SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn Mission will perform the First Commerical Spacewalk

Overview:

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn, the first of up to three spaceflights in the Polaris Program, endeavours to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities by demonstrating innovative technologies and conducting extensive scientific research to expand our knowledge of humans adapting, living, and working in space.

The mission represents a significant leap in commercial space exploration, utilizing SpaceX's Falcon 9 and Dragon spacecraft to their fullest potential. This mission is set to reach an altitude of approximately 700 kilometres, higher than any previous Dragon mission, and aims to achieve the highest Earth orbit ever flown. The crew will navigate through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt, conducting critical research to better understand the effects of space radiation on human health.

A highlight of the mission will be the first-ever commercial extravehicular activity (EVA), using SpaceX-designed EVA spacesuits. These suits are an upgrade from the current intravehicular (IVA) suits and represent a crucial step towards developing scalable spacesuits necessary for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The mission's success in this area could pave the way for thousands of such suits in the future, supporting long-duration missions and the establishment of a human presence on other celestial bodies.

In addition to the EVA, the Polaris Dawn crew will be the first to test Starlink's laser-based communications in space. This experiment will provide valuable data for the development of future space communication systems, which will be essential for missions beyond Earth's orbit.

Thirty-six experiments from 31 partner institutions from across the world have come together to produce one of the most robust and diverse science and research portfolios ever slated for a spaceflight mission.

The scientific research conducted during the mission will focus on advancing our understanding of human health in space and improving health on Earth.

Key areas of study include:

• Venous Gas Emboli (VGE): Using ultrasound to monitor and quantify VGE, contributing to the understanding of decompression sickness.

• Space Radiation: Gathering data on the radiation environment to assess its impact on human biological systems.

• Biological Samples: Contributing to a long-term Biobank for multi-omics analyses.

• Spaceflight Associated Neuro-Ocular Syndrome (SANS): Researching this critical risk to human health in long-duration spaceflights.

  
  

The mission involves collaboration with leading institutions, including the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH), BioServe Space Technologies, and several universities and research laboratories. The combined expertise of the four crew members will drive the mission forward, furthering our knowledge and capabilities in human space exploration.

The Crew:

The Polaris Dawn mission is under the command of billionaire Jared Isaacman, making his second trip to space, after being the commander of the first all-civilian Inspiration4 mission to orbit Earth in 2021 – which was also organized and primarily funded by him in partnership with SpaceX.

He will be joined on the all-private mission by pilot retired United States Air Force (USAF) Lieutenant Colonel Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX’s Lead Space Operations Engineers Sarah Gillis (mission specialist) and Anna Menon (mission specialist and medical officer) – all who will be experiencing their first human spaceflight.

This will also be the first time two SpaceX employees will be part of a human spaceflight crew, providing valuable insight to future missions on the road to making life multiplanetary.

Crew members Jared Isaacman, and Sarah Gillis, will venture out of their Crew Dragon capsule in Earth's orbit for a tethered spacewalk, marking the first major test of SpaceX's new spacesuits. This event will mark the first-ever civilian spacewalk, a risky endeavour previously undertaken only by government astronauts.

The Crew Dragon capsule lacks an airlock and will completely depressurize for the spacewalk, requiring all four crew members to rely on their suits for survival.

Launch:

The Polaris Dawn mission, SpaceX's ambitious private space venture, is experiencing a series of delays, but the crew is managing them with patience and focus.

Initially scheduled for August 27, the launch was scrubbed due to a helium leak on the launch pad. Then as they geared up for a retry early Wednesday August 28, SpaceX announced the weather conditions in the forecast for five days ahead of the potential landing sites on either coast of Florida were not good enough to launch. They took both the Wednesday and Thursday opportunities off the board.

Failure of SpaceX’s Dragon 9 first-stage rocket landing on August 28 resulted in the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) launching an investigation and grounding SpaceX’s launches for three days. Additionally, SpaceX posted on Friday August 30, that weather was still an issue, so the chances for any weekend launch opportunities were already unlikely.

The company posted on X:

"Latest forecasts continue to show unfavourable weather conditions in the areas along

Florida's coast where Dragon would splash down upon returning from space. Once

teams identify the next best opportunity for launch and return of the Polaris Dawn

mission, we will provide an update. Falcon 9 and Dragon remain healthy and vertical

on the pad at 39A."

The mission's unique requirements, including splashdown weather conditions and limited life support supplies, make precise timing critical. Unlike other SpaceX missions that dock with the International Space Station (ISS), Polaris Dawn requires a careful balance of launch and return conditions since the crew will be entirely dependent on the provisions they carry.

Despite the setbacks, the crew, led by commander and financier Jared Isaacman, remains optimistic. They are set to attempt the first-ever private spacewalk and reach the highest human altitude since the Apollo missions.

The entire team, including SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, emphasizes the importance of safety and thorough preparation, with the crew staying in pre-flight quarantine while awaiting favourable conditions for launch.

Isaacman posted to X this week:

"The crew remains in quarantine, staying productive, keeping fit, and ready to launch

within approximately 30 hours of receiving a favourable forecast."

As of 05 September 2024, based on FAA NOTAM (Notice to Airmen) filings, the Polaris Dawn mission is scheduled to launch no earlier than (NET) 09 September 2024.

Image #1: Polaris Dawn Infographic

Image #2: Artist's impression of Polaris Dawn's First Commercial Spacewalk. Credit: SpaceX

Image #3: The four astronauts of SpaceX's Polaris Dawn private mission pose in black and white spacesuits on the gantry leading to the Dragon capsule. Credit: SpaceX

Image #4: The crew of the Polaris Dawn mission, from left: Anna Menon, Sarah Gillis, Scott "Kidd" Poteet and Jared Isaacman. Credit: Anna Menon, Polaris Program.

Image #5: The four astronauts of SpaceX's Polaris Dawn private mission pose in black and white spacesuits inside their Dragon capsule. Credit: SpaceX