SpaceX to launch mission with first civilian spacewalk

LOS ANGELES:

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday to launch a new mission featuring first-ever commercial spacewalk.

Four civilians are set to launch on the mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, which is scheduled to lift off at 3:38 a.m. Eastern Time Tuesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

This will be the first human spaceflight for the crew, consisting of Mission Pilot Kidd Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon.

During their multi-day mission to orbit, the crew and Dragon spacecraft will endeavor to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown since the Apollo program and participate in the first-ever commercial spacewalk, according to SpaceX.

They will also conduct 36 research studies and experiments from 31 partner institutions designed to advance both human health on Earth and during long-duration spaceflight, and test Starlink laser-based communications in space, according to SpaceX.