SpaceX Polaris Dawn Mission To Attempt First-ever Private Spacewalk

Keneci Network | @kenecifeed

[Update]  SpaceX Polaris Dawn Crew Discusses Mission's 40 Science, Research Experiments

Polaris Dawn crew gives update on the details behind some of the ~40 science and research experiments being conducted during the mission. Many of these experiments will provide valuable data regarding human health in space ahead of future long-duration space missions.

SpaceX launched Polaris Dawn Crew Dragon on Sept. 10. Aboard are mission funder and commander Jared Isaacman; mission specialists Gillis and Anna Menon and pilot Scott 'Kidd' Poteet, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

Isaacman and Gillis took turns on Thursday Sept. 12, to perform the world's first commercial extravehicular activity(EVA) or spacewalk, about 735 km from Earth.

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[Update]  Harmony Of Resilience: SpaceX Polaris Dawn Astronaut Releases Music Video From Space

SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission astronaut and violinist Sarah Gillis on Friday(Sept 13), released the very inspiring masterpiece, recorded in space and sent to Earth via Starlink internet satellite. The music video which immediately went viral on social media, is dedicated to charity.

The song in the video, "Rey's Theme," was written by John Williams for "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and was performed by Gillis aboard the Polaris Dawn mission's Crew Dragon spacecraft. In the video, Gillis can be seen playing the song's solo violin part alongside videos of orchestras performing the song in studios and on soundstages.

"As we travel around our beautiful planet Earth on this five-day mission, we wanted to share this special musical moment with you," Gillis says when introducing the video. "Bringing together global talent, this performance symbolizes unity and hope, highlighting the resilience and potential of children everywhere."

Resilience is also the name of the Crew Dragon spacecraft launched Tuesday (Sept. 10), by SpaceX on the Polaris Dawn mission. Aboard are mission funder and commander Jared Isaacman; mission specialists Gillis and Anna Menon and pilot Scott 'Kidd' Poteet, a former lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Air Force.

"Inspired by the universal language of music and the relentless fight against childhood cancers and diseases, this moment was created with the hope of inspiring the next generation to look towards the stars," the Polaris Program wrote of the music video, on its website. "The video was created in partnership with with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, for whom the Polaris Program is raising money throughout the mission, and El Sistema USA, a program that aims to promote music education "for positive societal impact."

On Sept. 12, Gillis and Isaacman performed the world's first commercial extravehicular activity(EVA), about 735 km from Earth.

During the 1 hour 46 minutes spacewalk, Gillis and Isaacman took turns outside Crew Dragon, to test SpaceX's new EVA suits, which the Elon Musk company says will help enable future missions both in orbit around Earth and farther out into space, potentially on the moon or Mars.

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[Update]  SpaceX Polaris Dawn Astronauts Complete First-ever Commercial Spacewalk

Astronauts aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon(a.k.a. Resilience) on Thursday (Sept. 12), performed the world's first commercial spacewalk while the spacecraft was soaring about 737 kilometers(km) above Earth during the third day of the Polaris Dawn mission to far Earth orbit. The 1 hour 46 minutes spacewalk started at 1012 UTC.

While Resilience was soaring ~737 km above Earth, Polaris Dawn crew -- Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet" and SpaceX mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon -- embarked on the spacewalk(or extravehicular activity, EVA), starting with depressurization of the capsule and hatch opening which exposed the crew to the harsh void of space.

The crew wore new SpaceX-designed EVA suits that were made to be lightweight and flexible while still offering protection against the harsh, unforgiving environment in Earth's orbit. "All that stands between you and the nothingness of deep space vacuum is that [spacesuit]," SpaceX chief Elon Musk noted on X just hours after the completion of the spacewalk.

Isaacman and Sarah Gillis took turns to pop out out from Crew Dragon into the void, at about 1048 UTC and 1104 UTC respectively.

"SpaceX, back at home we have a lot of work to do, but from here it looks like a perfect world," Isaacman said as he looked down on Earth while floating upright above the Dragon hatch.

The Crew Dragon was heavily modified with a specialized hatch designed just for the mission. Skywalker -- which replaced the capsule's typical International Space Station(ISS) docking port -- features a ladder and both handholds and footholds for the Polaris Dawn astronauts to grab onto as they maneuvered around the outside of the capsule.

During his ~7 minutes 56 seconds spacewalk maneuver, Isaacman conducted a series of spacesuit mobility tests, one of Polaris Dawn's main goals. Gillis did the same during her ~7 minutes 15 seconds maneuver.

SpaceX aims to use the spacesuit on a variety of future missions both in Earth's orbit and farther into space. "It's not lost on us that, you know, it might be 10 iterations from now and a bunch of evolutions of the suit, but that, someday, someone could be wearing a version of [it] that might be walking on Mars," Isaacman said on Aug. 26. "And it feels like, again, a huge honor to have that opportunity to test it out on this flight."

After Gillis completed her spacewalk and lowered into Crew Dragon, the Dragon hatch was closed at about 1114 UTC as SpaceX began repressurizing the spacecraft. The entire spacewalk lasted one hour and 46 minutes, from 1012 UTC to 1158 UTC.

"Whew! Smell that? Space," Isaacman said after the hatch was closed and the capsule began its repressurization process. "Nice job for everyone at SpaceX who made it possible."

"The Polaris Dawn spacewalk is now complete, marking the first time commercial astronauts have completed a spacewalk from a commercial spacecraft! Congratulations to @rookisaacman, @Gillis_SarahE, @KiddPoteet, @annawmenon, and to all the SpaceX teams!" SpaceX wrote on X.

SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission launched four astronauts into orbit on Tuesday (Sept. 10). Fifteen hours later, the crew made space history when they reached an altitude of 1,400.7 km, higher than any other crewed mission since the Apollo program a half-century ago. Another NASA mission, Gemini 11, previously held the altitude record for a crewed spacecraft in Earth's orbit at 1,373 km.

Polaris Dawn is also testing a new communication system that uses lasers to link up with SpaceX's Starlink satellites, a megaconstellation that provides broadband internet worldwide. The system "has the opportunity to open up an entirely new communication pathway, not just for Dragon, but for [...] Starships or other satellites or telescopes out there," Isaacman said at a press conference on Aug. 19.

"Polaris Dawn is the first mission to test @Starlink laser-based communications, using the 'Plug and Plaser' inside Dragon’s trunk to communicate with Starlink satellites throughout the mission," SpaceX wrote X, before mission launch on Tuesday.

The Polaris Dawn astronauts have also been conducting 36 different science experiments provided by 31 separate institutions. These experiments will be conducted throughout the mission, including some that will contribute data to NASA's Human Research Program, helping scientists better understand how the human body reacts to spaceflight.

The experiments conducted during Polaris Dawn, range from testing wearable devices that collect biometric data, attempts to mitigate motion sickness, and tests on eye health in microgravity. Polaris Dawn has also traveled through portions of Earth's Van Allen radiation belt, offering the opportunity to better understand how this radiation affects the human body.

 "Each mission, whether the crew is comprised of commercial or NASA astronauts, provides a key opportunity to expand our knowledge about how spaceflight affects human health," Jancy McPhee, associate chief scientist for human research at NASA, said in a statement. "Information gathered from Polaris Dawn will give us critical insights to help NASA plan for deeper space travel to the moon and Mars."

Polaris Dawn is scheduled to return to Earth on its sixth day, with Crew Dragon splashing down under parachutes off the coast of Florida.

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A SpaceX Crew Dragon(a.k.a. Resilience) lifted off atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday(Sept. 10) at 0923 UTC from historic Launch Complex-39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC). Aboard the spacecraft are Polaris Dawn mission astronauts headed to about 1,400 kilometers away from Earth, higher than any human has flown since the final Apollo mission in 1972.

Approximately 9.5 minutes after liftoff, the Falcon 9 first stage returned to Earth as expected, landing on SpaceX autonomous droneship Just Read the Instructions(JRTI), stationed off Florida's eastern coast in the Atlantic Ocean. Crew Dragon meanwhile, separated from the Falcon 9's upper stage a little over 12 minutes after liftoff.

"We wouldn't be on this journey without all 14,000 of you back home and everyone else cheering us on," billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who commands and funds Polaris Dawn, told SpaceX mission control shortly after Resilience deployed into orbit. "We appreciate it. We're gonna get to work now." Joining him aboard are the first two SpaceX employees to launch to orbit, mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, as well as retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott "Kidd" Poteet, who serves as mission pilot.

Polaris Dawn program X account also posted a note signed the 4 astronauts.

Resilience settled into an initial elliptical orbit with a maximum altitude (apogee) of about 1,200 km, with the minimum altitude (perigee) holding at about 190 km. Then after ~8 orbits, the capsule will raise its apogee to ~1,400 km.

Isaacman, who has been to space once before, and his crewmates will spend the next five days in space, completing a wide variety of tests and experiments in the novel space environment that the mission is exploring.

After Polaris Dawn's second day in space, Crew Dragon will lower its apogee to about 700 km, at which altitude the crewmembers will conduct the most critical part of their mission: history's first commercial spacewalk. This is also the altitude where the Dragon will remain until its deorbit burn and return to Earth.