The Polaris Dawn mission launched in December.
Leading tech leader and billionaire Jared Isakman, who will lead the private sector Polaris Down mission in SpaceX The Dragon capsule announced at an air show on July 29 between high-performance jet training with the rest of the crew.
“We’re looking at the end of the year for now, so it’s very likely in December,” Isakman told reporters at the Federation of Experimental Aircraft Association Air Show in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. According to SpaceNews (Opens in a new tab).
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Previously, mission officials said they were Planning to launch no later than the fourth quarter of 2022, using a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft. Isaacman is best known in space circles for Inspiration 4Jude Children’s Research Hospital in September as part of another mission he’s traveled with SpaceX.
Isaacman and crew from Polaris Dawn are in deep training. On July 31, Isakman also shared several photos of the MiG-29s in flight as part of the air show, saying that his crew members were involved in the exercise.
“Amazing few days” wrote on Twitter (Opens in a new tab). “High performance and flying with high results is part of our training…as well as maximum fun. Thankful to the great team that brought this together.”
Polaris Dawn is the first of three separate manned launches, all funded by Isaacman. This first effort will see Isaacman pilot a SpaceX Dragon spacecraft alongside Sarah Gillies, Anna Menon and Scott Petit. (Gillis and Menon both work for SpaceX.) The second launch is intended to use the Dragon while the third is scheduled as the first manned mission for StarshipSpaceX’s next generation spacecraft.
Amazing Few DaysEAA Oshkosh w/ @PolarisProgram. High performance and high-result flight is part of our training.. in addition to the ultimate fun. Thank you to the wonderful team that brought this together. Until next year pic.twitter.com/ndKdcFJ6IUJuly 31, 2022
Among the objectives of the mission is the first space walk, or Extravehicular Activity (EVA) for a private astronaut. The crew will use EVA suits developed by SpaceX for this effort. Crew Dragon will be depressurized for spacewalk the same way NASA does Twins The capsules were in the 1960s, which required all crew members to wear suits designed for a vacuum environment.
Other crew training includes indoor scuba diving in California for EVA training, mountaintop climbing in Ecuador, and centrifugal exercises with vomit comet-type flight paths.
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