Four civilians are set to attempt the first private spacewalk in history Thursday — a dangerous maneuver normally reserved for government astronauts. The ambitious mission, called Polaris Dawn, is being carried out aboard a SpaceX capsule and launched Tuesday.
• Also read: A billionaire, a pilot and two employees: SpaceX’s first private spacewalk takes off
So who are these pioneers of private space exploration?
Jared Isaacman, billionaire
Billionaire Jared Isaacman is behind the mission, which he is financially involved in and commanding.
The 41-year-old American from Pennsylvania is the CEO of the financial company Shift4, which he founded when he was 16 from the basement of his family home.
A seasoned pilot, he holds several air records and is qualified to fly military aircraft.
In 2021, he had already been to space aboard another SpaceX mission that he had chartered, Inspiration4, the first orbital to not include any professional astronauts.
Married and father of two daughters, he has always been passionate about space exploration and supports SpaceX’s goal of making humanity a multi-planetary species.
“Throughout Earth’s history, there have been periods when humans, had they existed, would have been wiped out,” he wrote on X in late August. “If there is a path to ensure humanity’s survival … it seems irresponsible not to follow it.”
SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon
For the first time, SpaceX has sent two people working within the company into space.
Sarah Gillis is in charge of the astronaut training program on SpaceX’s spacecraft, and had trained Jared Isaacman for Inspiration4. Her husband also works for Elon Musk’s company, and helped develop the propulsion system for the spacecraft she is currently flying in.
She studied aerospace engineering and is also a talented violinist.
Anna Menon worked for NASA before joining SpaceX. Author of a children’s book about space, she will read an excerpt during the mission and the proceeds from its sale will go to a pediatric hospital.
Her husband, Anil Menon, has been selected by NASA to become an astronaut in 2021. But unlike her, he has never been to space.
Both have also undergone medical training to know how to react in the event of an emergency in orbit.
Scott Poteet, pilot
Scott Poteet flew fighter jets for 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, including with the prestigious Thunderbirds aerobatic squadron. Naturally, he was the pilot for the mission.
Close to Jared Isaacman, this triathlete has worked for several of the billionaire’s companies.
