragon vehicle. "The suit is fed from oxygen in the spacecraft using the umbilical to the suit," said Sarah Gillis, mission specialist. The suits have been under scrutiny and have undergone several updates over the past two years.

Aiming for New Heights

Another first for SpaceX is flying higher than any other Dragon mission. The team will reach new heights, three times farther from Earth than the International Space Station. "Maybe in the not-too-distant future, humans are going to finally reach another planet," said Jared Isaacman, the mission commander. SpaceX is laser-focused on reaching the moon and Mars. This mission is another step toward that goal!

Some of the training they’ve undertaken includes mountain climbing, scuba diving, and skydiving, along with over 2,000 hours in simulators. Astronauts state that this training helped them communicate better and face their fears before liftoff.