Finally, we have a launch date (sort of)

SpaceX announced that it will launch the Dragon spacecraft with the Polaris Dawn mission into space no earlier than July 31 (To clarify, it means they are targeting to launch on July 31st)

Polaris Dawn is a private space mission funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman. The mission's goal is to fly higher than any human spaceflight since the Apollo missions to the Moon in the '60s and '70s. They will fly at an altitude of 700 kilometers above Earth, which is significantly higher than the International Space Station orbits at an altitude of 400 kilometers. The crew will make the first-ever private spacewalks. They will also test Starlink in-space communications for future space missions to the Moon, Mars, and maybe even beyond.

As anyone can expect, Elon Musk is behind all this. They have modified its Dragon spacecraft and developed new spacesuits to support the mission. We all know they are challenging the impossible with those epic Starship rockets. Now they are about to push the limits of what they can do with Dragon.

Do you think the Polaris Dawn is larger than life? Don’t be so fast. It is just the first of three missions in the Polaris Program. The second mission will try to lift the Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit to maintain it in outer space. The final mission is the most ambitious one as it will be the first manned flight of Starship. Do you think these missions are too wild to be true? I was also one of those doubters when the Polaris Program was announced in 2022. But once the world witness private astronauts performing skywalks, all those doubters will turn into the most enthusiastic believers.

Of the billions of people who have called Earth home, merely 600 have escaped gravity and traveled outside Earth's atmosphere. These missions will test and demonstrate technologies to not only return to the Moon but also those necessary to build habitats on the Moon.

The Polaris Program is important as it will mark the beginning of a new era in which space will be increasingly accessible to civilians like us. Yes, there could be delays and missed steps. But I am very confident that it will eventually happen as long as missions are fueled by the ambition, capabilities, and resources of SpaceX. 

Actually, what I am really doubtful about is if SpaceX will become a monopoly tycoon like railroad barons in the 19th century, or become Henry Ford of our time by reducing the cost of space exploration for all.

Well, we will have to wait and see.

#spacex #polaris #space