In 1965, the cosmonaut Alexey Leonov spent the first spacewalk in historySince then, hundreds of similar events have been held, in which astronauts, dressed in protective clothing, space walk suit, They leave their ships to perform repairs, experiments or any other external mission. They are now routine, but the one that will be carried out within the framework of the mission Polar Dawn something will happen that has never happened before. Civilians will play the leading roles.
If all goes well, the billionaire-led mission Jared Isaacmanwill take place this week. It will be carried out in cooperation with SpaceX, because it will be a rocket Falcon 9 one that sends Isaacman and three of his comrades into space aboard the Dragon capsule. None of them are astronauts. Isaacman is the CEO of Inspiration 4. Scott Poteet retired US Air Force pilot, lieutenant colonel, Sarah Gillies Space Operations Engineer at SpaceX and Anna Mennon engineer and doctor.
Although none of them are astronauts, they have all undergone the necessary training for two years. And they will not only be making their first spacewalk. Their ship is also expected to reach an altitude of 1400 km, which has not been achieved since Apollo missions.
A very unusual walk into space
If all goes well, the third day of the mission will feature two spacewalks. Such outings are usually conducted in pairs. So the Polaris Dawn crew will take turns going outside. Isaacman and Gillis will do it on one side, and Poteet and Mennon on the other. But even those inside the ship will be exposed to the vacuum of space, since Crew Dragon doesn’t have an airlock.
Each couple will spend approximately 15 to 20 minutes outsideThey won’t have a specific mission, but if all goes well, they’ll make history as the first commercial spacewalk.
Other Polaris Dawn missions
Polaris Dawn’s goal is to reach an altitude of 1,400 kilometers, a distance that hasn’t been reached in 50 years. They’ll get there on the first day of the mission. Then, on the third day, they’ll prepare to don their spacewalk suits and go on a spacewalk. Once that’s done, they’ll be able to begin their experiments. First, they’ll try out a new communication system based on the laser that links the ship to the Starlink satellite train. After that, they’ll make others 40 experimentsaimed primarily at analyzing how such a high flight affects human health.
At this moment there is a lot of radiationso you shouldn’t stay too long. Also, the ship should have sufficient shields to ensure the safety of the crew. One of the most interesting experiments will be conducted with contact lenses equipped with sensors capable of measuring changes in the eye caused by radiation, pressure or vacuum changes.
Six very intense days
The mission will last six days, during which the crew’s physical fitness will be tested. Fortunately, their training included preparatory tasks that were just as strenuous as those they would be climb a volcano.
With this in mind, everything is expected to go well and on day six, Polaris Dawn will return home with a splashdown located in Florida Coast. But all this will happen if he manages to take off. The takeoff was supposed to take place today, but it had to be postponed.
When will Polaris Dawn fly?
A helium leak has forced the delay of the Polaris Dawn launch that was supposed to take place this morning. SpaceX does not use the substance to fuel the Falcon 9 engines, but it does use it to pressurize the fuel lines. So the problem needs to be addressed.
A new attempt will be made tomorrow, Wednesday. August 28again very early, at 3:38 a.m. ET (9:38 a.m. Spanish Peninsula time). In any case, if this is not possible, two more attempts will be made during the American morning: one at 5:23 a.m. ET, 11:23 a.m. Spanish Peninsula time, and another at 7:09 a.m. ET, 1:09 p.m. Spanish Peninsula time.
SpaceX will broadcast it live on its website for everyone to see. If all goes well, there are two more Polaris Dawn missions to come. Commercial flights have ushered in a new era in space.
Source: Hiper Textual
