SpaceX successfully launched four private astronauts into space on Tuesday aboard a modified Crew Dragon capsule, marking the start of the Polaris Dawn mission.
The mission, designed to last five days, aims to test new spacesuit designs and conduct the first private spacewalk. The crew, led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, lifted off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:23 a.m. EST.
Within minutes, the Crew Dragon capsule reached orbit, separating from its support trunk and providing stunning views of Earth. The mission is SpaceX’s fifth private crewed flight and is considered one of its most daring. The spacecraft will orbit Earth at altitudes ranging from 190 km to 1,400 km, the highest any human has reached since the Apollo missions in the 1970s.
The Polaris Dawn spacewalk, planned for the third day, will take place at an altitude of 700 km. Unlike previous spacewalks conducted on the International Space Station, the entire Crew Dragon cabin will be depressurized, requiring all astronauts to rely on their SpaceX-built suits for oxygen. Isaacman and fellow astronaut Sarah Gillis will step outside the capsule while two other crew members remain inside.
Isaacman, who is financing the mission, is joined by mission pilot Scott Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. The mission also includes scientific experiments to study how space conditions, such as cosmic radiation, affect the human body. These studies will build on previous research conducted by astronauts aboard the ISS.
SpaceX’s reliance on Crew Dragon continues to be critical for NASA since the retirement of the Space Shuttle in 2011. The spacecraft has completed nine astronaut missions to the ISS and previously facilitated four private missions, including Isaacman’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021.
The mission is underscoring SpaceX’s lead in private space exploration. Rival Boeing, developing its own spacecraft, Starliner, has faced significant setbacks, with its latest mission to the ISS encountering propulsion issues. SpaceX’s success with Crew Dragon further solidifies its position as the premier U.S. crewed spacecraft developer.