Two women will set a spaceflight record, getting to the highest altitude since Apollo, and the highest altitude any woman has ever been.
All this will be carried out thanks to the Polaris Program. They will travel in a SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
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When will this occur?
There is not a clear date, originally it was scheduled to be launch no earlier than the 27th of August, they now have delayed it to no earlier than the 28th of August, but it may be further delayed for a few days if the weather conditions are not safe or for any other reason that may oppose risk.
The launch will take place in Florida, where the Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Polaris Dawn.
Mission Objectives
The Polaris Program mission is to further investigate some vital things regarding space safety and equipment. So that in a near future we can all go to space in a safe way, making space colonization much faster and safer. The main objectives of this mission are:
Highest Altitude record since Apollo
The Polaris Dawn will manage to get to an altitude of 1,400 kilometers, which is the highest altitude since Apollo program in 1972, when the last Apollo spacecraft was launched.
In the Apollo missions there were no women, this means, this time is going to be the first time a woman gets to 1,400 kilometers, setting the highest altitude any woman has ever been, and in this case, not only one, but two females astronauts will be able to achieve this feat.
These two women’s are Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, who are engineers at SpaceX.
First commercial spacewalk
The astronauts will attempt the first ever extravehicular activities with SpaceX spacesuits. At an altitude of 700 kilometers above the Earth.
The development and test of these spacesuits are necessary if we want to expand and build bases outside of Earth, like a Lunar base or one on Mars. As well as for any other place we want to visit outside Earth.
Test Starlink Communication
The Polaris Dawn crew will be the first crew to test Starlink laser-based communications in space, providing valuable data for future space communications systems necessary for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
Health Research
This crew will further investigate what are the main consequences of expending long time in space. Which will be something required in order to get to Mars, or any other planet.
The main points they want to investigate regarding health are (this is extracted from their official website):
- Using ultrasound to monitor, detect, and quantify venous gas emboli (VGE), contributing to studies on human prevalence to decompression sickness.
- Gathering data on the radiation environment to better understand how space radiation affects human biological systems.
- Providing biological samples towards multi-omics analyses for a long-term Biobank.
- Research related to Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS), which is a key risk to human health in long-duration spaceflight.
Polaris Drawn Crew
This crew is composed of four astronauts, two men and two women. Who will attempt to reach the highest altitude since Apollo.
Jared Isaacman (Mission Commander)
Jared Isaacman in the CEO of Shift4. He is a great pilot with over 7,000 flight hours.
He was the commander of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space that helped raise over $240 million to help eradicate childhood cancer.
Jared also holds several world records including two speed-around-the-world flights in 2008 and 2009. He has flown in over 100 airshows as part of the Black Diamond Jet Team, dedicating every performance to charitable causes. In 2011, Isaacman co-founded what would become the world’s largest private air force, Draken International, to train pilots for the United States Armed Forces.
Scott “Kidd” Poteet (Mission Pilot)
Scott “Kidd” Poteet is a retired United States Air Force Lieutenant Colonel who served 20 years in various roles. Kidd is a command pilot with over 3,200 flying hours in the F-16, A-4, T-38, T-37, T-3, and Alpha Jet.
He has logged over 400 hours of combat time during Operations Northern Watch, Southern Watch, Joint Guardian, Freedom’s Sentinel, and Resolute Support.
Following his Air Force career, Kidd served in various roles to include Director of Business Development at Draken International and VP of Strategy at Shift4 (NYSE: FOUR). He most recently served as the Mission Director of Inspiration4
Kidd is also an accomplished collegiate runner and triathlete, competing in 15 Ironman triathlons since 2000, which includes four Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Sarah Gillis (Mission Specialist)
Sarah Gillis is a Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX, responsible for overseeing the company’s astronaut training program. This includes the development of mission-specific curriculum and training execution for both NASA and commercial astronauts who fly aboard the Dragon spacecraft.
She prepared NASA astronauts for the first Demo-2 and Crew-1 missions, and most recently directly trained the Inspiration4 astronauts. Sarah is an experienced mission control operator, who has supported real-time operations for Dragon’s cargo resupply missions to and from the International Space Station as a Navigation Officer, and as a crew communicator for Dragon’s human spaceflight missions.
Raised from a young age to be a classical violinist, Sarah changed directions when a beloved high-school mentor, former NASA astronaut Joe Tanner, encouraged her to pursue a degree in aerospace engineering. In 2015, while studying engineering and dance at the University of Colorado, Boulder, Sarah started an internship at SpaceX, working on human-in-the-loop testing of the Dragon spacecraft interior before moving into the astronaut training program full-time. Originally from Boulder, Colorado, Sarah is an avid hiker, climber, and adventurer.
Anna Menon (Mission Specialist and Medical Officer)
Anna Menon is a Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX, where she manages the development of crew operations and serves in mission control as both a Mission Director and crew communicator. During her tenure at SpaceX, she has led the implementation of Dragon’s crew capabilities, helped create the crew communicator operator role, and developed critical operational responses to vehicle emergencies such as a fire or cabin depressurization.
Prior to SpaceX, Anna worked for seven years at NASA as a biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station. In this role, she supported space station crews from mission control, helped integrate international partner engineers and medical care, and led the planning and execution of all biomedical operations for Expedition 47/48. She received her bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Spanish from Texas Christian University and her master’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Duke University.
How was it funded?
Jared Isaac who is going to be one of the four astronauts that will be part of the crew, is the billionaire CEO of Shift4 and funded the Inspiration4 orbital mission in 2021 and now, the Polaris Program.
He has more than 7,000 flight hours of aviation experience, including ratings in multiple experimental and ex-military aircraft. He also holds several world records, including two speed-around-the-world flights in 2008 and 2009.