SpaceX’s historic Polaris Dawn mission is set to launch on September 6, the same day NASA will bring back the faulty Boeing Starliner to Earth uncrewed. The SpaceX mission is special as it features the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens. The liftoff, carrying Jared Isaacman, Sarah Gillis, Anna Menon and Scott Poteet, will begin at 1.03 pm IST from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. You can watch the livestream of the launch on SpaceX’s page on X.
Spearheaded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the space mission aims to achieve a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometres) — the highest reached by a crewed mission in over 50 years, since NASA's Apollo program. One of the highlights of this 5-day mission is that it has a non-astronauts crew. They will wear newly designed SpaceX extravehicular activity (EVA) suits.
According to Isaacman, the historic event of the spacewalk will take place on the third day of the mission. Notably, Gillis will join Isaacman in the spacewalk while Menon and Poteet will provide assistance from inside the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft.
The crew is set to wear a 3D-printed helmet that has a single visor made of copper and indium-tin oxide to provide protection against micrometeoroids and harsh space environments. It can also monitor oxygen levels and temperature.
The spacesuit is made of stretchable and fireproof material that can withstand extreme temperatures. It also comes with redundant seals and pressure valves as even a single tear in the spacesuit can be life-threatening. The boots are made from heat-retardant material used on the Falcon 9 rocket.
The Polaris Dawn mission is also set to conduct 36 research studies and experiments from 31 partner institutions designed to advance both human health on Earth and during long-duration spaceflight. Notably, the mission has been delayed twice. Once because of a technical glitch in the launch tower and later because of weather constraints.