Elon Musk’s SpaceX is preparing for the “Polaris Dawn” mission, aiming to send astronauts farther from Earth than any mission in over 50 years. Scheduled to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida by July 31, 2024, the mission could last up to five days in space.
The Dragon spacecraft will carry four crew members—Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis, Mission Pilot Scott Poteet, and Mission Commander Jared Isaacman—to an initial orbital height of 870 miles, surpassing the heights reached by the 1966 Gemini 11 and 1972 Apollo 17 missions.
Despite potential radiation exposure from the Van Allen Belts, the risk is expected to be minimal. The crew’s objectives include performing high-altitude activities, conducting the first commercial spacewalk, testing in-orbit communications, and researching health effects through 38 scientific experiments. Post-experiments, the orbital height will be reduced to 430 miles.
The mission will also test Starlink laser-based communications, providing critical data for future space communication systems needed for Moon and Mars missions. A scientific study will be conducted at the end to improve human health for future space missions.
