SpaceX's first commercial spacewalk: Who are the crew members aboard the flight?

Described as the mission that will reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown.

Senior WriterLos Angeles

AUGUST 26, 2024 2:25 PM EDTAUG 26, 2024, 2:25 PM EDT

The PolarisDawn flight is almost ready to depart. Space X is putting the final details to the first commercial spacewalk, with the crew wearing special SpaceX-designed suits, which will be directly connected to the spacecraft by umbilical and safety tethers.

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Aboard the flight, Jared Isaacman, who already experienced the 2021 SpaceX Crew Dragon is set to join three other crew members, but this time they will spend 15 minutes each outside the ship while wearing the suits, featuring the 12-foot-long connectors.

Jared is known to be a billionaire, philanthropist, and modern astronaut. He is now spearheading a new phase in Space Exploration and previously commanded the SpaceX Inspiration4 mission. The upcoming flight has been described as the mission that will reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown.

The Polaris Dawn flight crew: Mission Commander Jared Isaacman, Mission pilot Scott Poteet, mission specialist and medical officer Anna Menon and mission specialist Sarah Gillis gather to do a board a zero gravity plane as they prepare for their scheduled launch aboard SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket that will launch the Polaris Dawn mission

"Life is short, and you only have so much time to make as much of an impact as you possibly can," he said to CBS News. "It is not without risk, and you're taking that risk because you want to advance the ball forward, things that help SpaceX open up this frontier for everyone, for lots of people."

Polaris Dawn will be a human spaceflight to orbit Earth with only private citizens on board will spend up to five days in orbit and plan to complete a spacewalk.

Another member of the crew is Anna Menon, who is an engineer leading space operations at SpaceX. Joined by Scott 'Kidd' Poteet, known to be a retired pilot from the United States Air Force. “I am not scared at all,” he recently revealed, following his longtime experience as a pilot.

Also aboard the flight, Sarah Gillis is set to depart with the other three crew members. She is a Lead Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX and is responsible for overseeing the company's astronaut training program.

"This will be the first spacewalk by a commercial company and the furthest from Earth anyone has traveled in over half a century!" Elon Musk shared, admitting his excitement.