SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 20 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, June 18, 2024. (SpaceX)
SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, which will carry four astronauts three times farther to Earth than the International Space Station, is scheduled to launch on Monday and will bring many firsts, including commercial spacewalks in newly designed spacesuits.
Project Polaris is a testing and development program for revolutionary technologies that will be used in spaceflight and ultimately usher in a new era of commercial space exploration. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has frequently spoken about his goal of making humanity an “interplanetary species.”
SpaceX’s Falcon 9 will carry Polaris Dawn astronauts into space on Monday, marking the first mission of the Polaris program.
As part of the mission, astronauts will test next-generation spacesuits while conducting the first commercial spacewalk.
Musk’s X and SpaceX are the latest companies to move their headquarters to Texas in search of a more favorable business environment.
SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission will involve testing a new extravehicular activity (EVA) suit during a spacewalk three times the distance from the International Space Station to Earth. (SpaceX)
The crew will also be blasting off to the highest altitude of any manned space mission since the Apollo program, and will test Musk’s new Starlink communications system.
Additionally, the crew will conduct approximately 40 important health research experiments while raising funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and one crew member will read the children’s book, “Kisses from Space,” while in orbit.
“After more than two years of training, we are excited to embark on this mission,” said Polaris Dawn mission commander Jared Isaacman. “We are incredibly grateful for this opportunity and to the thousands of SpaceX engineers who have contributed to this effort. We hope the results of our mission will accelerate SpaceX’s vision to make life multi-planetary and support St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and its efforts to improve global survival rates for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. Throughout our mission, we aim to inspire others to envision what humanity can accomplish on Earth and beyond.”
Boeing vs. SpaceX: Who will bring NASA’s stranded astronauts back to Earth?
SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission will involve testing a new extravehicular activity (EVA) suit during a spacewalk three times the distance from the International Space Station to Earth. (Photo: Polaris Program/John Kraus)
Isaacman served as mission commander for Inspiration 4, the world’s first private space mission scheduled for 2021. The Pennsylvania native is an accomplished aviator who holds numerous world aviation records, including two speed round-the-world flights.
Accompanying Isaac will be mission pilot, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Kidd-Poteet of New Hampshire, mission specialist Sarah Gillis of Colorado, and mission specialist/medical officer Anna Menon of Houston.
Menon has written a children’s book, “Kisses from Space,” which he plans to read to children from orbit.
SpaceX’s massive super-heavy spacecraft returns to Earth without exploding after first full test flight
SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission will involve testing a new extravehicular activity (EVA) suit during a spacewalk three times the distance from the International Space Station to Earth. (Polaris Programs/John Krauss)
The most advanced extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuit to be used during missions was unveiled in May, bridging the gap between style and practicality. Gone are the days of bulky, cumbersome spacesuits. The new EVA suit combines sleek design with advanced functionality.
Popular culture often misleads us with oversimplified depictions of space suits: Unlike the “fishbowl” helmets and easy-to-wear coveralls seen in the movies, real space suits are complex, human-shaped spacecraft with propulsion and life support systems, more akin to deep-sea diving gear than everyday clothing.
SpaceX’s current Intravehicular Activity (IVA) suits serve as emergency protection inside the Dragon capsule, but were not designed for the rigors of an EVA. The new EVA suits are a significant upgrade, offering improved maneuverability, durability, and protection against the harsh environment of space.
Click here to get FOX Business on the go
The EVA suit maintains the sleek design of the IVA model but introduces new materials and manufacturing techniques to improve performance, and the suit is expandable to perfectly fit a range of body types.
It features rotating joints for increased mobility, advanced seals and valves, a 3D printed helmet with a visor and camera to reduce glare, and heat management textiles for extreme protection.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson contributed to this report.
