SpaceX launched four private astronauts into space aboard a modified Crew Dragon capsule for the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, Reuters reports.
This mission, which is Crew Dragon’s fifth private venture, aims to test new spacesuit designs and conduct the first private spacewalk. The spacewalk, planned for the mission’s third day at an altitude of 700 km, will be conducted without an airlock. The spacecraft will be depressurized, and astronauts will use specialized spacesuits for oxygen. The crew includes billionaire Jared Isaacman, retired fighter pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
The launch faced delays due to weather and technical issues but proceeded successfully. The Polaris Dawn mission is part of a private program funded by Isaacman, who previously financed the Inspiration4 mission. The mission aims to study space effects on the human body and scientific experiments on cosmic radiation.
