Jared Isaacman, the wealthy founder of Shift4 Payments, is preparing for his second space trip, the Polaris Dawn. This mission, backed by SpaceX and Elon Musk, aspires to reach the highest orbit ever achieved by a crewed flight, 1,400 kilometres above Earth.
Isaacman will lead a four-person crew that includes SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, on their first orbital voyage.
Isaacman’s spacewalk is a major highlight of the trip since he becomes the first private civilian to venture outside a spacecraft in space. In addition to studying radiation exposure and testing cutting-edge X-ray technologies, the crew will generate data for future Moon and Mars missions.
Isaacman, a seasoned pilot who has previously flown fighter jets and co-founded Draken International, will take on this expedition following his 2021 Inspiration4 journey. As part of the five-day journey, the crew will orbit Earth in an elliptical orbit, prolonging human exploration beyond any previous commercial spaceflight.
The Polaris Dawn project, which was first delayed due to a helium leak, is now poised to launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Isaacman and his crew hope that this expedition will improve space exploration and set new standards for space tourism.
