Polaris program
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| Program overview | |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Organization | SpaceX |
| Status | Planned |
| Program history | |
| Duration | 2022–present |
| Launch site(s) |
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| Vehicle information | |
| Crewed vehicle(s) | |
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ThePolaris Programis a plannedhuman spaceflightprogram organized by businessman andcommercial astronautJared Isaacman.[1]Isaacman, who commanded the first all-civilian spaceflight—Inspiration4—in September 2021, purchased flights fromSpaceXin order to create the Polaris Program. The first two flights will use the SpaceXCrew Dragonspacecraft, while the third flight is planned to be the first crewedStarshipflight.[1][2]Polaris Dawn,the first flight, will attempt the first private spacewalk.[3]
NASAand SpaceX signed in September 2022 with the Polaris program an unfundedSpace Act Agreementto study the feasibility of aSpaceXand Polaris Program mission to boost theHubble Space Telescopeinto a higher orbit with theCrew Dragon.[4][needs update]
Flights
[edit]| Mission Name | Launch Date | Launch Vehicle | Spacecraft | Orbit | Crew |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polaris Dawn(Mission I) | NET31 July 2024 (planned)[5] | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew Dragon(C207.3Resilience) ♺ | LEO,1400 km max altitude[6] | |
| Mission II | TBA | Falcon 9 Block 5 | Crew Dragon | TBA |  Jared Isaacmanothers TBA |
| Mission III | TBA | Starship launch vehicle | Starship spacecraft | TBA | Jared Isaacman others TBA |
Polaris Dawn
[edit]Launching as soon as the Summer of 2024,Polaris Dawnwill be launched from Earth to Low Earth Orbit reaching an apogee of approximately 1400 km (the highest Earth orbit ever flown by a crewed mission). It will involve the first ever private spacewalk and fly through portions of theVan Allen radiation belt.The mission will launch via aFalcon 9 Block 5vehicle with aCrew Dragoncapsule, involving research in the human health impact, radiation, and in-space communications.[5]
Polaris II
[edit]Launching at a date and with a crew yet to be announced, the second mission in the Polaris Program will launch via aFalcon 9 Block 5vehicle with aCrew Dragoncapsule, and could potentially lift theHubble Space Telescopeinto a higher orbit to prevent it from burning up in theatmosphere.[7]
Polaris III
[edit]The third Polaris mission is set to be launched onStarship,SpaceX's next-generation launch system, "very far off in SpaceX’s future." Starship is in early flight testing as of April 2024 and is planned to carry crew only after Starship has made approximately 100 successful cargo flights.[8]This is to be the final flight of the Polaris Program.[1]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^abcSheetz, Michael (14 February 2022)."Billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman buys more private SpaceX flights, including one on Starship".CNBC.Retrieved15 February2022.
- ^Davenport, Christian."Jared Isaacman, who led the first all-private astronaut mission to orbit, has commissioned 3 more flights from SpaceX".Washington Post.Retrieved15 February2022.
- ^Foust, Jeff (2022-08-01)."December launch planned for Polaris Dawn".SpaceNews.Retrieved2022-08-03.
- ^NASA, SpaceX to Study Hubble Telescope Reboost Possibility,22 December 2022, retrieved 8 May 2024.
- ^ab"Polaris Dawn".Polaris Program.Retrieved2024-02-09.
- ^Foust, Jeff (11 December 2023)."Polaris Dawn rescheduled for April".SpaceNews.Retrieved11 December2023.
- ^Chang, Kenneth (September 29, 2022)."NASA May Let Billionaire Astronaut and SpaceX Lift Hubble Telescope".Washington Post.Archivedfrom the original on May 6, 2024.RetrievedApril 25,2024.
- ^Kurkowski, Seth (April 14, 2024)."Polaris Dawn is getting closer and closer to being launch ready".Space Explored.RetrievedApril 25,2024.
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* denotes unflown vehicles or engines, and future missions or sites. † denotes failed missions, destroyed vehicles, and abandoned sites.
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