SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew to begin training for highest-ever orbital spaceflight this week

The team of four astronauts for the Polaris Dawn mission will start training for their upcoming spaceflight later this week at SpaceX's headquarters in Hawthorne, California. The Polaris Dawn is the first of three crewed space missions under the Polaris Program, which kickstarts later this year. To be commanded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the Polaris team will launch aboard the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. 

About the Polaris Program

The Polaris Program, as per its official profile, is a "first-of-its-kind" effort, which aims to advance human spaceflight capabilities while raising funds and awareness for important causes on Earth. The program has been named after the constellation of three stars, Polaris, also called the North Star which "has been a guiding light throughout human history to help navigate the world around us and the sky above", the profile says. 

But most importantly, the objective of Polaris is to demonstrate operational capabilities that will enable humans with the exploration of the Moon, Mars and beyond. A total of three spaceflights will be conducted under the program two of which will be SpaceX Dragon flights and the third and final being the first-ever manned Starship mission. During each of these missions, the selected astronauts will carry out in-space technology demonstrations and research. 

About Polaris Dawn, the first mission of the program

The Polaris Dawn, which is expected to take off in the fourth quarter of 2022, is the first of three planned spaceflights. Under this mission, the crew of four astronauts will fly higher than any Dragon mission to date and reach the highest Earth orbit. During Polaris Dawn, the astronauts will spend five days in orbit and test several new technologies including the first Starlink laser-based communications in space. Interestingly, the crew will also conduct the first-ever private spacewalk donning the newly made SpaceX suits. 

Similar to the first all-civilian SpaceX mission- Inspiration4- Polaris Dawn too would raise funds for the St Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The Inspiration4 mission, which was conducted in September 2021, was also commanded by Isaacman and had raised over $240 million for St. Jude's. For his next mission, Isaacman will be accompanied by three new astronauts- Anna Menon, Scott Poteet, and Sarah Gillis. Tap here to read all about the crew members.