SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn: The First Private Spacewalk

Introduction

SpaceX, known for pushing the frontiers of private space exploration, achieved another monumental feat with the Polaris Dawn mission. Launched as part of SpaceX’s Polaris Program, this mission made history by conducting the first-ever private spacewalk. Led by Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur and space enthusiast, it made clear that private enterprise has taken control of domain that was once controlled just by national space agencies. Polaris Dawn is not only a remarkable technical achievement but also the blueprint for future ventures to the Moon, Mars and beyond. Let’s take a look at the details behind this marvelous mission and what it holds for the future in space exploration.

The Vision of Polaris Dawn

Polaris Dawn is the first of three missions in the ambitious Polaris Program by SpaceX. This mission aims to test critical technologies, conduct cutting-edge research, and demonstrate new spaceflight capabilities during this mission. The initiative was backed by billionaire entrepreneur and experienced pilot Jared Isaacman, who earlier commanded the Inspiration4 mission in 2021.

Isaacman’s vision is to take private space exploration to a whole other level and make it accessible not just for professionals but for the masses. The Polaris Dawn fits this ambition by giving access to space for anything other than government-led programs. Its goals include testing new EVA (extravehicular activity) technologies, conducting scientific research, and paving the way for future missions.

The mission’s crew is a mix of experienced professionals from SpaceX and the U.S. military.

• Jared Isaacman: Commander of the mission, founder of Shift4 Payments, and a major proponent of private space exploration.
• Sarah Gillis: SpaceX lead space operations engineer, who played a critical role in astronaut training for previous Crew Dragon missions.
• Scott Poteet: A former U.S. Air Force pilot and mission pilot for Polaris Dawn.
• Anna Menon: SpaceX mission director and biomedical engineer.

While all four astronauts played pivotal roles in the mission, Isaacman and Gillis became the first private individuals to conduct a spacewalk outside a Crew Dragon capsule.

The First Private Spacewalk

The first private spacewalk took place on September 12, 2024. A day that will live in history and mark a turning point in the exploration of outer space. Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis ventured out of the Crew Dragon capsule to be part of a new momentous, first-ever spacewalk in space undertaken by civilians outside a spacecraft without being associated directly with a national space agency such as NASA or Roscosmos.

Commander @rookisaacman has egressed Dragon and is going through the first of three suit mobility tests that will test overall hand body control, vertical movement with Skywalker, and foot restraint pic.twitter.com/XATJQhLuIZ

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024

This was a spacewalk at an altitude even more extreme than that of the International Space Station (ISS). To say that Polaris Dawn aimed at a higher altitude than the voyage of previous missions confined to low Earth orbit would be an understatement. It was going to take the astronauts much closer to the lines often mentioned radiation heavy regions of space’s Van Allen belts where cosmic radiation is known to peak.

A hatch called Skywalker was designed for SpaceX’s and developed especially for use with the Crew Dragon, that allowed the astronauts to perform an EVA. The astronauts wore special EVA suits, which were lighter in weight and much more flexible compared with NASA’s traditional suits. These new-generation spacesuits are the most important part of SpaceX’s long-term vision for missions to the Moon and eventually Mars-the future missions for which mobility and durability will mean the difference between life and death on those planets’ surfaces.

Testing SpaceX’s Advanced Spacesuit Technology

One of the primary goals of the Polaris Dawn mission was to test the EVA spacesuits recently designed by SpaceX, engineered specifically for extravehicular activities in deep space. They are high technology, much more advanced and flexible than those currently used on the ISS. In contrast to NASA’s standard-issue spacesuit, which is large and built for tethering near the ISS, SpaceX’s EVA suits have been designed for mobility, sturdiness, and long-term usability. The EVA suits tested during the Polaris Dawn spacewalk represent a significant leap forward in spacesuit technology.

During the spacewalk, the Polaris Dawn crew will wear the new SpaceX EVA suits → https://t.co/LRl5pPlAC9 pic.twitter.com/MVHzNwiWZU

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 10, 2024

Lightweight

The spacesuits are designed to be lightweight thus providing easy mobility in future long-term surface missions on the Moon or Mars, where astronauts will have to walk or climb across diverse terrains.

Mobility and Flexibility

These suits have more articulation at the joints, providing far more realistic movement than traditional space suits. The astronauts will need this mobility to navigate the rough terrains of the Moon and Mars as they execute complex tasks outside of their spacecraft.

Tethered oxygen supply

The Polaris Dawn EVA suit operates with a tethered life support system, similar to early NASA Gemini missions. The suit is connected to the Crew Dragon capsule through an umbilical, which supplies astronauts with oxygen and power. This reduces the suit’s weight and complexity, allowing for extended periods outside the capsule without requiring a fully self-contained system.

While NASA’s EMU has a built-in Portable Life Support System (PLSS), allowing complete independence during EVAs, the tethered approach used by SpaceX simplifies some aspects of design and is sufficient for short-duration spacewalks. For future missions, especially on planetary surfaces where mobility is key, SpaceX may evolve this design into more independent systems.

Helmet Design

The helmet is another important aspect of the suit’s design. SpaceX has worked on integrating advanced technology into the helmet, including:

Heads-Up Display (HUD): The helmet includes transparent display. With help of this crew will able to monitor suit pressure, oxygen levels, and mission data among other details without use of hands or looking at outer devices.

Advanced Communication Systems: Space missions do not stay afloat without a connection. Therefore, the EVA suits are embedded with an advanced communication system that ensures crew members remain in touch with mission control and others at all times, even when executing complex procedures during spacewalks.

Radiation shielding

As the orbit of Polaris Dawn is much higher, the suits were also tested against increased radiation exposure in the Van Allen belts. This is quite an important requirement for planning future deep space missions.

Durability and Temperature Control

The suits needed to protect the astronauts from extreme temperature swings in space, ranging from scorching heat in sunlight to freezing cold in the shadow of the Earth.

Ventilation and Cooling

Good crew performance is also dependent on the comfortable inside environment that can be achieved through the spacesuit. The advanced system for ventilation and cooling is integrated within the suit as it needs to regulate the spacewalkers’ body temperatures, since they are exposed to the vacuum of space with a temperature that may either go very hot or very cold under the condition existing between sunlit or shaded areas.

Thermal Insulation

EVA suits offer a higher level of thermal insulation, since temperatures can drop from extremely cold to incredibly hot in a matter of minutes. For instance, temperatures on the surface of the Moon range from +127°C (260°F) in the sun to -173°C (-280°F) in the shadows. In such conditions, multiple layers of insulation are utilized by SpaceX EVA suits to insulate the astronauts from such drastic changes within minutes.

Testing these suits in an actual space environment is considered a means through which SpaceX gathered really crucial data that will guide the design of next-generation suits intended to face extreme conditions when lunar and Martian exploration comes into being.

Scientific Research: 36 Experiments to Push Human Spaceflight Forward

Beyond the spacewalk, Polaris Dawn was fundamentally a scientific mission designed to advance our knowledge of how space travel impacts the human body. Onboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft, the astronauts conducted 36 experiments spanning research in microgravity’s effects on the human physiology and what are described as cutting-edge technology validations that will be crucial for future missions to deep space.

Key experiments included:

Cardiovascular Health

A primary concern was to understand how this microgravity setting affects the adaptation of the cardiovascular system, considering the severe cardiovascular challenges astronauts face when engaging in space missions, from fluid shifts, changes in blood pressure and decreased heart efficiency.

Neurocognitive Testing

Another experiment tests the effect of microgravity on cognition. Astronauts previously returned to earth after several weeks in space with their brain activities disrupted, and this experiment is coming up with ideas on how to potentially solve the problems to last missions to Mars which will take months or even years to complete.

Spaceflight-Induced Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS)

A new concern for long-duration space missions is SANS, a disease affecting vision. Polaris Dawn tested new diagnostic tools for detecting early signs of SANS by monitoring the ocular health of its crew members, taking measurements to understand how changes in intraocular pressure and retinal structure occur in microgravity. The Polaris Dawn crew will wear smart contact lenses in space to monitor their intraocular pressure, in efforts to learn more about Spaceflight Associated Neuroocular Syndrome, or SANS, as part of a University of Colorado Boulder research experiment.

Immune System Response

Prolonged space travel likely degrades the human immune system, so astronauts are supposed to be much more susceptible to infections. Experiments on Polaris Dawn were designed to study alterations in the functioning of the immune cells and how the body’s defenses change when it encounters microgravity and high radiation levels. Such data is important for keeping astronauts healthy for long missions to Mars or the Moon.

Radiation Exposure Studies

Given its higher orbit, crew members would have to endure higher cosmic radiation relative to missions at a lower Earth orbit. Radiation sensors that the crew wore monitored exposure to cosmic rays throughout the mission. The data collected will aid in preparing other missions for high-radiation deep-space conditions, especially those headed to Mars, where high cosmic radiation poses a great health risk.

Genomic Studies

Gene expression research related to the effects of spaceflight was also part of the mission. Blood samples would be drawn before, during, and after the mission for scientists to study changes in gene expression and epigenetics, which gives the idea of the effects that space has on the biological processes at the molecular level.

Blood Clotting and Vascular Health

The crew carries out experiments that monitor the behavior of blood clotting processes in microgravity. This becomes very crucial since venous thromboembolism (VTE) does occur more easily in space, resulting in blood clots. These effects are studied to help prepare preventive measures for astronauts embarking on long-duration missions.

Laser Communication Technology

The crew used laser communication technology, an innovative way to high-speed data transfer, using high-bandwidth with the SpaceX Starlink satellite network. A breakthrough in this technology can probably revolutionize communication between Earth and spacecraft, especially during deep space missions where delays in communication will have a major implication on operations.

Space Radiation’s Effect on DNA Repair Mechanisms

Space radiation could damage DNA, thereby predisposing people to higher risks of cancers and other related health problems. One of the objectives of the Polaris Dawn missions was to explore the interaction of space radiation with DNA repair mechanisms. Scientists will use the biological samples recovered from the crew to determine whether space radiation actually breaks down or strengthens the body’s power to repair damaged DNA, thus leading to better strategies to combat radiation.

Microbial Growth Studies

It’s also necessary to understand how microbes behave in space, particularly in closed environments like spacecraft. Polaris Dawn monitored growth of microbe samples on the spacecraft to see if there are any changes in growth rates and behavior of bacteria because of microgravity and radiation. The results may be very relevant to keeping hygiene and preventing infections on long space flights.

These experiments are contributing to NASA’s Human Research Program and other space science initiatives, paving the way for safer, more efficient missions in the future.

The Future of the Polaris Program: A Bold Vision

The Polaris Dawn is the first mission of three that comprise the Polaris Program. The way the missions are designed, each is more challenging than its predecessor, with each subsequent launch building on previous success, reaching further into even more extreme possibilities that advance humanity’s boundaries of space exploration. These missions are the vital stepping stones that lead to Mars and beyond as SpaceX and Jared Isaacman have envisioned for the long term.

What’s next?

Polaris II and III

The final two missions would face more ambitious goals than the initial one. More intensive penetration into space and life support system testing that would be used in a mission that lasted several months.

Lunar Exploration

In the NASA Artemis Program sending the first woman and the next man to the Moon by the late 2020s, SpaceX will likely play a key role in the development of those spacecraft and technologies needed for long-term habitation at the Moon. The parallel development of the Starship spacecraft would form the core of the Polaris Program and future missions to the Moon and the Mars​.

Conclusion

The mission of Polaris Dawn is a landmark in space exploration. From the first private spacewalk to testing innovative EVA suits and cutting-edge communication systems, it is a reminder of how far we have come-and how much farther we still have to go. No longer reserved for government astronauts, the spacewalks, scientific experiments, and technological innovation are now part of the private sector’s domain.

Thanks to visionary leaders like Jared Isaacman, the company SpaceX is changing the very nature of space exploration. Each new mission makes it seem that much closer to the vision of civilian space travel, bases on the Moon, and colonies on Mars. Polaris Dawn’s success brings humanity one step closer to a future where space is accessible to all.