SpaceX has announced a target launch date for the Polaris Dawn mission, where four nonprofessional astronauts will fly aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft to an orbit 435 miles above Earth.
What’s Happening & Why This Matters
The mission, led by Inspiration4 commander Jared Isaacman, will involve a five-day flight higher than any Crew Dragon has ever flown. Isaacman will be joined by Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon, and the mission will include a spacewalk and testing of Starlink laser-based communications. The crew will also be the first to test Starlink laser-based communications in space.
TF Summary: What’s Next
The launch is scheduled for August 26 and will be live-streamed by SpaceX from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The mission marks the second Crew Dragon flight not involving docking with the ISS and will feature the first commercial spacewalk and tests of Starlink technology in space.
As a first commercial spacewalk, crucial learnings can be applied in future space missions to the moon, Mars, and farther beyond.