(U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo.) — The SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew completed basic freefall parachute training at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA) on Friday, Jan. 27.

The Basic Freefall Course at USAFA prepares students to conduct a solo, freefall skydive in their first jump over the Academy’s Davis Airfield, and is instructed by the 98th Flying Training Squadron staff and cadets of the Wings of Blue Parachute Demonstration and Competition teams. USAFA said the Polaris Dawn crew underwent the training alongside Academy cadets.

“Skydiving seems to have many of the same qualifications that we’re looking for in terms of executing complex procedures in a high consequence, high-stress environment. And the moment you commit to going down that path, this is the only option to go to,” said Polaris Dawn Mission Commander Jared Isaacman. “This is the best place in the world possible to train for it. Your first jump is a solo jump so that is definitely checking all the stressor boxes that we’re looking for, and you’re trained by the best skydivers in the world. That’s what brought us here.”

  • Polaris Dawn crew undergoes parachute training at USAFA
  • Polaris Dawn crew undergoes parachute training at USAFA
  • Polaris Dawn crew undergoes parachute training at USAFA
  • Polaris Dawn crew undergoes parachute training at USAFA
  • Polaris Dawn crew undergoes parachute training at USAFA
  • Polaris Dawn crew undergoes parachute training at USAFA

According to a press release from USAFA, the Polaris Dawn crew will conduct space missions not attempted in more than 50 years. Ahead of a planned spacewalk, the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft will be vented to a vacuum and the crew will depart in new-design pressurized space suits. To prepare for the mission, the crew has sought training opportunities in very high-stress environments as a team.

“We fly fighter jets, we climb mountains, and scuba dive all in addition to our academic and simulator campaigns,” said Isaacman. “The Academy training was beyond our expectations. We knew it was going to be amazing; we had no idea how incredible it would be.”

Polaris Dawn is scheduled to launch no earlier than March 2023. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will launch the Dragon capsule with the Polaris Dawn mission from the historic Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew will spend up to five days in orbit.