Civilians sent into space for the first time: What is this new SpaceX mission called Polaris Dawn ?

SpaceX will conduct its first private spacewalk. The “Polaris Dawn” mission from Elon Musk's company will allow four non-professional astronauts to take off for a spacewalk, with takeoff scheduled for Tuesday, August 27, 2024.

From the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, United States, four non-astronauts will be sent into space for a private mission. For the first time, civilians will be able to go out into space, explains Ouest France.

Space tourists for five days

At 9:38 a.m. French time, the Falcon 9 rocket will take off for a five-day space trip. The four travelers will have missions to complete before their return.

Jared Isaacman, a billionaire and commander of the “Polaris Dawn” mission, has already gone to space in 2021. It was another SpaceX mission at the time. He will be sent to space with two SpaceX employees:

Sarah Gillis, (in charge of astronaut training) is a mission specialist who contributed to the improvements of the capsule and suits for the extra-vehicular activity., she is an engineer at SpaceX. Anna Menon, who also worked for NASA, is a mission specialist and medical officer. Scott Poteet is the pilot, he is a lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force with twenty years of service.

1,400 kilometers of altitude

The travelers will have about forty experiments to conduct aboard the craft, according to BFMTV. Among other things, they will have to perform movements to test the new suits intended for the vacuum of space.

Spacewalks will take place, two civilians will remain in the capsule while the other two exit. They will be connected to a tube that will provide them with life support.

The civilian astronauts will be sent to an altitude of 1,400 kilometers, remember that the International Space Station is about 400 kilometers. A record since the Apollo lunar missions.