'Billion Dollar Spacewalk': How SpaceX plans to execute the Polaris Dawn Mission
Produced by: Tarun Mishra Designed by: Manoj Kumar
Polaris Dawn Mission Set for Historic Spacewalk
The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, scheduled to launch on August 27, will send four crew members into orbit for five days aboard a Crew Dragon capsule. The mission is poised to make history as two of the crew members are set to perform the first-ever spacewalk conducted by a private mission.
Credit: SpaceX
Spacewalk Scheduled for Mission Day 3
The spacewalk, officially known as extravehicular activity (EVA), is planned for the third day of the mission, August 29. While the exact time has not been announced, the spacewalk will be a key highlight of the mission, marking a significant milestone in private space exploration.
Credit: SpaceX
Crew Members Participating in the EVA
The EVA will feature Polaris Dawn mission commander Jared Isaacman, a billionaire tech entrepreneur who funded and organized the mission, and mission specialist Sarah Gillis, an engineer at SpaceX. Both will exit the Crew Dragon capsule to conduct the spacewalk.
Operation Details of the Spacewalk
The entire EVA process, from depressurizing the capsule to repressurizing it after the spacewalk, is expected to take about two hours. Isaacman and Gillis will each spend approximately 15 to 20 minutes outside the capsule, conducting the spacewalk sequentially rather than simultaneously, ensuring continuous contact with the spacecraft’s mobility aids.
Credit: SpaceX
Focus on Safety and Efficiency
The spacewalk will be carefully controlled, with the astronauts maintaining at least one point of contact with the capsule’s mobility aids throughout. This approach is in contrast to the more dramatic EVAs of early space missions, focusing on safety and efficiency rather than spectacle.
Testing New EVA Suits
During the spacewalk, Isaacman and Gillis will conduct various tests on the new EVA suits developed by SpaceX. These suits, designed for this mission and future space exploration endeavours, will undergo a series of tests to gather data for refining suit designs for future missions, potentially including those to Mars.
Larger Polaris Program
Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned missions under the Polaris Program, which Isaacman is organizing and funding. This program aims to push the boundaries of private space exploration, with the third mission potentially being the first crewed flight of SpaceX’s Starship, a spacecraft designed for missions to the Moon and Mars.
Credit: SpaceX