SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn set to begin tomorrow: All you need to know about first-commercial spacewalk

Elon Musk's space exploration company, SpaceX, is set to embark on a groundbreaking mission that will make history with the first privately managed spacewalk. This ambitious endeavor, part of the Polaris Dawn mission, is scheduled to launch on August 27, 2024, from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The mission, which will last six days, represents a significant leap forward in the privatization of space exploration, marking the first time a spacewalk will be conducted without the involvement of government astronauts.

The Polaris Dawn mission will see a crew of four SpaceX astronauts, led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, 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 push the boundaries of current space technology and serve as a major test for SpaceX's new spacesuits.

The Crew: Diverse Backgrounds and Expertise

Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, is not new to space exploration. He previously commanded the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the first all-civilian mission to orbit Earth, which was also organized and primarily funded by him in partnership with SpaceX. Isaacman is not just the mission commander but also one of the two crew members who will undertake the spacewalk. Alongside him will be Sarah Gillis, a senior space operations engineer at SpaceX, who has been instrumental in training astronauts for various SpaceX missions.

Gillis, who graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder with an engineering degree, joined SpaceX as an intern in 2015 and quickly rose through the ranks. Her responsibilities at SpaceX include training astronauts for safety and flight operations, making her an ideal candidate for this mission. As the mission specialist, Gillis will be one of the two crew members to step outside the capsule for the spacewalk.

The mission's pilot, Scott Poteet, brings a wealth of experience from his 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force, where he logged over 3,200 flight hours in various aircraft, including the F-16 fighter jet. Poteet's role in Polaris Dawn extends beyond piloting; he will also assist with the spacewalk, provide communication support, and collaborate closely with mission control. Poteet previously served as Mission Director for the Inspiration4 mission and was the vice president of strategy at Isaacman's Shift4 company until 2022.

Rounding out the crew is Anna Menon, a lead space operations engineer at SpaceX, who will serve as the mission specialist and medical officer. Menon, who holds a Master of Science degree in biomedical engineering from Duke University, is responsible for the crew's health and well-being during the mission. Her background as a NASA biomedical flight controller and her experience in managing crew operations at SpaceX make her a crucial asset to the mission.

Pushing Technological Boundaries

The Polaris Dawn mission is not just a test of human endurance but also a critical evaluation of SpaceX's technological innovations. The mission's spacewalk, scheduled for the third day, will be the first time a space capsule has been depressurized entirely for such an operation. The Crew Dragon vehicle has been modified to allow its hatch door to open in the vacuum of space, eliminating the need for an airlock—a significant departure from standard spacewalk procedures.

The crew will don SpaceX's new slimline spacesuits, designed to provide life support in the harsh environment of space. The spacesuits and the spacecraft's electronics will be tested rigorously 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 as 190 kilometers (118 miles) and reaching as far as 1,400 kilometers (870 miles) from the planet's surface. This trajectory will take the crew farther from Earth than any human has been since the Apollo moon missions ended in 1972. The mission will also expose the crew to higher levels of radiation, adding another layer of risk.

Safety 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 range 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 conduct a series of scientific experiments, including monitoring their physiological responses during the mission. One critical aspect of the mission is the "pre-breathe" process, where 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 bends."

As SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration, the Polaris Dawn mission represents a significant milestone in the journey toward making space travel more accessible and advanced. If successful, it will pave the way for future missions that could take humanity even farther into the cosmos.

(With inputs from Reuters)