SpaceX Launches HistoricPolaris DawnMission as Civilian Crew Looks to Attempt First-Ever Private Spacewalk

Mar. 15, 2025

The trailblazingPolaris Dawnmissionhas officially taken flight!

Space X’s Falcon 9 rocket carrying a four-person civilian crew, who will attempt the first-ever commercial astronaut spacewalk and carry out numerous experiments, lifted off at 5:23 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Sept. 10, from Cape Canaveral, Fla.

It was a launch that came two weeks behind schedule.

But on Tuesday, the weather cooperated and the historic mission finally took off,roaring off the launch pad with 1.7 lbs. of thrust as cameras captured the action. Video was livestreamed on SpaceX CEO Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter).

After boosting out of the thick of the atmosphere, Falcon 9’s first stageseparated and landed on the Just Read the Instructions doneshipstationed in the Atlantic Ocean. Thesecond stage moved forwardto orbit,

(L-R) mission specialist Anna Menon, pilot Scott Poteet, commander Jared Isaacman and mission specialist Sarah Gillis.AP Photo/John Raoux

AP Photo/John Raoux

The crew for the commercial space mission consists of astronautsJared Isaacman, a billionaire who was part of thefirst civilian astronaut crewto orbit Earth back in 2021, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. The crewaims to fly deeper into the cosmos(870 miles) than any other flight since theGemini 11launched in 1966.

Among the crew’s objectives during its five-day mission is to attempt the first-ever all-civilian spacewalk outside of the craft; conduct over 40 experiments, including tests concerning human health on Earth and during upcoming long-durations spaceflights; and test Starlink laser-based communications in space.

The Polaris Dawn Mission lifts off on Sept. 10, 2024.CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

“This Dragon mission will take advantage of Falcon 9 and Dragon’s maximum performance, flying higher than any Dragon mission to date and endeavoring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown,” according toPolaris Dawn’s website. “Orbiting through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt, Polaris Dawn will conduct research with the aim of better understanding the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health.”

Additionally, Menon, 38, will also read her book,Kisses from Space,during the flight to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket ahead of the launch of the Polaris Dawn Mission.CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty

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Isaacman, 41, the billionaire founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, funded the flight and will serve as mission commander. He previously commanded the SpaceX flightInspiration4,the world’s first all-civilian mission to space, which also generated more than $240 million for St. Jude, in September 2021.

“Inspiration4 and now the Polaris program missions are very small steps in the direction of opening this last great frontier," Isaacman previously told PEOPLE before the launch. “There is so much we stand to learn … The answers are out there and so much more. We just need to get out there and explore. Who knows what we may find.”

As the mission’s pilot, Poteet, 50, will stay in the capsule alongside Isaacman during the spacewalk — but all four crew members will have an opportunity to experience the void of space.

Anna Menon and crew on Zero-gravity research flight in October 2022.Polaris Program / John Kraus

Polaris Program / John Kraus

ThePolaris Dawnis one of three SpaceX fights that Isaacman purchased in 2022 following the Inspiration4 trip,Fox Businessreported.

At the time, he called it “an important step in advancing human space exploration while helping to solve problems through the use of innovative technology here on Earth.”

Polaris Dawnastronaut Menon previously told PEOPLE that the mission was a stepping stone, saying, “It’s helping to build technologies that will get humans closer to Mars and beyond.”

Added Gillis, “We hope to inspire future generations to dream bigger and reach for the stars.”

Fans can follow the trajectory of the SpaceX mission onthe company’s official website.

source: people.com