On September 15, SpaceX announced on social platforms that the "Dragon" spacecraft carrying out the "Polaris Dawn" mission successfully returned to Earth and landed off the coast of Florida in United States with a splash. It was the first extravehicular activity in more than 50 years (since the Apollo program) that humans have traveled as far as Earth (the farthest will be about 1,400 kilometers from Earth) and the first commercial spacewalk ever.
Billionaire funding
The four crew members of the mission include billionaire Jared Isaacman· pilots Scott · Portit, and two SpaceX engineers, Anna · Menon and Sarah · Gillis. According to United States CNN, the space mission was co-funded by Isaacman and SpaceX.
Isaacman has a great passion for aerospace. In 2009, at the age of 36, he flew around the world in 61 hours, 51 minutes and 15 seconds in a small aircraft. In 2021, the space flight "Inspiration 4" was completed, when Isaacman chartered 4 seats of the Dragon spacecraft and donated the remaining 3 seats to the United States public, and later 4 people took the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft, reached an altitude of more than 500 kilometers, and stayed in orbit for three days. Isaacman did not disclose how much money was paid to SpaceX for the flight, "We never considered all these costs. He said the Polaris Dawn mission aims to continue NASA's efforts to help humans reach the Moon and Mars, and eventually expand into the solar system.
Portit is a retired Air Force fighter pilot. In this mission, Menon and Gillis will take on the role of mission specialists; Among them, Menon was a biomedical flight controller on the International Space Station, while Gillis was responsible for training astronauts to operate the Dragon spacecraft at SpaceX.
Reaching new heights after the human landing on the moon
According to the United States Space Network, the four crew members will fly aboard SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft into an elliptical orbit and fly to an initial maximum altitude of about 1,200 kilometers, where they will spend the first day of their space journey.
The United States Consumer News & Business Channel (CNBC) quoted Isaacman as saying that during this period, they will choose a moment with minimal micrometeorite orbital debris and fully test the performance of the Dragon spacecraft before entering the Van Allen radiation belt. "Before we ascend to an altitude of 1,400 km, it is crucial to make sure that the spacecraft does not have any problems."
After completing several orbital flights, the Dragon spacecraft will further increase its apogee to an altitude of 1,400 km. As Isaacman said, they will reach heights that humanity has not reached in more than 50 years.
Polaris Dawn will also pass through Viet Nam's Atlantic anomaly, which has high concentrations of electrons and high-energy protons, where the Van Allen radiation belt sinks to about 200 kilometers above the surface. A five-day stay in this place would take as much radiation as three months on the International Space Station.
Throughout the mission, crew members will use radiation monitors and badges to record their radiation exposure, with a focus on analyzing the effects of the deep space radiation environment on humans. Scientists hope to test ways to reduce bone and muscle loss during space flight through the data collected and biological samples. In addition to this, the crew will also carry out a series of health studies, such as decompression sickness by measuring air bubbles in the blood. Before returning to Earth, the four members will commit to completing approximately forty scientific experiments.
Commercial spacewalks are in the spotlight
The highlight of the five-day mission was the third day of spacewalk, the centerpiece of the Polaris Dawn mission and the first spacewalk to be performed by a commercial company. Extravehicular activities (EVAs) have been a regular mission for NASA astronauts in the past when the ISS required external maintenance, but this type of spacewalk has never been attempted by a private company before, CNBC reported.
According to the plan, Isaacman and Gillis will perform this spacewalk. The two will take turns completely disengaging from the Dragon spacecraft and receiving life support through a long hose connected to the spacecraft. At the same time, Portit and Menon will provide support inside the ship. Since the Dragon spacecraft does not have a specially designed airlock cabin, all four crew members will be exposed in a vacuum in space.
During this spacewalk, SpaceX's newly developed extravehicular spacesuit will be unveiled for the first time and put to the test. These new spacesuits incorporate improved thermal control materials and technologies designed to protect the wearer from the extreme and changing environment of space.
It is understood that due to the installation of many camera equipment inside and outside the spacecraft, the entire process of the spacewalk will be broadcast live in real time. Isaacman said he was aware of the risks posed by spacewalks, meaning he and his companions would be exposed to extremely dangerous conditions, and that they had trained extensively to meet the challenges.
