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SpaceX is attempting the first private spacewalk, a significant milestone beyond government-run space missions.
Polaris Dawn mission
Polaris Dawn is a five-day mission where the crew will launch aboard a modified Crew Dragon spacecraft and undertake a spacewalk.
Polaris Dawn is a privately-funded space mission led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, in collaboration with SpaceX.
It is set to be the first non-government mission to conduct a spacewalk.
The mission includes billionaire Jared Isaacman, retired U.S. Air Force pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
The spacecraft will travel in an elliptical orbit, reaching altitudes from 190 km to 1,400 km, farther than humans have gone since the Apollo missions.
On the third day, the crew will perform a spacewalk 700 km above Earth, with preparations starting 45 hours in advance.
This 700km altitude will surpass the current record held by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission in 1966
The mission will test new spacesuit technology and Crew Dragon modifications for exposure to the vacuum of space, with no specific U.S. safety regulations for private spaceflights.
New spacesuits designed by SpaceX to protect astronauts from high radiation levels encountered in the Van Allen Belts.
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