SpaceX successfully launched the Crew Dragon spacecraft with four astronauts on board as part of the historic Polaris Dawn mission. American billionaire Jared Isaacman, the leader of this expedition, plans to become the first private astronaut to go into outer space and climb to a height that will exceed all flights since NASA’s Apollo missions to the moon. About this informs Associated Press.
This mission is supposed to be the first case of a private spacewalk. However, the flight participants will not dare to go outside the capsule, remaining in relative safety.
“Regarded as one of the riskiest parts of spaceflight, spacewalks have been the exclusive preserve of professional astronauts since the former Soviet Union opened the hatch in 1965, followed by the United States. Today, they are regularly performed on the International Space Station.”, – the publication reminded.
Isaacman, along with a team that includes SpaceX engineers and a former US Air Force fighter pilot, launched aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. Spaceflight is scheduled for Thursday, in the middle of a five-day flight.
One of the mission’s ambitious goals is to climb to a height of 1,400 kilometers, which would surpass the record set by NASA during the Gemini mission in 1966.
“May this mission go down in history, and you return home safe and sound”,” launch director Frank Messina addressed the crew after reaching orbit.
A key goal of the expedition is also to test SpaceX’s new spacesuit, which is designed to resemble the company’s black-and-white suit previously used only for spaceflight.
