<img src='https://news.cgtn.com/news/2024-08-21/-SpaceX-s-Polaris-crew-set-for-first-private-spacewalk-next-week-1wfGT6MsDTO/img/df30420a70bd46d09105ddf2fb921db5/df30420a70bd46d09105ddf2fb921db5.jpeg' alt='Four astronauts at the Kennedy Space Center for an upcoming private human spaceflight mission, Florida, United States, August 19, 2024. /CFP'
A four-member crew for SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission arrived in Florida on Monday in preparation for their August 26 launch. This mission will include the first privately managed spacewalk, an unprecedented endeavor previously only undertaken by government astronauts.
The crew consists of a billionaire entrepreneur, a retired Air Force fighter pilot, and two SpaceX employees. After more than two years of intensive training, they are ready to embark on a six-day mission. A key feature will be their tethered spacewalk from the Crew Dragon capsule, a critical test for SpaceX’s new astronaut spacesuits.
Led by mission commander Jared Isaacman, the CEO of electronic payment company Shift4 and the driving force behind the Polaris program, the mission reflects a milestone in the company’s commercial space efforts. Isaacman, who is funding the mission, emphasized the importance of taking these bold first steps toward future space endeavors, possibly paving the way for human colonization of Mars.
The launch is set for 3:38 a.m. on August 26 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, with the spacewalk scheduled for the third day of the mission.
(With input from Reuters)
