SpaceX Polaris Dawn private space travel mission

Science: SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission will send American billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others to orbit on a five-day flight to conduct the world’s first private spacewalk on September 10. The mission was the first of three SpaceX Polaris space flights and the second personally sponsored by Isaacman. The spacewalk is scheduled for Thursday and the historic mission will launch with a Falcon 9 rocket and its third flight, the Resilience Dragon crew capsule. Isaacman is the mission commander.

U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteat will serve as the pilot. Sarah Gillis, chief engineer for space operations and mission specialist for astronaut training at SpaceX. Anna Menon, SpaceX’s chief operations engineer for crew operations development, will serve as mission specialist and medical officer.