Jared Isaacman, the mission commander for last year's Inspiration4 flight, buys three new space flights from SpaceX. The first mission of this series, which is called Polaris Dawn, is scheduled to launch later this year!
Isaacman announced the exciting news on Monday, Feb 14. Sources from NBC News shared the details and an exclusive interview with Isaacman on their YouTube channel.
Note that the three flights Isaacman bought are part of a series called the Polaris Program. These space flights will culminate in the completion and first crewed mission of SpaceX's Starship spacecraft.
Jared Isaacman Buys SpaceX Flights: List of Crew Members
Special thank-you to the SpaceX employees who presented our astronauts with their Dragon wings on behalf of the entire SpaceX team. pic.twitter.com/XmXQXKJR10
— Inspiration4 (@inspiration4x) October 2, 2021
According to The Verge, the Polaris Dawn will be a bit similar to the Inspiration4 mission. The crew will be flying on the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft, which will be launched aboard the Falcon 9 rocket.
The Polaris Dawn will consist of four crew members: Jared Isaacman as mission commander, Scott Poteet as a mission pilot, Sarah Gillis as a mission specialist, and Anna Menon as a medical officer.
Isaacman emphasized that "the Polaris Program is an important step in advancing human space exploration while helping to solve problems through the use of innovative technology here on Earth."
Read Also: Inspiration4 Mission Video: SpaceX Pilot Captures Incredible View of Earth During Historic Flight
Polaris Dawn Space Mission Details
Sources from Forbes said Polaris Dawn has three primary objectives for its mission. These are the first-ever spacewalk on private spaceflight, the testing of SpaceX Starlink communications network, and the analysis of side-effects of spaceflight on human health.
The first of the objectives, which is the spacewalk, will feature SpaceX-branded EVA spacesuits. Unfortunately, not many details were revealed about its design.
The second objective, which is Starlink communications, is reportedly crucial for many different reasons. Testing these satellites will act as a foundation for space-based communications using the SpaceX network. It will also provide internet and data services around Earth's surface.
Lastly, the space mission aims to expand studies about human health concerning space explorations. To test the theory, the incoming Polaris Dawn mission will fly higher than any other crewed mission in history. This implies a higher point than the 1,375km altitude achieved by the Gemini 11 mission in 1966.
Polaris Dawn: Other Related Programs
It is worth mentioning that Isaacman's incoming flight is continuing its support for children in need. More specifically, Isaacman said the incoming space mission will continu the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital fundraiser program that Inspiration4 started.
Aside from the children's hospital, Polaris Dawn crew will also collaborate with other related institutions. Forbes listed some of them being Weill Cornell Medicine, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Colorado Boulder, Translational Institute for Space Health, the U.S. Air Force Academy, the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and the Space Technologies Lab at Embry Riddle Aeronautical University.
Fans interested in the Polaris Dawn space mission are recommended to watch out for updates in the internet. If all goes according to plan, its launch might happen sometime between October to December this year.
