London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Sep 15, 2026

Billionaire commissions three more SpaceX flights and plans first private spacewalk

Billionaire commissions three more SpaceX flights and plans first private spacewalk

Jared Isaacman plans to break new ground and fly farther into space than any non-lunar crewed spacecraft has done since 1966.

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire space tourist who led the first all-civilian mission to space, has commissioned three more trips with SpaceX - and plans to conduct a spacewalk on one of them.

The first of these flights could take place by the end of the year and will send the four-person crew further from the Earth than any other human spaceflight since the moon missions.

Both it and the second flight will use SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft, but the third flight is expected to use Starship - which combined with the first stage, known as Super Heavy, will form the largest and most powerful launch vehicle ever assembled.

Mr Isaacman previously went into space with Sian Proctor, Hayley Arceneaux and Chris Sembroski


Speaking to the Washington Post, Mr Isaacman said he hoped the additional flights would "serve the bigger purpose of opening up space for everyone and making humankind a multiplanetary species and, ideally, have a benefit for the things we’re trying to accomplish back here on Earth".

Mr Isaacman and his fellow amateur astronauts orbited the planet every 90 minutes at a speed of more than 17,000mph and an altitude of up to 363 miles during their mission last year, higher than the International Space Station and Hubble Telescope.

The trip raised more than $125m (£92m) for St Jude's Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee.

He said he hopes to break new ground with the next trip by travelling to an altitude greater than any human has gone to since 1966, and has called the missions Polaris after the North Star.

The third mission will launch in SpaceX's new Starship spacecraft


The first launch will be called Polaris Dawn and is planned to feature the first all-civilian spacewalk, but SpaceX's Dragon capsule doesn't have an airlock.

As such the astronauts will be required to wear pressurised spacesuits and sit and wait while the cabin is depressurised before they open the hatch and float in space while tethered to the inside.

The crew for the first flight has already been selected. Alongside Mr Isaacman it includes Scott Potent, a former Air Force pilot who assisted with his previous mission, and two of SpaceX's engineers, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.

Mrs Menon's husband Anil Menon has recently been selected by NASA to join its astronaut corps. She is likely to beat her husband into space.

SpaceX also plans to launch the first ever private lunar mission in 2023, taking Japanese entrepreneur Yusaku Maezawa in a fly-by of the Moon during a week-long journey.

"This flight is an important step toward enabling access for people who dream of traveling to space," the company states.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Doctors Warn Expanded Pharmacy First Scheme Could Put Patients at Risk
British Airlines Cut Short-Haul Capacity as Jet Fuel Costs Rise
UK News Publishers Forecast 40% Search Traffic Drop as AI Overviews Expand
Axel Springer Wins Approval for £575 Million Daily Telegraph Acquisition
London Mayor Sadiq Khan Opposes Heathrow Third Runway Over Climate Targets
Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland Leaders Hold Summit Seeking Greater Autonomy
UK Energy Price Cap Set to Rise to £1,723 in October
UK Treasury Warns Middle East Conflict Is Threatening Economic Growth
Labour Moves to Retrospectively Cap Overseas Political Donations After Reform UK Funding Surge
HMRC Warns Nearly Seven Million Adults Are Unclear About State Pension Entitlements
UK Parliament Passes Sovereign Grant Reform Before Conference Recess
British Rail Passengers Gain Automatic Right to Switch Operators During Disruptions
Burnham Hosts Downing Street Business Summit as UK Fiscal Pressure Builds
Labour Government Moves to Challenge £72 Million in Reform UK Crypto Donations
UK Advertising Industry Warns Wider Junk Food Rules Could Put £1 Billion in Media Spending at Risk
Cornwall Opens Devolution Talks With UK Government Over Transport and Local Services
UK Parliament Considers Sovereign Grant Reform Setting Royal Funding at £99.9 Million
Trades Union Congress Calls for Income-Based Energy Tariff Funded by Higher Bank Levy
UK Prime Minister Rejects Second Scottish Independence Referendum
House of Lords Begins Scrutiny of Bill to Lower UK Voting Age to 16
Anthropic Says Claude Was Exploited in Weapons-Related and State-Linked Cyber Activity
Institute of Directors Urges UK Government to Avoid Business Tax Increases in Autumn Budget
Rising Gilt Yields Cut UK Fiscal Headroom to About £13 Billion Ahead of Budget
UK Economy Grows 0.4% in July as Services and Technology Activity Strengthen
UK Government Promises Clearer Student Loan Guidance After Repayment Backlash
Charities Warn Unpaid Carers May Die Before Receiving Government Compensation
Dover Unrest Prompts Review of UK Counter-Extremism Strategy
Celtic Summit Leaders Reassert Right to Pursue Independence From UK
NHS Records Busiest Summer on Record Amid Severe Heatwaves
Harrods Faces Potential £150 Million Compensation Bill Over Al Fayed Abuse Claims
UK Parliament Opens Debate on Landmark Assisted Dying Legislation
Metropolitan Police Investigate Reform UK Over Alleged Foreign Electoral Donations
UK Economy Expands 0.4% in July as AI Investment Boosts Activity
Bank of England Signals Caution on Rates as Inflation Pressures Persist
Tesco Alerts Police After Scammers Use Its Branding in AI-Generated Fraud
Lindy Cameron Appointed First Female Permanent Under-Secretary at UK Foreign Office
UK Government to Rewrite Student Loan Guidance After Mis-Selling Criticism
Welsh First Minister Warns Andy Burnham Government to Respect Devolution
Trump’s Falkland Islands Remarks Trigger New Diplomatic Tension With Britain
Reform UK Receives Record £72 Million Donation From Cryptocurrency Billionaires
UK Bans Imports From Israeli West Bank Settlements and Sanctions Supporting Institutions
Bayeux Tapestry Draws Large Crowds at British Museum
Cuts to International Aid Raise Concerns Over Fragile Overseas Health Systems
UK Airlines and Logistics Operators Adjust Capacity as Fuel Costs Rise
UK Mortgage Arrears Edge Lower in Second Quarter
UK Government Advances New Devolution Offers for English Councils
UK Parliament Begins Debate on NHS Governance and Single Patient Record Reforms
Andy Burnham Launches Number 10 North Devolution Initiative
UK Parliament Rejects Assisted Dying Bill for Terminally Ill Adults
UK Bans Goods From Israeli Settlements in the Occupied West Bank
×