First-ever private spacewalk in making

MUMBAI: What may become a milestone in space history, US-based

Polaris Dawn mission

's crew will attempt the first-ever

private spacewalk

on August 26. The private mission also plans to land on Moon at a higher altitude, breaking the record set by Nasa’s Apollo missions 50 years ago.
The 3-to-5-day mission, commanded by

billionaire Jared Isaacman

and including three crew members, is expected to achieve an Earth orbit altitude record of 1,400 km.

It will lift off on a

SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket

from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center at 1.08pm IST.
“The Dragon spacecraft will take advantage of SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon’s maximum performance, flying higher than any Dragon mission to date,” Polaris Dawn said.

Orbiting through portions of Van Allen radiation belt, the mission will conduct research to better understand the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health.
It will be the first space crew to test Starlink’s laser-based communications in space, providing important data for future space communication systems necessary for missions to Moon, Mars, and beyond.