by On Thursday morning, two crew members of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission will attempt the first privately funded spacewalk.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX employee Sarah Gillis plan to eject from their Crew Dragon spacecraft at 2:23 a.m. ET (7:23 a.m. BST) and float for two hours in an orbit of 700 kilometers – almost twice the altitude of the International Space Station. A backup option is available at the same time on Friday.
The main goal of the project is to test SpaceX’s new EVA (Extravehicular Activity) astronaut suits, which are designed to eventually take astronauts to the Moon, Mars and beyond.
The other crew members of the Polaris Dawn, Anna Menon and Kidd Poteet, will remain in the capsule. 36 research studies and experiments are planned for the five-day mission.
Here you can follow all the latest news, updates and analysis, and watch a live stream of the trial as soon as it is available.
SpaceX on track for a record year
20:55 , Anthony Cuthbertson
Tuesday’s launch of Polaris Dawn was SpaceX’s 90th orbital mission this year, just six short of the company’s record number to be achieved in 2023.
Elon Musk plans at least a dozen more launches by the end of 2024, more than all of his competitors combined.
The richest person in the world also controls almost two-thirds of all active satellites via his Starlink internet network, making himself a space superpower.
Last week I spoke to advocacy groups and astronomers who warned that using such power could pose a serious problem. You can read more about it here:
Elon Musk is monopolizing space – that’s why there is cause for concern
The crew goes further than any human in the last 50 years
18:59 , Anthony Cuthbertson
After weeks of delays due to helium leaks at the launch site and weather problems, the Polaris Dawn mission finally launched Tuesday morning from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
Today, SpaceX’s Dragon capsule, carrying its four-person crew, reached an altitude of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) – farther than any human has traveled since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago.
Tomorrow morning, two members of the Polaris Dawn crew – billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX employee Sarah Gillis – will attempt something no private civilian has ever attempted before: a spacewalk.
If necessary, a replacement option will be available so that the couple can attempt the daring feat at the same time on Friday, September 13th.
Hello and welcome…
16:57 , Anthony Cuthbertson
for the Independent’s live coverage of the first purely civilian spacewalk.
On Thursday at 2:23 a.m. ET (7:23 a.m. BST), two Polaris Dawn crew members will exit the SpaceX Dragon capsule in a historic attempt.
We’ll bring you the latest news and updates on the Polaris Dawn mission, as well as a live stream of the event, which will be available one hour before it begins.
