How Billionaire Jared Isaacman uses fighter jets to prepare his crew for SpaceX’s special missions

“We want to use a lot of time before that [the launch] In order to train as much as possible, Isakman said, adding that “using combat aircraft is a great analogue” for spaceflight. It follows a practice used by NASA with its astronaut teams.

While Polaris Dawn was initially planned for the last quarter of 2022, Isaacman said the mission launch is expected to take place “early next year.” It’s the first of as many as three missions, and the last one is expected to be the first manned launch of SpaceX’s Starship rocket.

Isaacman outlined the program’s three goals: to go to the highest Earth orbit humans have ever flown, conduct a spacewalk outside the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, and use Starlink satellites to communicate. He also said that about 40 scientific and research payloads will fly on the mission.

Isaacman said SpaceX is “making a significant investment” in the project, in the form of developing spacesuits and changing parts of the Crew Dragon spacecraft. Created in partnership with Musk “shortly after the Inspiration4 mission” last year, Isaacman said, it is SpaceX’s first private mission that spent three days in orbit with a crew of four and raised more than $200 million for the Saint. Jewish Children’s Research Hospital.

“I didn’t think I’d go into space again” after Inspiration4, Isaacman said, but “seeing the direction that SpaceX is going with Starship — getting the chance to participate in a real development program…was very exciting.”

– Morgan Brennan reported this story from Bozeman, while Michael Sheetz reported from Paris.