Quantcast

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission achieves historic private spacewalk

Qantas launches mammoth Asia flight sale including Bali and Japan
New Update from Air Canada, WestJet, American Airlines, Delta, United, Southwest, Alaska, JetBlue Airways, and Sunwing: Airline Capacity Between Canada and US Slashed as Bookings Plummet Seventy Per Cent
Delta Cuts Two Domestic Routes
United Airlines Technicians Reject ‘Dead on Arrival’ Contract Proposal, Teamsters Say
The State of the Asia Pacific Airline Industry
Spirit Airlines to add Detroit nonstop flight out of Bradley International Airport
Major airline to launch new direct flights from Scotland to North America
Ryanair launches new ‘prime’ membership which saves passengers more than £400 a year
Judge Orders Boeing to Trial on 737 MAX Case
Qantas’ free international Wi-Fi to switch on from next week
The real reason Southwest is charging for bags now
Air France-KLM in ongoing talks with Air Europa on potential stake, CEO says
Frontier Savagely Shades Southwest After They Eliminated Longstanding Free Bag Policy, Sparking Backlash
Frontier Wants You to 'Divorce Your Old Airline' After Southwest Changes
Delta named one of Fast Company's Most Innovative Companies for sustainability initiatives
Passengers escape fiery American Airlines jet in Denver
Delta, American Dive On Slashed Outlooks; But Two Airlines Rally
Competitors are circling Southwest after the airline announced it's going to start charging for checked bags
Exclusive: Dominican Low-Cost Carrier Arajet Wants to Disrupt NYC Market
Boeing deliveries rise 63% in February from a year earlier
Transportation Secretary Duffy Lays Out 10 Ways the FAA Is Working to Upgrade Air Traffic Control and Make Flying Safer
EasyJet pilot Paul Elsworth suspended after flying too close to mountain
Delta Air Lines bets on ‘blended-wing’ flight to reduce emissions
Europe's airlines pivot to bite size M&A deals to limit cost, regulatory burden
Dave Emerson named new CEO of Virgin Australia, replacing Jayne Hrdlicka
Ryanair DELAYS controversial new boarding pass rule to avoid summer chaos
FAA Orders Inspection, Replacement of 737NG Engine Parts
Spirit Adds New Airport, Three Routes
Delta crash passengers should take the $30,000 payment, their lawyers say. Here’s why.
Budget airline launches new cheap flights to one of the UK’s top winter sun destinations
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission achieves historic private spacewalk
Policy
Webp gehpas32xjipe75msj720gh7ylnv
JSX Plane | Official Website

Technology entrepreneur and space/aviation enthusiast Jared Isaacman launched Tuesday, September 10, on the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission. Powered by a Falcon 9 rocket, Polaris Dawn is the first of three privately funded flights. Isaacman is joined by fellow crew members Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a close friend and retired USAF pilot, along with SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.

Dubbed “Resilience,” the spacecraft has already bested the distance any human has traveled into space since NASA's Apollo program in the 1970s. The crew, protected from heightened radiation levels by their extravehicular-activity space suits, has already reached the Van Allen belt region.

Having performed more than 40 scientific experiments after achieving the mission’s peak altitude of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles), the crew anticipates participating in the first privately sponsored extravehicular activity (EVA) excursion in history tomorrow—Day 3 of the mission. Because Resilience is not configured with an air lock, the entire cabin must be depressurized for the spacewalk. All four crew members must secure their space suits even though only Isaacman and Gillis plan to exit the spacecraft.

Get the Newsletter
Sign-up to receive weekly round up of news from Sky Industry News
By submitting, you agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Service. By providing your phone number you are opting in and consenting to receive recurring SMS/MMS messages, including automated texts, to that number from our short code. Msg & data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help, STOP to end. SMS opt-in will not be sold, rented, or shared.

The overarching goal of the Polaris Dawn mission is to further SpaceX’s broader ambition of promoting interplanetary human experience. Gillis said, "So far only countries have been able to perform a spacewalk. SpaceX has huge ambitions to get to Mars and make life multi-planetary. In order to get there, we need to start somewhere."

Update: Mission leader Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis successfully performed the first privately-funded spacewalk early this morning (September 12). At 435 miles above Earth, they exited the spacecraft at 6:12 am EDT. Isaacman said while standing in the hatch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, “Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”

Correction: A previous version of this story misstated the peak altitude of the mission.

Organizations Included in this History
More News

IndiGo has launched a new service from Mumbai to Seychelles, marking the first Indian carrier to operate this route in two decades.

Apr 1, 2025

Delta Air Lines has made changes to its flight operations between Detroit and Los Angeles, removing the Airbus A350-900 from the route's schedule.

Apr 1, 2025

Allegiant Air has announced the appointment of Victor Cipolla as manager of Inflight Training Operations.

Mar 31, 2025

Ethiopian Airlines has announced the official launch of a global cabin crew training program by Ethiopian Aviation University.

Mar 31, 2025

Atlas Air has announced that certified flight instructors from the Atlas Cadet Academy have commenced hands-on professional development at the Atlas Training Center.

Mar 31, 2025

Hector Nazario, the husband of Kenia Nazario, who is employed at Flying Food Group (FFG), expressed concerns about the union Unite Here.

Mar 31, 2025