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{{Short description|Private crewed spaceflight program}}
{{about|the spaceflight program|other projects and programs|Polaris (disambiguation)}}
 {{Infobox space program
| name            = Polaris
| image           = [[File:Polaris program Logo.svg|frameless|class=skin-invert]]
| alt             = 
| country         = United States
| organization    = [[Company:SpaceX|SpaceX]]
| status          = Active
| duration        = 2022–present
| launchsite      = {{Unbulleted list
  | Kennedy, [[Astronomy:Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A|LC{{nbhyph}}39A]]
  | <!-- Starbase --> 
  }}
| crewvehicle     = {{Unbulleted list
  | Crew Dragon
  | [[Engineering:SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)|Starship]]
  }}
| launcher        = {{Unbulleted list
  | [[Engineering:Falcon 9 Block 5|Falcon 9]]
  | [[Engineering:SpaceX Starship|SpaceX Starship]]
  }}
}}
The '''Polaris program''' is a [[Engineering:Private spaceflight|private spaceflight]] program organized by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. Building on his experience as commander of the [[Engineering:Inspiration4|Inspiration4]] mission—the first all-civilian spaceflight—Isaacman contracted with [[Company:SpaceX|SpaceX]] to establish Polaris. The program involves two missions using SpaceX's [[Software:SpaceX Dragon 2|Crew Dragon]] spacecraft and is planned to culminate in the first crewed launch on [[Engineering:SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)|Starship]]. The first mission, [[Engineering:Polaris Dawn|Polaris Dawn]], launched in 2024 and featured the first commercial [[Astronomy:Extravehicular activity|spacewalk]]. After being nominated to be Administrator of NASA, Isaacman pledged that, if confirmed, he would cancel his contract with SpaceX for the additional missions, to remove a potential [[Philosophy:Conflict of interest|conflict of interest]] with one of the agency's biggest contractors.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berger |first=Eric |date=2025-03-25 |title=Momentum seems to be building for Jared Isaacman to become NASA administrator |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2025/03/momentum-seems-to-be-building-for-jared-isaacman-to-become-nasa-administrator/ |access-date=2025-03-26 |website=Ars Technica |language=en-US}}</ref>

==Flights==
{| class="wikitable"
! Mission name !! Launch date ([[Physics:Coordinated Universal Time|UTC]]) !! Launch vehicle !! Spacecraft !! Orbit !! Crew !! Outcome
|-
| [[Engineering:Polaris Dawn|Polaris Dawn]] (Mission&nbsp;I) || {{Start date text|10 September 2024, 09:23:49|timezone=yes}} || Falcon 9 Block&nbsp;5 || Crew Dragon ([[Engineering:Crew Dragon Resilience|C207.3 ''Resilience'']]) || [[Astronomy:Low Earth orbit|LEO]], {{Convert|1400|km|abbr=on}} max [[Astronomy:Apsis|apogee]].<ref name=ars20240910/><ref name=PolarisProgram20240821>{{Cite web |title=Polaris Dawn |url= https://polarisprogram.com/dawn/ |access-date=21 August 2024 |website=Polaris Dawn |archive-date=31 May 2022|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220531132206/https://polarisprogram.com/dawn/ |url-status=live}}</ref> || | {{Unbulleted list| {{flagicon|USA}} Jared Isaacman  | {{flagicon|USA}} Scott Poteet | {{flagicon|USA}} Sarah Gillis | {{flagicon|USA}} Anna Menon }} || {{Success}}
|-

| Mission&nbsp;II || TBA || Falcon 9 Block&nbsp;5|| Crew Dragon TBA || TBA || {{Unbulleted list|{{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|USA}} Jared Isaacman}}|others TBA}} || {{Planned}}
|-
| Mission&nbsp;III || TBA || [[Engineering:SpaceX Starship|Starship]] || [[Engineering:SpaceX Starship (spacecraft)|Starship]] || TBA || {{Unbulleted list|{{Nowrap|{{Flagicon|USA}} Jared Isaacman}}|others TBA}} || {{Planned}}
|}

=== Polaris Dawn ===
{{Main|Engineering:Polaris Dawn}}
On 10 September 2024, The [[Engineering:Polaris Dawn|Polaris Dawn]] mission propelled Isaacman and his crew of three—Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon—to an elliptical orbit 1,400&nbsp;kilometres (870&nbsp;mi) away from Earth. This was the farthest anyone had been from Earth since NASA's [[Astronomy:Apollo program|Apollo program]]. They passed through parts of the [[Astronomy:Van Allen radiation belt|Van Allen radiation belt]] to study the [[Astronomy:Health threat from cosmic rays|health effects of space radiation]] and spaceflight on the human body.<ref name=ars20240910>{{cite news |title=Polaris Dawn takes to the skies, setting the stage for a daring private spacewalk |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/bold-private-spaceflight-begins-early-tuesday-with-a-break-in-the-weather/ |last=Berger |first=Eric |work=[[Ars Technica]] |date=10 September 2024 |access-date=13 September 2024 |archive-date=12 September 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240912135343/https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/bold-private-spaceflight-begins-early-tuesday-with-a-break-in-the-weather/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Later in the mission, with a lower apogee, Isaacman and Gillis successfully completed the first commercial [[Astronomy:Extravehicular activity|spacewalk]] and tested the mobility and functionality of SpaceX's EVA spacesuit.<ref name=ars20240912>{{cite news |title=Two private astronauts took a spacewalk Thursday morning—yes, it was historic |url= https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/two-private-astronauts-took-a-spacewalk-thursday-morning-yes-it-was-historic/ |last=Berger |first=Eric |work=[[Ars Technica]] |date=12 September 2024 |access-date=13 September 2024 |archive-date=12 September 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240912234906/https://arstechnica.com/space/2024/09/two-private-astronauts-took-a-spacewalk-thursday-morning-yes-it-was-historic/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Mission II ===
The second mission in the Polaris Program will launch via a Falcon&nbsp;9 Block&nbsp;5 vehicle with a [[Software:SpaceX Dragon 2|Crew Dragon 2]] capsule. SpaceX and Polaris had studied a crewed mission to lift the [[Astronomy:Hubble Space Telescope|Hubble Space Telescope]] into a higher orbit to prevent it from burning up in the [[Astronomy:Atmosphere|atmosphere]],<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chang |first=Kenneth |date=29 September 2022 |title=NASA May Let Billionaire Astronaut and SpaceX Lift Hubble Telescope |url= https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/science/nasa-hubble-spacex-polaris.html |archive-url= https://archive.today/20240506080614/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/29/science/nasa-hubble-spacex-polaris.html |archive-date=6 May 2024 |url-status=live |access-date=25 April 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post}}</ref><ref name="nasa20221222">{{Cite web |last=Gianopoulos |first=Andrea |date=22 December 2022 |title=NASA, SpaceX to Study Hubble Telescope Reboost Possibility |url= https://www.nasa.gov/missions/hubble/nasa-spacex-to-study-hubble-telescope-reboost-possibility/ |access-date=8 May 2024 |website=NASA.gov |language=en-US}}</ref> but this option was rejected by NASA in June 2024.<ref name="sn-20240915" /> Data obtained through Polaris Dawn will inform the objectives and timing of Mission II.<ref name="sn-20240915" />

=== Mission III ===
The third Polaris mission was set to be the first crewed launch on [[Engineering:SpaceX Starship|Starship]], SpaceX's next-generation launch system.<ref name="sn-20240915">{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url= https://spacenews.com/crew-dragon-splashes-down-to-conclude-polaris-dawn-mission/ |title=Crew Dragon splashes down to conclude Polaris Dawn mission |work=SpaceNews |date=15 September 2024 |access-date=15 September 2024}}</ref> Starship was in early flight testing as of December 2024 and was expected to carry crew after making at least 100 successful cargo flights, though this was not a firm requirement.<ref>{{cite web |last=Foust |first=Jeff |url= https://spacenews.com/shotwell-says-spacex-ready-for-starship-static-fire-test/ |title=Shotwell says SpaceX ready for Starship static-fire test |work=SpaceNews |date=8 February 2023 |access-date=15 September 2024 |quote=[Shotwell] said she expected Starship to fly at least 100 times before it carries people for the first time [...] In her later conversation with reporters, she called that 100-flight milestone a "great goal" but suggested it was not a requirement. |archive-date=15 September 2024 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20240915223734/https://spacenews.com/shotwell-says-spacex-ready-for-starship-static-fire-test/ |url-status=live }}</ref> This is the final listed flight of the Polaris Program.<ref name="CNBC-PolarisAnnouncement">{{cite web |last1=Sheetz |first1=Michael |date=14 February 2022 |title=Billionaire astronaut Jared Isaacman buys more private SpaceX flights, including one on Starship |url= https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-buys-private-spacex-flights-for-polaris-program.html |access-date=15 February 2022 |website=CNBC |language=en |archive-date=14 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220214154234/https://www.cnbc.com/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-buys-private-spacex-flights-for-polaris-program.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref name="WaPo-PolarisAnnouncement">{{Cite news |last=Davenport |first=Christian |date=14 February 2022 |title=Jared Isaacman, who led the first all-private astronaut mission to orbit, has commissioned 3 more flights from SpaceX |url= https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-polaris-spacex-starship-inspiration4/ |access-date=15 February 2022 |work=Washington Post |archive-date=24 February 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220224031352/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/02/14/jared-isaacman-polaris-spacex-starship-inspiration4/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Engineering:Timeline of private spaceflight|Timeline of private spaceflight]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links ==
* {{Official website}}
* [https://www.flickr.com/photos/polarisprogramphotos/ Polaris Program photos] on Flickr

{{SpaceX}}

[[Category:Human spaceflight programs]]
[[Category:Private spaceflight]]

{{Sourceattribution|Polaris program}}