Led by Inspiration4 commander Jared Isaacman, the newly announced Polaris program aims to demonstrate multiple capabilities needed for upcoming Moon and Mars exploration. This rapid advancement of human spaceflight technology is a partnership with SpaceX for up to three crewed missions and will include both the first commercial spacewalk and the first flight of Starship with humans onboard.
The program is named after the constellation of three stars known as the North Star, representing the three planned missions. Across all three flights, new technologies will be demonstrated and scientific research will be conducted. The Polaris team will also continue to promote St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, building on the over $240 million raised from the Inspiration4 mission in September 2021.