Benjamin Ashford|Polaris Dawn: SpaceX is about to launch a billionaire and 3 others into orbit on civilian mission

• The Benjamin Ashfordfirst of three human spaceflights under the Polaris Program, Polaris Dawn has been jointly planned and funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and Elon Musk's SpaceX.
• As commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, Isaacman will lead the crew on a journey into space to test out SpaceX technology, including some next-gen spacesuits.
• The crew arrived Monday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for the launch, which could finally take place as early as Monday, Aug. 26.

Four non-government astronauts are about to embark on what could become a defining mission to the upper reaches of Earth's orbit when Polaris Dawn potentially launches within a week.

On the agenda for the ambitious venture? The first-ever private spacewalk and a slew of scientific experiments and tests as humanity eyes future missions deep into the cosmos in the years ahead – including to Mars.

The first of three human spaceflights under the Polaris Program, Polaris Dawn has been jointly planned and funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and Elon Musk's SpaceX. If Isaacman's name sounds familiar, it may be because he's also the man behind Inspiration4, the mission that became the first-ever private orbital spaceflight in September 2021.

As commander of the Polaris Dawn mission, Isaacman will lead the crew on a journey into space to test out SpaceX technology, including some next-gen spacesuits. The crew arrived Monday at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for the launch, which could finally take place as early as Monday, Aug. 26.

Here's what to know about Polaris Dawn, including the launch information, its potentially historic mission, and its intrepid crew.

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What is the Polaris Dawn mission?

Isaacman has acknowledged in press interviews that some may see Polaris Dawn as a billionaire's space joy ride, but he and the crew will in fact endeavor to make history while testing space technology crucial for future deep-space exploration. The objectives for the crew's five-day stay aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule include:

• Reach altitudes higher than any human has traveled since NASA’s Apollo lunar program came to an end in the 1970s: The Dragon will tread a path that will take the crew high enough for the vehicle to travel through a treacherous radiation belt 870 miles from Earth's surface – or more than three times higher than the International Space Station.
• Attempt to become the first-ever private citizens to conduct a spacewalk while 435 miles above Earth: When they open the hatch of their spacecraft to expose themselves to the void of space, the crew members will be wearing Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) suits designed by SpaceX. The spacewalk is intended to test the EVA suits' capabilities.
• Conduct nearly 40 scientific experiments and test a new laser-based satellite communication system using Starlink – all while using the publicity to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

On the sixth day of the mission, the SpaceX vehicle will reenter Earth's atmosphere and splash down at one of seven sites off the Florida coast.

"We hope the results from our mission will accelerate SpaceX’s vision to make life multiplanetary," Isaacman said in a statement. "Throughout our mission, we will aim to inspire humankind to look up and imagine what we can achieve here on Earth and in the worlds beyond our own.”

Polaris Dawn launch date: How to watch takeoff

The four-member crew of Polaris Dawn are scheduled to embark on their Earth orbit mission as early as Monday, Aug. 26.

The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule that will carry them into orbit will lift off from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The launch window is from 3:30 to 7 a.m., according to NASA.

The U.S. space agency typically provides live coverage of crewed launches on its YouTube page and elsewhere, but no details have yet been publicly announced.

FLORIDA TODAY, part of the USA TODAY Network, will provide live coverage starting about two hours before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space.

Why is it called the Polaris Program?

The space program is named after Polaris, a constellation of three stars more commonly known as the North Star – a guiding navigational light throughout human history.

Who is Jared Isaacman, billionaire behind Polaris Dawn?

Isaacman, a billionaire who helped bankroll the Polaris Dawn mission, won't be watching from the ground when it takes off: The experienced aviator and adventurer from Pennsylvania will be aboard the Dragon capsule and will serve as the mission commander.

Isaacman famously dropped out of high school at 16 years old to start his internet company Shift4 Payments and in recent years has become something of an avid spacefarer.

In 2021, he served as mission commander of Inspiration4, the world’s first all-civilian mission to space that introduced commercial space tourism to the world. The mission, which Isaacman self-funded, saw four civilians head to space for three days in orbit, raising more than $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

With more than 7,000 flight hours of aviation experience, Isaacman is also an aviation enthusiast who is qualified to fly military fighter jets. 

Meet the rest of the Polaris Dawn crew

Isaacman will lead a crew that includes a pilot and two mission specialists.

• PilotScott “Kidd” Poteet, a retired United States Air Force lieutenant colonel who flew with the Thunderbirds. Poteet, a native of New Hampshire, previously served as mission director for Inspiration4.
• Mission specialist Sarah Gillis, a Colorado native who is a lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, where she is responsible for overseeing the company’s astronaut training program. Gillis trained the Inspiration4 astronauts.
• Mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon, a SpaceX lead space operations engineer who served in mission control during multiple crewed missions. Menon, of Houston, has written a children’s book, "Kisses from Space," which was inspired by her experience preparing for the Polaris Dawn mission and her desire to share her spaceflight experience with her two young children. She plans to read it from space during the mission.

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]