Launch of Polaris Dawn Crew on SpaceX Falcon 9 & Dragon | NASA Kennedy
Polaris Dawn Crew Dragon separates from Falcon 9's second stage
SpaceX successfully launched the Polaris Dawn crew on a Falcon 9 rocket and specially-modified Crew Dragon spacecraft at NASA Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) on Merritt Island, Florida at 5:23 a.m. ET, Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2024.
Polaris Dawn Crew
Jared Isaacman - Mission Commander
Scott Poteet - Mission Pilot
Sarah Gillis - Mission Specialist
Anna Menon - Mission Specialist & Medical Officer
Polaris Dawn will travel to an altitude of 1,400 km, attempt the first commercial spacewalk from Dragon, test Starlink-laser based communications, and conduct a wide range of research in microgravity before returning to Earth and splashing down off the coast of Florida.
The Polaris Dawn Mission will fly a specially-modified SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft higher than any mission to date since the Apollo program, endeavoring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown at approximately 700 kilometers above the Earth. Orbiting through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt, Polaris Dawn will conduct research with the aim of better understanding the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health, while testing laser-based communications.
The Polaris Dawn crew is preparing for the mission’s "first commercial spacewalk". This extravehicular activity (EVA) will be the final test for SpaceX’s newly-developed EVA spacesuit.
"Completing the first commercial extravehicular activity in low-Earth orbit is an important first step towards a future where millions of humans are visiting, working, and living on the Moon, Mars, and other destinations in our solar system."
Learn more about the Polaris Program:
Image Credit: SpaceX/Polaris Program
Image Date: Sept. 10, 2024
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