In the early-morning hours of August 27, a historic event is set to take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The Polaris Dawn mission, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, will launch into an ultrahigh orbit, marking a significant milestone in commercial spaceflight. This ambitious and risky endeavor will push the boundaries of space exploration and pave the way for future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.
Setting the Stage for Polaris Dawn
Unlike traditional NASA missions, the Polaris Dawn crew consists of individuals who are not part of the agency’s astronaut corps. Instead, the crew members are from diverse backgrounds, including former Air Force fighter jet pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Together, they have undergone rigorous training for over two years, preparing for the challenges that lie ahead.
The mission’s Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft are provided by SpaceX, along with new spacesuits, operational protocols, and upgraded life-support systems. These innovations will be put to the test during a daring spacewalk, the first ever for a commercial mission. The crew will conduct nearly 40 science experiments and laser communications tests with SpaceX Starlink satellites during the five-day flight.
Charting a Bold Course
Polaris Dawn is just the first of three crewed flights that Isaacman has purchased from SpaceX as part of his Polaris program. The second flight, also slated for a Falcon 9 and a Dragon, aims to visit NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope to boost its observatory into a higher orbit and refurbish aging components. The third Polaris flight will take place on SpaceX’s Starship vehicle once it has been demonstrated as safe through test and cargo flights.
Isaacman envisions Starship as a key player in human spaceflight, with the potential to transport humans to the moon, Mars, and beyond. The Polaris program serves as a stepping stone towards preparing for future missions to these destinations by advancing EVA spacesuits and protocols. As Isaacman stated, “There’s going to be an armada of Starships arriving on Mars at some point in the future, and those people are going to have to be able to get out of it and walk around and do important things.”
A Mission of Firsts
Polaris Dawn’s journey will be filled with groundbreaking moments and technical challenges. The crew will venture to altitudes as high as 1,400 kilometers, surpassed only by the moon-bound Apollo astronauts in the 1960s and 1970s. The spacecraft will navigate through Earth’s hazardous Van Allen radiation belt, utilizing its orientation to shield the crew from exposure.
During the mission’s third day, a spacewalk will take place at an altitude of 700 kilometers, a significant milestone for commercial spaceflight. The crew will don SpaceX’s new spacesuits, complete with an oxygen-supplying umbilical, to venture into the void outside the spacecraft. This spacewalk will be livestreamed to Earth, showcasing the crew’s mobility and the innovative technology at play.
The fourth day of the mission will focus on testing a laser-based communications system for Starlink and other satellites, highlighting the advancements in space technology. The crew will conduct science experiments to monitor their physiological reactions to space, preparing for reentry on the fifth day. Dragon will lower its orbit before splashing down off the coast of Florida, concluding the mission.
Reflecting on the Journey
As Polaris Dawn embarks on its historic mission, the team behind the scenes reflects on the journey that led them to this moment. The pace of development at SpaceX mirrors that of the early Apollo days, pushing frontiers with the private sector and learning new things that would not be possible within the confines of Earth. Bill Gerstenmaier, vice president of build and flight reliability at SpaceX, emphasizes the importance of exploration and pushing boundaries to move forward in the realm of space travel.
The Polaris Dawn mission represents a significant step forward in commercial spaceflight, showcasing the capabilities of private aerospace companies to undertake ambitious and risky endeavors. Through innovative technology, rigorous training, and a bold vision for the future, the crew of Polaris Dawn is poised to make history and inspire the next generation of space explorers.
