After weeks of weather-related delays, SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission has successfully launched. The mission, which departed from Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Sept 10, marks a historic milestone.
William Hunter and Jonathan Chadwick provided these details in a news article that was posted on MailOnline on September 10.
The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, carrying four private astronauts, soared into space atop a Falcon 9 rocket. The crew will reach up to 870 miles from Earth, travelling further than any human since the Apollo moon missions and entering the Van Allen Belt, a zone of high radiation.
The Polaris Dawn mission aims to achieve the first spacewalk by non-professional astronauts. SpaceX celebrated the launch with a stunning photo on X (formerly Twitter), captioned, "Liftoff of Polaris Dawn!"
The crew comprises Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon. Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur, previously commanded SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission. He funded this $100 million mission himself.
About ten minutes after launch, the rocket’s main engine separated, and the Crew Dragon continued with its secondary booster. After 20 minutes, the mission commentators reported that everything was going smoothly as the crew experienced microgravity.
Polaris Dawn will spend up to five days in orbit, flying higher than any previous Dragon mission. On the first day, the crew will briefly enter the Van Allen Belt, which contains dangerous radiation.
The astronauts will then conduct a spacewalk and perform scientific research to advance our understanding of human health during long-duration spaceflights. This marks the first human spacewalk conducted by private individuals rather than astronauts from national space agencies.
Before the spacewalk, the crew will undergo a two-day pre-breathe process to avoid decompression sickness. They will breathe an oxygen-rich gas mixture to remove nitrogen from their bodies, a process longer than the standard two-hour pre-breathe used for spacewalks from the International Space Station (ISS).
The astronauts will wear newly designed SpaceX Extra Vehicular Activity (EVA) suits with advanced features, including heads-up displays and helmet cameras. At 435 miles above Earth, they will perform the spacewalk in pairs while the rest of the crew monitors from inside the spacecraft.
To prepare, the Polaris Dawn team has completed over two years of intensive training. They will also test SpaceX's latest laser communication system, aiming to enhance space communication speeds via the Starlink satellite network.
The mission will conclude with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. The launch had been delayed multiple times due to weather, a helium leak, and a recent Falcon 9 rocket explosion, which briefly halted all Falcon 9 launches.
SpaceX CEO Elon Musk emphasised thorough safety checks, and despite these setbacks, the Polaris Dawn mission has now successfully embarked on its groundbreaking journey.
