Who are the crew of Polaris Dawn mission launching on a SpaceX Dragon?

You may think the odds of being selected for a space mission are slim. These four individuals did as well.

But now they are about to make history as crew members of the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission. These four civilian astronauts are set to fly higher than any crewed mission since the 1970s, and conduct the world's first spacewalk by a private citizen ? which will also debut the new SpaceX EVA (spacewalk) suit.

SpaceX is targeting 3:38 a.m. Tuesday for launch from Florida.

Who are the four Polaris Dawn crew?

Pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet and mission specialist/medical officer Anna Menon and mission specialist Sarah Gillis all have a history together, as they all played a role in Inspiration4 ? the first all-civilian mission to orbit in 2021, which was commanded by billionaire Jared Isaacman. Isaacman is now seeking their expertise as he commands Polaris Dawn ? which is set to be the first in a series of three upcoming spaceflights.

It will be these four SpaceX astronauts who launch the Polaris Program ? which is named after the north star, Polaris.

Polaris Dawn Medical Officer and Mission Specialist ? Anna Menon

Growing up in Houston, Texas, Menon, 38, became fascinated with space at an early age but didn't expect the chance to become an astronaut.

"But certainly as the years went by, I recognized that the odds of doing that part were very slim, and I felt really thrilled if I could even just contribute to the space mission in any way," said Menon. "I just love this industry and have loved every piece of the journey along the way."

Menon told FLORIDA TODAY she has been with SpaceX for six years now, as a lead engineer serving in mission control and crew development.

"So for myself, I am a biomedical engineer by training. I have years at NASA as a biomedical engineer and so I'll be serving as a as the medical officer for this mission. And then I'm also, with Sarah, serving as one of the mission specialists due to my background in ground and crew operations here at SpaceX," Menon told FLORIDA TODAY.

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For Menon, the topic of space exploration is not limited to her day job. She is also married to a NASA astronaut newcomer, Anil Menon. She has two young children, who inspired her to write a book titled "Kisses from Space" during her training ? which she will read from space. Keeping true to the mission, proceeds from sales of "Kisses from Space" will benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Polaris Dawn Mission Specialist - Sarah Gillis

Gillis, 30, is a Colorado native who never pictured flying to space as a possibility.

"I agree with Anna — that it seems highly unlikely, and so (I) kind of just pursued things that were really interesting, regardless of the outcome to space," Gillis told FLORIDA TODAY.

"I was raised from a young age to be a violinist, and so I grew up not really in the engineering world and more focused in the arts. It wasn't until I met an astronaut in high school that I actually kind of became more interested, and shifted focus," said Gillis. That astronaut was former NASA astronaut Joseph R. Tanner.

Gillis told FLORIDA TODAY she began as an intern nine and a half years ago at SpaceX. She now works as a lead engineer on the company's astronaut training program. She got to know Isaacman during Inspiration4.

"Anna and I both had an opportunity to work with him as part of the Inspiration4 mission — my background is both on the human factor side developing the Dragon spacecraft and all the interfaces there," said Gillis.

During the Polaris Dawn mission, Gillis will serve as a mission specialist ? paying close attention to the spacewalk to incorporate into future astronaut training. Gillis has also developed Musician’s Guide to Reaching for the Stars, in collaboration with El Sistema USA.

Polaris Dawn Pilot - Scott "Kidd" Poteet

Scott “Kidd” Poteet, 50, is a New Hampshire native who took to flying.

Professionally, Poteet is a retired Air Force lieutenant colonel, who served as a Thunderbird pilot, test pilot, and flight examiner. He was also commander of the 64th Aggressor Squadron.

Poteet was a mission director for Inspiration 4, and little did he know he would be flying on Isaacman's next flight.

During the Polaris Dawn mission, Poteet will be piloting the Dragon spacecraft.

Outside of flying, Poteet is competitive in triathlons ? having completed 15 Ironman Triathlons since 2000. These include four Ironman World Championships which were held in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.

Polaris Dawn Commander - Jared Isaacman

Coming from Pennsylvania, Isaacman, 41, found a passion for aviation. He learned to fly civilian and military rated aircrafts, proceeding to gain several world air records ? including two Speed-Around-The-World flights.

Businessman and Shift4 founder Jared Isaacman commanded Inspiration4 ? the first all-civilian mission to orbit the Earth, flying on a SpaceX Dragon.

"After Inspiration4, I felt like we accomplished all of our objectives and set the bar high for future missions. I was not planning to go back until after visiting Elon at Starbase in October of 2021," Isaacman said in an email to FLORIDA TODAY.

This time, Isaacman will leave the safety of the Dragon spacecraft and venture out on the first ever spacewalk by a private citizen.

When asked if he plans to visit space again in the future, Isaacman said: "I do plan to continue flying so long as I can help contribute meaningfully to humankind's journey among the stars."

Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at [email protected] or on X: @brookeofstars.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Meet the crew of Polaris Dawn mission launching on SpaceX Dragon