Polaris program

{{about|the spaceflight program|other projects and programs|Polaris (disambiguation)}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=August 2024}}{{Infobox space program

| name = Polaris

| image = File:Polaris program Logo.svg

| alt =

| country = United States

| organization = SpaceX

| status = Active

| duration = 2022–present

| launchsite = {{Unbulleted list

| Kennedy, LC{{nbhyph}}39A

}}

| crewvehicle = {{Unbulleted list

| Crew Dragon

| Starship

}}

| launcher = {{Unbulleted list

| Falcon 9

| SpaceX Starship

}}

The Polaris program is a private spaceflight program organized by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. Building on his experience as commander of the Inspiration4 mission—the first all-civilian spaceflight—Isaacman contracted with SpaceX to establish Polaris. The program involves two missions using SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft and is planned to culminate in the first crewed launch on Starship. The first mission, Polaris Dawn, launched in 2024 and featured the first commercial spacewalk. After being nominated to be Administrator of NASA, Isaacman pledged that, if confirmed, he would cancel his contract with SpaceX for the additional missions, to remove a potential conflict of interest with one of the agency's biggest contractors.{{Cite web |last=Berger |first=Eric |date=2025-03-25 |title=Momentum seems to be building for Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/03/momentum-seems-to-be-building-for-jared-isaacman-to-become-nasa-administrator/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-US}}

Flights

class="wikitable" ! Mission name !! Launch date (UTC) !! Launch vehicle !! Spacecraft !! Orbit !! Crew !! Outcome
Polaris Dawn (Mission I)	{{Start date text\|10 September 2024, 09:23:49\|timezone=yes}}	Falcon 9 Block 5	Crew Dragon (C207.3 Resilience)	LEO, {{Convert\|1400\|km\|abbr=on}} max apogee.{{Cite web \|title=Polaris Dawn \|url= https://polarisprogram.com/dawn/ \|access-date=21 August 2024 \|website=Polaris Dawn \|archive-date=31 May 2022\|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220531132206/https://polarisprogram.com/dawn/ \|url-status=live}}	\| {{Unbulleted list\| {{flagicon\|USA}} Jared Isaacman \| {{flagicon\|USA}} Scott Poteet \| {{flagicon\|USA}} Sarah Gillis \| {{flagicon\|USA}} Anna Menon }}	{{Success}}
Mission II	TBA	Falcon 9 Block 5	Crew Dragon TBA	TBA	{{Unbulleted list\|{{Nowrap\|{{Flagicon\|USA}} Jared Isaacman}}\|others TBA}}	{{Planned}}
Mission III	TBA	Starship	Starship	TBA	{{Unbulleted list\|{{Nowrap\|{{Flagicon\|USA}} Jared Isaacman}}\|others TBA}}	{{Planned}}

= Polaris Dawn =

On 10 September 2024, The Polaris Dawn mission propelled Isaacman and his crew of three—Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon—to an elliptical orbit 1,400 kilometres (870 mi) away from Earth. This was farthest anyone had been from Earth since NASA's Apollo program. They passed through parts of the Van Allen radiation belt to study the health effects of space radiation and spaceflight on the human body.{{cite news |title=Polaris Dawn takes to the skies, setting the stage for a daring private spacewalk |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/bold-private-spaceflight-begins-early-tuesday-with-a-break-in-the-weather/ |last=Berger |first=Eric |work=Ars Technica |date=10 September 2024 |access-date=13 September 2024 |archive-date=12 September 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240912135343/https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/bold-private-spaceflight-begins-early-tuesday-with-a-break-in-the-weather/ |url-status=live }} Later in the mission, with a lower apogee, Isaacman and Gillis successfully completed the first commercial spacewalk and tested the mobility and functionality of SpaceX's EVA spacesuit.{{cite news |title=Two private astronauts took a spacewalk Thursday morning—yes, it was historic |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/two-private-astronauts-took-a-spacewalk-thursday-morning-yes-it-was-historic/ |last=Berger |first=Eric |work=Ars Technica |date=12 September 2024 |access-date=13 September 2024 |archive-date=12 September 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240912234906/https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/two-private-astronauts-took-a-spacewalk-thursday-morning-yes-it-was-historic/ |url-status=live }}

= Mission II =

The second mission in the Polaris Program will launch via a Falcon 9 Block 5 vehicle with a Crew Dragon capsule. SpaceX and Polaris had studied a crewed mission to lift the Hubble Space Telescope into a higher orbit to prevent it from burning up in the atmosphere,{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |date=29 September 2022 |title=NASA May Let Billionaire Astronaut and SpaceX Lift Hubble Telescope |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/science/nasa-hubble-spacex-polaris.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20240506080614/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/science/nasa-hubble-spacex-polaris.html |archive-date=6 May 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=25 April 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post}}{{Cite web |last=Gianopoulos |first=Andrea |date=22 December 2022 |title=NASA, SpaceX to Study Hubble Telescope Reboost Possibility |url= https://www.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasa-spacex-to-study-hubble-telescope-reboost-possibility/ |access-date=8 May 2024 |website=NASA.gov |language=en-US}} but this option was rejected by NASA in June 2024. Data obtained through Polaris Dawn will inform the objectives and timing of Mission II.

= Mission III =

The third Polaris mission was set to be the first crewed launch on Starship, SpaceX's next-generation launch system.{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url= https://spacenews.com/crew-dragon-splashes-down-to-conclude-polaris-dawn-mission/ |title=Crew Dragon splashes down to conclude Polaris Dawn mission |work=SpaceNews |date=15 September 2024 |access-date=15 September 2024}} Starship was in early flight testing as of December 2024 and was expected to carry crew after making at least 100 successful cargo flights, though this was not a firm requirement.{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url= https://spacenews.com/shotwell-says-spacex-ready-for-starship-static-fire-test/ |title=Shotwell says SpaceX ready for Starship static-fire test |work=SpaceNews |date=8 February 2023 |access-date=15 September 2024 |quote=[Shotwell] said she expected Starship to fly at least 100 times before it carries people for the first time [...] In her later conversation with reporters, she called that 100-flight milestone a "great goal" but suggested it was not a requirement. |archive-date=15 September 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240915223734/https://spacenews.com/shotwell-says-spacex-ready-for-starship-static-fire-test/ |url-status=live }} This is the final listed flight of the Polaris Program.{{cite web |last1=Sheetz |first1=Michael |date=14 February 2022 |title=Billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman buys more private SpaceX flights, including one on Starship |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-buys-private-spacex-flights-for-polaris-program.html |access-date=15 February 2022 |website=CNBC |language=en |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220214154234/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-buys-private-spacex-flights-for-polaris-program.html |url-status=live }}{{Cite news |last=Davenport |first=Christian |date=14 February 2022 |title=Jared Isaacman, who led the first all-private astronaut mission to orbit, has commissioned 3 more flights from SpaceX |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-polaris-spacex-starship-inspiration4/ |access-date=15 February 2022 |work=Washington Post |archive-date=24 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220224031352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-polaris-spacex-starship-inspiration4/ |url-status=live }}