The mission, which will last six days, represents a significant step forward in the privatization of Space explorationmarking the first time a spacewalk will be conducted without the participation of government astronauts.
On the Polaris Dawn mission, a crew of four SpaceX astronauts, led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, will venture into Earth’s orbit aboard a modified Crew Dragon capsule. What sets this mission apart from previous spacewalks is that the entire capsule will be depressurized, forcing all crew members to rely solely on their spacesuits for survival. This risky maneuver, combined with the absence of an airlock, will test the limits of current space technology and serve as a major test for SpaceX’s new spacesuits.
The crew: diverse backgrounds and experience
Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, Isaacman is no stranger to space exploration. He previously commanded the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth, which was also primarily organized and funded by him in partnership with SpaceX. Isaacman is not only the mission commander, but also one of two crew members who will perform the spacewalk. Joining him will be Sarah Gillis, a senior space operations engineer at SpaceX who has been instrumental in training astronauts for several SpaceX missions.
Gillis, who graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with an engineering degree, joined SpaceX In 2015, Gillis began working as an intern and quickly rose through the ranks. Her responsibilities at SpaceX include training astronauts in safety and flight operations, making her an ideal candidate for this mission. As a mission specialist, Gillis will be one of two crew members who will exit the capsule to perform the spacewalk.
Mission pilot Scott Poteet brings a wealth of experience from his 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force, where he has logged more than 3,200 flight hours in various aircraft, including the F-16 fighter jet. Poteet’s role on Polaris Dawn goes beyond piloting; he will also assist with the spacewalk, provide communications support, and work closely with mission control. Poteet previously served as mission director for the Inspiration4 mission and was vice president of strategy at Isaacman’s company Shift4 until 2022.
Rounding out the crew is Anna Menon, SpaceX’s principal space operations engineer, who will serve as mission specialist and medical officer. Menon, who holds a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University, is responsible for the health and well-being of the crew during the mission. Her training as a NASA biomedical flight controller and experience managing crew operations at SpaceX make her a crucial asset to the mission.
Pushing the boundaries of technology
He Polaris Dawn The mission is not only a test of human endurance, but also a critical assessment of SpaceX’s technological innovations. The mission’s spacewalk, scheduled for day three, will be the first time a space capsule has been fully depressurized for such an operation. The Crew Dragon vehicle has been modified to allow its hatch to open in the vacuum of space, eliminating the need for an airlock — a significant departure from standard spacewalk procedures.
The crew will use SpaceX’s new spacesuits, designed to provide life support in the harsh environment of space. The spacesuits and spacecraft electronics will be rigorously tested as the mission ventures into parts of the Van Allen Belt, a region filled with charged particles that can interfere with electronic systems and pose health risks to astronauts.
The Polaris Dawn mission will orbit Earth in an elliptical path, coming as close to the planet’s surface as 118 miles (190 kilometers) and as far away as 870 miles (1,400 kilometers). This trajectory will take the crew farther from Earth than any human has been since the Apollo lunar missions ended in 1972. The mission will also expose the crew to higher levels of radiation, adding another layer of risk.
Security and scientific exploration
As with any space mission, safety is paramount. However, unlike NASA missions, which are governed by strict safety regulations, private missions like Polaris Dawn do not adhere to the same standards. SpaceX and the Polaris crew have planned for a number of contingencies, including the possibility of an oxygen leak or a failure to reseal the hatch door. Despite the inherent risks, the mission offers a unique opportunity to test new technologies in an extreme environment, providing valuable data that could inform future missions to the Moon or Mars.
The crew will also perform a number of scientific experiments, including monitoring their physiological responses during the mission. A key aspect of the mission is the “pre-breathing” process, in which the crew will fill the cabin with pure oxygen to remove nitrogen from their systems, reducing the risk of decompression sickness, commonly known as “the sickness of the bends.”
As SpaceX The Polaris Dawn mission continues to push the boundaries of space exploration and represents an important milestone on the path to making space travel more accessible and advanced. If successful, it will pave the way for future missions that could take humanity even further into the cosmos.
(With contributions from Reuters)
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Posted: Aug 26, 2024, 08:23 pm IST
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