SpaceX launched the Polaris Dawn mission on September 10, 2024, marking an historic moment in space travel because it will be the first to include a commercial spacewalk by private civilians. Four astronauts undertook this maiden effort in space flying aboard a Space X Crew Dragon. This paper looks into the profile of such pioneering people who have made their way into the vacuum of space. There are listed below;
Jared Isaacman: Mission commander and billionaire entrepreneur
The mission commander in the space tourism industry, CEO of Shift4 Payments, is a payment processing company. Jared Isaacman is already a well-acclaimed spacefarer at the age of 41 years, having commanded the very first all-civilian spaceflight to orbit Earth-the Inspiration4 mission, back in 2021.
Isaacman is financing this mission, Polaris Dawn, but he’s also largely in charge. He has invested hundreds of millions into the Polaris Program to develop technologies for future missions to space; even for Mars, maybe one day. During this mission, Polaris Dawn, Isaacman became the first non-government astronaut to do a spacewalk, exiting the spacecraft at about 6:52 a.m. ET. His leadership and vision have been crucial to furthering commercial spaceflight.
Sarah Gillis: Space operations engineer and mission specialist
Sarah Gillis is a 30-year-old mission specialist at SpaceX, who also works as a senior operations engineer in space. Gillis attended the University of Colorado Boulder for a degree in engineering and joined SpaceX as an intern in 2015. Since then, she has earned broad experience in training astronauts and managing safety and flight operations.
Gillis was also assigned to the EVA on the Polaris Dawn mission with Isaacman, where she tried and tested the new mobility and functionality of the newly designed EVA suits. This combination of engineering and actual astronaut training added value to the mission and made her a very valuable crew member.
Scott Poteet: Mission pilot and former air force officer
Mission Pilot Scott Poteet is a veteran who has served more than 20 years in the U.S. Air Force. Poteet will be bringing more than 3,200 flight hours across various aircraft to the Polaris Dawn mission, including time in service on the F-16 fighter jet.
Before being selected to fly on the Polaris mission, Poteet was a Mission Director of the Inspiration4 mission, adding more credentials to his work in private space. His work with Polaris Dawn was not only piloting the spacecraft but also communicating during the spacewalk and working with the mission control team to ensure safety and success for the crew.
Anna Menon: Medical officer and space operations engineer
Anna Menon serves as a medical officer of the mission and one of the lead space operations engineers at SpaceX. During the entirety of the mission, she will be responsible for checking the health and well-being condition of the crew to ensure that they will fit for the various tasks and experiments planned in Polaris Dawn. Menon earned a Master of Science in biomedical engineering from Duke University and has previously worked as a biomedical flight controller for NASA.
During the mission, Menon will be responsible for monitoring the crew’s physiological responses to the peculiar stressors of spaceflight. Her expertise was needed to understand how human bodies react under conditions of microgravity-a huge environmental factor that comes into play during long-duration missions.
Importance of the Polaris Dawn Mission
The mission Polaris Dawn is going to be the most pioneering development in commercial space travel. For the first time, it will also attempt to achieve a few other records, including a commercial spacewalk and conducting 38 scientific experiments with regards to human health in space. This mission will also test new technologies involved, including advanced EVA suits by SpaceX and laser-based communications with Starlink satellites.
Once the crew starts heading back to Earth after their historic effort, the feats of the crew will mark the way for more private missions into space and further the developing process of human spaceflight. The Polaris Program, funded by Isaacman, intends to keep the mission going with other flights, opening the possibilities for commercial space travel and what it may mean in implications for humanity’s future in space.
