Jared Isaacman looks out the hatch of the Dragon capsule.
SpaceX
SpaceX made history today when its private astronauts conducted the first-ever private spacewalk as part of the Polaris Dawn mission.
As SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft orbited Earth at an altitude of about 740 km at a speed of more than 25,000 km per hour, the two astronauts partially ejected from the spacecraft, one at a time.
The four-man crew began evacuating the cabin at 10:31 GMT, eventually manually opening the hatch at approximately 10:50 GMT. All crew members were wearing new SpaceX spacesuits that have been thoroughly tested on Earth but not in orbit.
Jared Isaacman, the mission commander, head of SpaceX's Polaris program and billionaire co-financier, was the first person to step out of the spacecraft and look down at Earth. “It certainly is a perfect world from up here,” Isaacman said, lifting his head and torso from the capsule.
Isaacman then went through a series of suit mobility and safety checks before returning to his seat in the spacecraft a few minutes later, after which Crew Dragon fired its thrusters to maintain an optimal orbit and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis performed a spacewalk.
Neither Isaacman nor Gillis fully exited the spacecraft, making the event technically a stand-up extravehicular activity (SEVA) rather than a full spacewalk. Previous SpaceX promotional materials for the mission stated: Astronauts completely exit the capsule.
While all previous spacewalks to date have been conducted by government-trained astronauts, the Polaris Dawn crew will be all civilians: along with Isaacman and Gillis are retired U.S. Air Force test pilot Scott Poteet and SpaceX engineer Anna Menon.
Isaacman also took part in SpaceX's groundbreaking flight in 2021, which was the first orbital spaceflight with only private citizens on board. That flight used the exact same Crew Dragon spacecraft as the latest mission.
SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission is reminiscent of earlier space programs of the 1960s and 1970s because the Crew Dragon capsule does not have an airlock, making it one of the most dangerous spacewalks ever attempted.
Once SEVA is complete, the remainder of the mission will see the crew spend up to two more days in orbit before returning to Earth.
SpaceX launched the Polaris Dawn mission to attempt the first-ever private spacewalk, and one of the most dangerous spacewalks ever attempted.
The four-person crew will spend up to five days in Earth orbit, with two crew members performing an extravehicular activity (EVA) on the third day. During this EVA, the spacecraft will be depressurized for about two hours. The two remaining crew members will also need to wear space suits.
This is different from other modern spacewalks, which typically use an airlock to seal the craft off the vacuum of space while the astronauts are outside. The Crew Dragon capsule used in this mission has no airlock, making it more similar to the early days of spaceflight in the 1960s and 1970s. Additionally, all previous spacewalks have been conducted by government-trained astronauts, while the Polaris Dawn crew is civilian.
Although the spacesuits have been thoroughly tested on Earth, they are a new design, and the risks are compounded by the fact that the flight will be farther from Earth than any other human spaceflight since the end of the Apollo program in 1972.
Inside the Crew Dragon capsule
SpaceX
The flight’s mission commander is SpaceX’s Polaris program chief and billionaire co-founder Jared Isaacman. The rest of the crew is retired Air Force test pilot Scott Poteat and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
The Crew Dragon capsule used on this flight was named “Resilience” and was its third launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket. The reusable Falcon 9 first stage returned to Earth and landed on SpaceX’s Just Read the Instructions drone over the Atlantic Ocean.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsules are also used to transport astronauts and supplies to and from the International Space Station, and one of them is scheduled to return NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams to Earth in early 2025 after they were stranded when their launch vehicle, the Boeing Starliner, encountered problems.
SpaceX has once again delayed the launch of its Polaris Dawn mission, which was supposed to take four private citizens into space, this time citing bad weather forecasts.
The company attributed the postponement to adverse weather conditions off the Florida coast, without specifying whether their main concern was the potential impact on the spacecraft’s water landing in case of an emergency or the safety of the crew during their return home after the five-day journey.
Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Kidd, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon are set to launch early on Wednesday for what will be the first all-civilian crew spacewalk.
Isaacman noted in a post on X that the Polaris Dawn mission will face significant limitations due to the expected splashdown conditions as the capsule will not dock with the International Space Station, and astronauts might have to wait for improved weather conditions.
“With no ISS rendezvous and limited life support supplies, it’s crucial for us to verify re-entry weather conditions before the launch,” he stated.
Alternate launch dates were initially set for Thursday, but SpaceX canceled both launches due to the weather outlook. The company has yet to announce new launch dates.
“The team will continue monitoring the weather for favorable launch and return conditions,” SpaceX shared on X.
An earlier launch attempt on Tuesday was called off after a helium leak was detected on the launch pad.
In addition to attempting the first all-civilian spacewalk, Polaris Dawn aims to reach the highest orbital altitude humans have reached since the final Apollo moon mission in 1972. The mission will also test new spacesuits and other technologies for future long-duration expeditions, potentially providing valuable research to support SpaceX’s long-term goal of launching missions to the Moon and eventually Mars.
A SpaceX spacecraft set to carry four civilians on a mission into space is facing a delay due to a helium leak, pushing the launch to later this week.
The crew includes billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Kidd, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. They were all geared up for a mission that would mark the first spacewalk by a civilian crew.
The mission, known as Polaris Dawn, was initially slated for an early Tuesday launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, SpaceX published a statement on X indicating that the helium leak discovery will likely push the launch to Wednesday at the earliest.
“Teams are currently investigating a ground-side helium leak in the quick-disconnect umbilical in detail,” the company reported. “Falcon and Dragon remain in good condition, with crews ready for their multi-day journey to low Earth orbit.”
The helium leak setback comes as a disappointment for SpaceX, which has been responsible for transporting NASA astronauts to the International Space Station since 2020. In 2021, SpaceX launched its first private citizen into orbit – a mission that was also funded and participated in by Isaacman to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The highlight of the upcoming mission, the spacewalk, is expected to occur on the third day. Two crew members will be tethered out of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, with all astronauts equipped in newly designed space suits as the capsule undergoes depressurization to create a vacuum.
Traditionally, only astronauts from government space agencies have ventured into space for tasks such as building or upgrading orbital space stations, satellite repairs, or scientific experiments.
The Crew Dragon capsule is set to reach an altitude of 870 miles above Earth’s surface – surpassing the orbital altitude of the International Space Station by three times. This height will allow the capsule to navigate through the inner region of the Van Allen radiation belts, a zone with high-energy radiation particles trapped in Earth’s magnetosphere.
The Polaris Dawn flight aims to study the effects of space radiation on astronauts and spacecraft, valuable research that could assist SpaceX in planning future missions to the Moon and Mars where astronauts will need to navigate both inside and outside of the Van Allen radiation belts.
Polaris Dawn is just one of three spaceflights that Isaacman is co-sponsoring and organizing with SpaceX. Details regarding the cost of the mission and the objectives of the other upcoming missions remain undisclosed for now.
A groundbreaking space mission known as Polaris Dawn is set to take off next week with four private citizens on board. The mission is expected to feature the first ever spacewalk conducted entirely by a civilian crew.
The commander of the mission is billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who is also the founder and CEO of Shift4, a payment processing company. Polaris Dawn is the first of three spaceflights funded and organized by Isaacman in collaboration with SpaceX, collectively known as the Polaris Program. This will be the first private SpaceX mission to reach orbit in 2021.
The crew of three includes pilot Scott Kidd-Poteet, a retired Air Force Lt. Col., and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. They will be venturing into space aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on a Falcon 9 rocket for a planned five-day mission.
One of the highlights of the mission will be a spacewalk on the third day, where two crew members will exit the capsule via cables and spend up to 20 minutes in space. This is a historic moment as until now, spacewalks have been carried out exclusively by astronauts from government space agencies.
During the spacewalk, the Crew Dragon capsule will be fully exposed to the vacuum of space at an altitude of 435 miles above Earth. To prepare for this event, all four astronauts will don SpaceX-designed spacesuits for testing and future long-duration missions.
The mission aims to inspire people to dream big and push the boundaries of human exploration beyond Earth. The crew, including Isaacman, have undergone extensive training over the past two years in preparation for this momentous journey.
In addition to conducting science experiments and testing technology during the mission, the crew will also raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, continuing Isaacman’s philanthropic efforts in space.
Details regarding the cost, objectives, and timeline of future Polaris flights have not been disclosed by Isaacman at this time.
SpaceX is gearing up for its next private mission scheduled for August 26, which will mark the company’s inaugural spacewalk endeavor.
The crew of four includes billionaire Shift4 founder Jared Isaacman, his colleague Scott Poteat, and SpaceX employees Anna Menon and Sara Gillis.
The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three flights purchased by Isaacman from SpaceX.
SpaceX is getting ready to launch its next private mission by the end of this month, which will be its first attempt to send astronauts into space.
Polaris Dawn Mission — Billionaires and Shift 4 Founder Jared Isaacman Purchased from SpaceX in 2022 The spacecraft, the final mission of the human spaceflight program known as Project Polaris, is scheduled to lift off from Florida in the early hours of August 26th.
“We don’t have the freedom to launch whenever we want,” Isaacman said. “It was pretty close to dawn, which is very appropriate given the mission.” CNBC’s Space Investments In an interview last month.
Isaacman said, Historic Inspiration 4 Flights in 2021 He will again lead a four-person crew, with longtime colleague Scott Poteat joining as pilot, and SpaceX employees Anna Menon and Sara Gillis serving as the flight’s medical director and mission specialist, respectively.
The multi-day journey won’t be a destination-specific one, but rather a free-flight mission on an orbit that will hopefully take the crew far from Earth.
“We will be reaching much higher altitudes than any human has reached in over 50 years,” Isaacman said.
But the highlight of Polaris Dawn will be its planned spacewalks.
Extravehicular activities (EVAs) have been a routine part of NASA astronaut missions for years, such as when the space agency needs to perform maintenance outside the International Space Station, but no private company has ever attempted an EVA until now.
Isaacman said he understood that the spacewalk would mean he and his crew would be “surrounded by death,” and he was ready to embrace the moment. I have been thoroughly trained.
“The only thing that comes close to that is a vacuum chamber. It almost feels like being in a vacuum or in space. … You can actually feel the pressure changes, the temperature changes and the psychological stress of being in a very hostile environment,” Isaacman said.
Five-day mission planning
Isaacman also detailed Polaris Dawn’s daily schedule, which will remain in space for up to five days.
The first day will be all about finding the time when the risk from micrometeorite orbital debris is minimal, which will determine the exact time for Polaris Dawn to launch. After reaching the 190-kilometer by 1,200-kilometer orbit, the crew will conduct a thorough checkout of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft Resilience, Isaacman said.
“It’s really important to make sure there are no defects in the aircraft before we go up to an altitude of 1,400 kilometers,” Isaacman said.
The spacecraft also traveled through what are known as high radiation zones. South Atlantic Anomaly.
“Ideally we want to get as low as possible because even at 200 kilometres the radiation levels are quite high,” Isaacman said. “Two or three high-altitude passes through the South Atlantic Anomaly will account for nearly the entire radiation load of the mission, equivalent to three months on the International Space Station.”
The second day will focus on some of the scientific research Polaris Dawn plans to accomplish, with a total of about 40 experiments. The crew will also prepare for the spacewalk and test their spacewalk suits.
“That way we can make sure there’s nothing unexpected happening in microgravity compared to what we could test on Earth,” Isaacman said.
Day 3 is the big day – spacewalk.
Spacewalk
So who on the crew will be doing the spacewalk?
“It’s fair to say that all four of us are working together. There’s no airlock, there’s a vacuum inside the spacecraft,” Isaacman said.
Two of the crew members (Isaacman and Gillis) will travel outside of Dragon, while Poteet and Menon will remain on board as support.
The spacewalk is expected to take two hours from start to finish, and Isaacman stressed that it is “really a test and development” process.
“We want to learn as much as we can about the spacesuit and its operation, but there is a finite amount of oxygen and nitrogen available,” Isaacman said.
Polaris Dawn will livestream the spacewalk, and mission commanders stressed that there will be “multiple cameras” inside and outside the capsule.
From left: Anna Menon, Scott Poteat, Jared Isaacman and Sara Gillis. SpaceX
Brand new space suit
A key piece of equipment that makes EVA possible is SpaceX’s spacesuit.
For the past few years, the company has been using its minimalist, black-and-white IVA suits (Internal Vehicle Activity suits, or IVA suits worn by astronauts in emergencies) to develop its EVA suits, which Isaacman said are the result of hundreds of hours of testing different materials over the years.
“So our main goal is to learn as much as we can about the suit,” Isaacman said.
“It’s all about building the next generation of spacesuits. We continue to refine the design of this suit so that SpaceX can manufacture hundreds and thousands of suits in the future for operations on the Moon, Mars and in space. [low Earth orbit]”, and many other things. Building a new spacewalk suit is no easy task,” he added.
Polaris Dawn aims to push the boundaries of private spaceflight, and Isaacman hopes the mission will be inspiring, just like his first orbital flight.
“That’s the inspiration aspect. Anything that’s different from what we’ve seen in the last 20 or 30 years excites people and makes them think, ‘If this is what I’m seeing today, what will it be like tomorrow or a year from now?'”
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