SpaceX is set to make history again when the world's second all-civilian space mission takes off on August 26 from a Florida spaceport.
Commanded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission will push the boundaries of private space travel with the first civilian spacewalk.
US Air Force Lt Col Scott Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon will also be on board when the spacecraft takes off on a Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule.
Mr Isaacman, chief executive of payment-processing company Shift4, is organising the trip with SpaceX through his self-funded Polaris Programme.
It involves two other missions, the last being the first human space flight on SpaceX's deep-space rocket Starship.
In 2021, Mr Isaacman funded Inspiration4, the world's first private space flight, in which he and three others flew around the Earth for three days.
The flight helped him prepare for more daring missions under the Polaris Programme, with this month's set to achieve several milestones in space travel.
Reaching new heights
The mission will involve the Dragon capsule flying about 700km above Earth – taking the crew further than any humans since the Apollo era, which ended in 1972.
This altitude would surpass previous SpaceX missions and offer an opportunity to study the effects of space travel at such heights.
It will demonstrate Dragon’s capabilities and it is hoped crucial data can be gathered for future missions involving deeper space exploration, including potential lunar missions.
First private spacewalk
Mr Isaacman and Ms Gillis are expected to walk in space for about two hours, entering the history books as the first civilians to achieve the feat.
SpaceX has developed a new spacesuit for the walk, designed to improve flexibility and mobility.
It includes a high-tech helmet and enhanced thermal management systems to maintain astronauts' comfort in space.
Testing Starlink in space
The mission will also test SpaceX’s Starlink communications system in space for the first time.
Currently, the Starlink fleet is used to provide high-speed internet access to remote and underserved areas worldwide.
It is hoped the test during the Polaris Dawn mission will demonstrate how well the laser connection is between Starlink satellites and the Dragon capsule.
It could enhance data transmission speeds and reliability, and is crucial for maintaining high-speed communication networks in space.
These are vital for the success of future long-duration missions.
Looking ahead
Polaris Dawn has been delayed several times – most recently the planned launch on July 31 – due to scheduling conflicts and the complexity of the mission.
SpaceX plans to launch Polaris II in 2025-26.
The third Polaris mission is scheduled to features the first crewed flight of the SpaceX Starship but the timetable is uncertain, as the rocket has yet to start commercial operations.
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Cricket World Cup League Two
Oman, UAE, Namibia
Al Amerat, Muscat
Results
Oman beat UAE by five wickets
UAE beat Namibia by eight runs
Fixtures
Wednesday January 8 –Oman v Namibia
Thursday January 9 – Oman v UAE
Saturday January 11 – UAE v Namibia
Sunday January 12 – Oman v Namibia
Sholto Byrnes on Myanmar politics
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Paatal Lok season two
Directors: Avinash Arun, Prosit Roy
Stars: Jaideep Ahlawat, Ishwak Singh, Lc Sekhose, Merenla Imsong
Rating: 4.5/5
UK-EU trade at a glance
EU fishing vessels guaranteed access to UK waters for 12 years
Co-operation on security initiatives and procurement of defence products
Youth experience scheme to work, study or volunteer in UK and EU countries
Smoother border management with use of e-gates
Cutting red tape on import and export of food
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
MOUNTAINHEAD REVIEW
Starring: Ramy Youssef, Steve Carell, Jason Schwartzman
Director: Jesse Armstrong
Rating: 3.5/5
Gertrude Bell's life in focus
A feature film
At one point, two feature films were in the works, but only German director Werner Herzog’s project starring Nicole Kidman would be made. While there were high hopes he would do a worthy job of directing the biopic, when Queen of the Desert arrived in 2015 it was a disappointment. Critics panned the film, in which Herzog largely glossed over Bell’s political work in favour of her ill-fated romances.
A documentary
A project that did do justice to Bell arrived the next year: Sabine Krayenbuhl and Zeva Oelbaum’s Letters from Baghdad: The Extraordinary Life and Times of Gertrude Bell. Drawing on more than 1,000 pieces of archival footage, 1,700 documents and 1,600 letters, the filmmakers painstakingly pieced together a compelling narrative that managed to convey both the depth of Bell’s experience and her tortured love life.
Books, letters and archives
Two biographies have been written about Bell, and both are worth reading: Georgina Howell’s 2006 book Queen of the Desert and Janet Wallach’s 1996 effort Desert Queen. Bell published several books documenting her travels and there are also several volumes of her letters, although they are hard to find in print. Original documents are housed at the Gertrude Bell Archive at the University of Newcastle, which has an online catalogue.
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'Brazen'
Director: Monika Mitchell
Starring: Alyssa Milano, Sam Page, Colleen Wheeler
Rating: 3/5
