22 Aug 2024, 11:38 AM IST The SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew (from L) Jared Isaacman, Mission Commander, Anna Menon, Mission Specialist and Medical Officer, Sarah Gillis, Mission Specialist, and Scott Poteet, Mission pilot, posing for a photo. They are to carry out the first private spacewalk in history: the four crew members of a new SpaceX mission arrived in Florida on August 19, 2024, ahead of their takeoff.(Photo by John Kraus / Polaris Program / AFP) Billionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on August 22 took to social media to post about his company's new space mission — the first-ever private spacewalk. “This will be the first spacewalk by a commercial company and the furthest from Earth anyone has traveled in over half a century!” Musk, posted on his social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). The official SpaceX account too posted a video teasing the launch of the Polaris Dawn program set for launch at 3.38 am August 27 (Tuesday - ET). The spacewalk, formally known as the Extravehicular Activity (EVA), is planned for the third day of the program, Reuters reported. So far, only government astronauts from the United States, erstwhile Soviet Union and Russia, the European Space Agency (ESA), Canada and China have conducted spacewalks, the Reuters report added. As many as 270 spacewalks have been conducted outside the International Space Station (ISS) since its inception in 2000. These spacewalks have all used either US and Russian spacesuits, it added. Also Read | Kolkata Doctor Case Hearing Live Updates: Supreme Court hearing begins The first is to reach an altitude of 1,400 km (870 miles), the furthest distance for a space crew since the Apollo lunar missions. It will also make Gillis and Menon the first women to have traveled the farthest from Earth. For context, the International Space Station (ISS) is at an altitude of about 400 km, and the distance between the Earth and Moon is 380,000 km, AFP added. The second objective is to conduct a laser communication test between the ship and SpaceX's Starlink satellites. And the third, above all, once in a lower orbit, the astronauts will carry out the first commercial spacewalk, to be broadcast live on the mission's third day. A pair each will have turns spacewalking. A second similar Polaris mission is planned after this trip, and then a planned third trip will be the first crewed flight on SpaceX's massive Starship rocket, currently under development and ultimately intended for trips to the Moon and Mars. “Someday, someone could be wearing a version of the suit as they are walking on Mars. It feels like a huge honour to have that opportunity to test it out on this flight. I'd certainly like my kids to see humans walking on the Moon and Mars and venturing out and exploring our solar system. We haven't even scratched the surface yet. There's so much to go out and explore and discover along the way,” said Isaacman. (With inputs from AFP and Reuters)