GODSPEED: SpaceX targeting Aug. 26 for historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission. “Polaris Dawn will take the quartet to Earth orbit, on a free-flying mission that does not link up with the International Space Station (ISS). The planned private spacewalk(s) aren’t the only way it will make history: Polaris Dawn will circle our planet at an altitude of about 435 miles (700 kilometers), taking the crew farther from Earth than any mission since the Apollo era.”

Polaris Dawn reminds me a bit of Mercury and Gemini — projects for earning the technology, experience, and skills needed for a much grander project.