Polaris Dawn crew one week after launch
The four private astronauts on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission are a week away from launch after two years of training for a mission they hope will include the world’s first private spacewalk.
American billionaire Jared Isaacman, who previously backed his own Inspiration4 spaceflight with SpaceX, will command the Polaris Dawn mission, the first of three new spaceflights he is purchasing from SpaceX.
Isaacman, pilot Scott “Kid” Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both SpaceX principal space operations engineers, arrived at the launch site at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, on Aug. 19. The launch is scheduled for August 26 at 3:38 a.m. ET (0738 GMT)..
The mission, announced in 2022, will test SpaceX’s new spacesuits during a two-hour spacewalk during the five-day mission. On Aug. 19, the crew spoke to reporters about their upcoming mission.
Read all about it in our concluding story here.From Josh Diener of Space.com.
Doritos Heads to Space With Polaris Dawn
The Polaris Dawn spacecraft will carry some brand new snacks into space when it launches aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience vehicle on August 26.
Doritos is flying a brand new, space-safe Doritos Zero Gravity Cool Ranch chips during the special space flight. The limited-edition flavor is available for purchase online and features an oil-based coating to keep the classic Doritos powdery topping from floating away in weightlessness.
“The limitless possibilities of space have inspired us to push the boundaries of what’s possible,” said Chris Bellinger, chief creative officer, PepsiCo Foods North America, in a statement. “This mission is a testament to our commitment to delivering bold experiences and flavors, even in the most unexpected places.”
You can read more about the new Doritos space in our full story by Robert Perlman. SPACE.com Collection.
“Infuriatingly humble alcohol fanatic. Unapologetic beer practitioner. Analyst.”