Polaris mission explained: Deep dive into SapceX's groundbreaking commercial spacewalk
SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission is poised to make history this week with the first privately managed spacewalk, a risky endeavour previously undertaken only by government astronauts.
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FollowBillionaire and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk on Monday took to X (formerly twitter) and shared details about one of the most ambitious space missions, Polaris Dawn.
Polaris Program is a pioneering initiative designed to advance human spaceflight capabilities rapidly while also raising funds and awareness for critical causes on Earth.
Named after the North Star, Polaris has historically guided navigation on Earth and in the skies.
Elon Musk took to X and wrote, " The @PolarisProgram mission readiness review just finished and we are currently go for launch in just over 24 hours.
Crew safety is absolutely paramount and this mission carries more risk than usual, as it will be the furthest humans have traveled from Earth since Apollo and the first commercial spacewalk! If any concerns arise, the launch will be postponed until those concerns are addressed."
Polaris Dawn and SpaceX have completed a full rehearsal of launch day activities ahead of liftoff on Tuesday.
Shared key points of the Polaris mission, Elon Musk confirmed that the mission will not launch before August 26.
Take a look below:
First commercial spacewalk: All about the mission, astronauts
Billionaire entrepreneur named Jared Isaacmans will be leading three other privately trained astronauts on a SpaceX vehicle for Polaris Dawn mission.
Jared Isaacman will be the mission commander, Scott Poteet as the mission pilot, Sarah Gillis as a mission specialist, and Anna Menon as both a mission specialist and medical officer.
Two of the mission’s four-member crew 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.
The mission, scheduled for launch at 3:38 am on August 27 from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is expected to last six days, with the spacewalk planned for the third day.
The privately funded mission aims to achieve several historic milestones in space exploration. Interestingly, Polaris Dawn plans to orbit the Earth at a higher altitude than any astronauts have reached in over 50 years.
The mission will also feature the first-ever private spacewalk, setting a new benchmark in commercial space travel.
It will conduct research on spaceflight and the effects of radiation on human health. The spacewalk, taking place approximately 700 kilometers above Earth, will utilise SpaceXdesigned EVA spacesuits, marking the first commercial spacewalk in history.
The Polaris Dawn crew will also be the first to test Starlink's laser-based communication system in space, offering valuable data for developing future communication networks essential for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
SpaceX has developed a new spacesuit to be used for the spacewalk, and will also try sending communications via laser pulses, instead of radio signals, between the Crew Dragon and SpaceX’s Starlink constellation of internet satellites.
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