In the early hours of September 10, after several weeks of delays, the SpaceX Dragon capsule took off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying four private astronauts on the historic Polaris Dawn mission. This is the first step towards ground-breaking civilian space exploration, as the crew will attempt the first commercial civilian spacewalk. This ambitious mission is designed as the first of three under the Polaris program funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman.
Polaris Dawn was originally planned for the end of August, but was postponed due to technical problems and bad weather conditions. The Dragon capsule now carries Jared Isaacman, former US Air Force Colonel Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. While the mission lasts five days, most of the attention is on the first commercial spacewalk to be performed by a private crew.
The @PolarisProgram's Polaris Dawn mission will be the first crew to perform a spacewalk from Dragon, fly higher in Earth's orbit than anyone since the Apollo program, test laser-based @Starlink communications, and conduct research to help provide insight on human health during… pic.twitter.com/RW387QWShY
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 22, 2024
In the footsteps of Apollo - and even further
Among the many goals of Polaris Dawn is also setting a new milestone in spaceflight, as the capsule is expected to reach an altitude of approximately 1,400 kilometers from Earth. It will be the longest that humanity has ever traveled Apollo missions. The capsule will travel through the Van Allen radiation belt for a short time, which will be an additional test for both the crew and the technology.
Testing the new SpaceX spacesuits
An important test of the mission will also be the use of SpaceX's new spacesuits for external activities (EVA). The crew will test these suits in the extreme vacuum conditions of space when Dragon's capsule opens for a spacewalk. This will take place in an elliptical orbit, about 700 kilometers above the Earth's surface, where the two members will leave the capsule and do a walkabout. This will be the first time a spacewalk will be conducted from a Dragon capsule, representing a major technological and operational leap.
Polaris Dawn: A Step into the Future
The Polaris Dawn mission is significant not only for the groundbreaking steps in commercial space exploration, but also for the pioneering technological innovations being tested in flight. Jared Isaacman, who previously led a similar Inspiration4 mission, sees these missions as a key step toward a future of commercial flight where space tourism and research will be more accessible to the private sector.
Liftoff of Polaris Dawn! pic.twitter.com/VeGfJxzWKl
— Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 10, 2024
The world eagerly awaits the results of this mission, which will show how far civilian missions can contribute to the understanding and exploration of space. This also shows how close we are to the day when space will become a destination not only for scientists, but also for private individuals.
Conclusion
Polaris Dawn is more than just a commercial space flight. This is the beginning of a new era in which space will become accessible to the general public. As a crew completes the first commercial spacewalk, we will witness a historic moment that paves the way for future generations of explorers and adventurers.
