- SpaceX Initiates Unprecedented launch at Elevated Heights
SpaceX is set to propel astronauts to an extraordinary Earth orbit on Wednesday morning (9:38 CEST). This mission, dubbed "Polaris Dawn", could last up to five days, with the crew of four, launched from Cape Canaveral spaceport, reaching as far as 1,400 kilometers away from Earth. As per SpaceX, this will mark the farthest humans have been from Earth since the Apollo missions to the Moon in the early '70s. The International Space Station (ISS) orbits at around 400 kilometers height.
Billionaire Jared Isaacman, who coordinated the mission with SpaceX's Elon Musk, will lead this mission as its commander. Joining him will be Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon, all of whom will venture into space aboard the "Dragon" spacecraft, powered by the "Falcon 9" rocket. The mission will also include a spacewalk at approximately 700 kilometers height, during which SpaceX will test its new spacesuit for extravehicular activities.
This "first commercial spacewalk", as per the project site, aims to enhance mobility. It comes equipped with a display in the helmet, a camera, and new materials for better temperature regulation in the harsh vacuum of space.
Preparations for Mars
The objectives of "Polaris Dawn" stretch far beyond Earth's orbit. According to the project, "To build a base on the Moon and a city on Mars, millions of spacesuits will be required." The development and execution of this suit and the spacewalk are crucial steps towards a flexible design for future long-duration mission spacesuits as the human existence expands across multiple planets.
A settlement on Mars - this is NASA's mid to long-term goal. With the "Artemis" program, it aims to achieve, for the first time in over half a century, the return of humans to the Moon. A moon base will serve as the stepping stone for Mars missions. However, due to technical issues with the rocket and spacecraft, NASA has postponed the planned crewed lunar flyby "Artemis 2" from November 2024 to September 2025, and the planned crewed lunar landing "Artemis 3" to September 2026.
The "Dragon" spacecraft and its crew, including Commander Jared Isaacman, will pass as close as 1,400 kilometers from the Earth during the mission, a distance not surpassed since the Apollo missions to the Moon. The new spacesuit being tested during the spacewalk could be vital for future missions to build a base on the Moon and a city on Mars, requiring millions of spacesuits.
