Jared Isaacman is about to go where no billionaire has gone before. The entrepreneur is making his second trip to space, this time a « longer, more daring and risky » trip that includes a spacewalk in high Earth orbit, he said. The New York Times. A trip aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule would be a « purely commercial venture » with a crew of private-sector astronauts; NASA has nothing to do with this mission. But it's not just a bystander, say all involved. « The real focus is what we get and what we learn from it, » Isaacman said.
He said his journey was « the most ambitious – and dangerous – private spaceflight ever ». Scientific American. The expedition, called « Polaris Dawn, » will head toward the Van Allen radiation belt surrounding the planet in an « ultrahigh » orbit (no humans have flown since the Apollo moon missions) at an altitude of more than 800 miles. Effects of radiation on humans. Later, it will conduct the first private spacewalk. The overarching purpose of all this? To lay the groundwork for Elon Musk's planned mission to Mars. « It's time to go out, » said SpaceX's Bill Gerstenmeyer. « It's time to explore. »
'Expanding Human Activities in Space'
« When it comes to expanding human activity in space, Polaris Dawn is the real deal, » said Eric Berger. Ars Technica. The flight will « push the ball of exploration forward » thanks to Isaacman, who spent « hundreds of millions of dollars flying into space » to « broaden the window » on who can become an astronaut. The first generation of cheap, thin suits that Isaacman and another crew member will use on their spacewalks could make it easier for future explorers to leave their spacecraft. It is useful. « It's not really a space tourism mission, » Berger said.
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Jackie Wattles said Isaacman « wasn't just interested in replicating what professional astronauts experienced. » CNN. Instead, he « personally exposes himself to danger » by testing new technologies in the « unforgiving vacuum of space. » All with the goal of turning humans into a « multiplanetary species, » a dangerous job. « What Jared is doing — he's not just going for a thrill, » said SpaceX consultant Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut.
'Its Inspirational Page'
« In the Age of Private Spaceflight, Who Can Be an Astronaut? » Briley Lewis said Popular science. Fewer than 700 have ever gone into space, most of them « hardly trained and ridiculously impressive ». Private citizens have been buying their way into space since 2001, starting with investor Dennis Tito, but it hasn't been the rich — planetary scientists, cancer survivors and America's first black astronaut All hitch rides have been in recent years. There is more to come. « Private spaceflight is just beginning, » Lewis said.
Technical achievements were not the only goal of Isaacman's journey. He also believes the work will be « inspiring ». NBC News. « That's the inspiration for it, » he said. « Anything different than what we've seen in the last 20 or 30 years excites people. »
