The first private space operation from SpaceX will take place in August 2024: what is known

The private manned Polaris Dawn mission, after several postponements, is ready for launch, which is scheduled for August 27, 2024. The mission will go into space on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. The four-member crew, which includes billionaire Jared Isaacman, a former military fighter pilot, as well as two SpaceX employees, has already arrived at the site for final preparations.
The team underwent more than two years of preparation for the mission, which was originally scheduled for August 26 but was delayed by a day to complete pre-flight checks, as informs Space.
The mission will last five days, during which the Crew Dragon spacecraft will reach an altitude of 1,400 km, the highest for a manned mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. After 10 hours at this altitude, the craft will descend to 700 km, where Jared Isaacman and his colleague Sarah Gillis will enter outer space. In addition, the crew will test laser communication between SpaceX Starlink satellites and perform about 40 scientific experiments. The mission will end with the crash of the Crew Dragon off the coast of Florida.
One of the main events of the mission will be the first-ever private spacewalk aboard Crew Dragon. During the two-hour stay in space, the astronauts will test the new EVA spacesuit developed by SpaceX, and the collected data will be transmitted to engineers to improve the equipment.
This flight is another step on the way to establishing colonies on Mars, which is part of the ambitions of Elon Musk’s company. According to Jared Isaacman, who is funding the mission, this risky move could affect the future of humanity as writes Reuters.
SpaceX continues to set new records in space exploration. After the Inspiration4 mission in 2021 became the first all-civilian private mission to Earth orbit, Polaris Dawn further strengthens SpaceX’s position in commercial spaceflight.
Space tourism, however, has its environmental consequences. Over the past 60 years, about 600 people have been in space, most of whom were professional astronauts, but among them there were also private individuals. Although the cost of space travel has come down significantly, its environmental impact is still a concern, especially due to greenhouse gas emissions.
According to experts, rockets running on hydrogen have less harmful emissions than traditional fuel systems. However, current rockets still produce significant amounts of greenhouse gases, such as carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides, which have a negative impact on the atmosphere. The use of space rockets is projected to increase by 6% over the next decade, which could increase the impact on the ozone layer and the overall environmental situation.
Analyst David Wade of the Atrium Space Insurance Consortium believes spaceflight could have a positive impact, including raising environmental awareness, similar to how pictures of the Earth from the moon sparked the environmental movement in the 1960s.