He’s an impressive man. I met Jared Isaacman two years ago in Houston at a NASA astronaut reunion. He struck me as a smart young man. Professional, no ego. A level-headed, intelligent adventurer with deep pockets and the dream of space travel that many people have.
A year before this encounter, in 2021, Isaacman flew the first ever private space mission. He chartered one The DragonA SpaceX capsule launched into orbit with a nurse, an aerospace engineer and a geologist. Next week, he’ll head back into space for an even bigger adventure.
Flying high and walking in space
During that second space flight, Polaris DawnIsaacman wants to push the boundaries of commercial space travel even further. He flies at an altitude of 700 kilometers. The last time humans reached that altitude was in 1972 with Apollo 17. Isaacman then conducted the first commercial spacewalk there.
I’ve said before that spacewalking is not without risk. So when Isaacman presented his plans at a reunion in Houston, I saw many colleagues raise their eyebrows. Some wondered aloud whether it was all plausible.
Three rookies and a veteran
With the Polaris Dawn mission, Isaacman is once again bringing with him three citizens who have never been to space before. Sarah Gillis, who joined him on the first commercial spacewalk, is SpaceX’s head of astronaut training. Anna Menon also works for SpaceX as its chief space operations engineer. Scott Poteet is a retired U.S. Air Force test pilot.
SpaceX redesigns suit and capsule
Especially for Polaris DawnMission: SpaceX designed The Dragon– Modified capsule. People can now exit the space station docking mechanism where it is normally located. As a result, the entire crew is exposed to the vacuum of space.
SpaceX’s spacesuits have also been redesigned. They now have better insulation and cooling, a sun shield, and a fuse cable. And because SpaceX loves gadgets, they have one, too. Show heads To read the status of the suit and spaceship.
“Escape the Holiday” with Serious Goals
In addition to the first commercial spacewalk, the people aboard Polaris Dawn have three other mission goals. They are flying at high altitudes (700 kilometers) to search for cosmic radiation there, they are the first crew on a spacecraft to test laser communication for the Starlink satellite network, and they are conducting scientific research, among other things, into decompression sickness and eye pressure. All crew members.
From billionaire to common man
I’ve been following the second mission of this remarkable adventurer with great interest. Isaacman is no ordinary space tourist. He’s serious about his goal: to push the boundaries of commercial space travel and show what you can do as a citizen of space.
Right now only billionaires like Isaacman can afford such a space flight. And in ten years they will be millionaires. How long will it be before you and I can buy a tourist ticket to space?
Curious about more from Kuiper and the universe? For example, Andre talks about a hotel on the moon under construction, travelers stranded in space, and artificial intelligence in space travel.
Do you have advice for Kuipers and the universe or a question about the universe, space travel or sustainability? Send an email to [email protected]. André Kuipers answers most of the original posts in this section every month.
Astronaut André Kuipers (1958) lived and worked in space for 204 days. He is trained as a doctor, but he advises you not to consult him. You can call him with questions about space travel, astronomy, and sustainability. He speaks on these topics in books, on television, and on stage. He is your perfect guide to extraterrestrial life, a subject that has fascinated him his entire life.
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