SpaceX’s upcoming Polaris Dawn mission aims to be historic in more ways than one. Polaris Dawn plans to not only orbit Earth higher than any astronauts have in more than 50 years but to also feature the first private spacewalk.
The mission was originally scheduled to launch August 27, but has encountered delays – first for a helium leakand then for bad weather. SpaceX officials have said they’re monitoring the weather to reschedule the launch.
It will feature a crew of four: the mission’s commander, Jared Isaacman; Scott Poteet, a 20-year Air Force veteran pilot; and SpaceX employees Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Launching on a Falcon 9 rocket, they will travel in a SpaceX Dragon capsule named Resilience.
The crew members of Polaris Dawn in Boca Chica, Texas. Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post via Getty Images
As a space policy expert, I see this mission as a major step in ...
