About Polaris Dawn Mission:
- It will be the first non-governmental mission to conduct a spacewalk, reaching an unprecedented altitude of approximately 700 kilometres (435 miles) above Earth.
- It will also orbit Earth through regions of a highly-charged belt of radiation. There are two of these “Van Allen Belts”, an inner and an outer one.
- This altitude surpasses that of the International Space Station (ISS), which orbits at about 400 kilometres.
- Spacecraft: SpaceX will provide the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon capsule for the mission. The spacecraft will attempt to break the altitude record set by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission in 1966, which reached 1,373 kilometres.
- Crew and leadership: It is spearheaded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who previously financed and flew on SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission, the first civilian mission to orbit Earth.
Understanding the Van Allen Belts:
- Composition: They consist of charged particles trapped by Earth's magnetosphere, which protects the planet from solar storms and cosmic rays.
- These belts were first identified in 1958 by the American physicist James Van Allen.
- Location:
- Inner belt: It is located between 680 and 3,000 kilometres above the Earth's surface, this belt is primarily composed of high-energy protons. It forms due to the interaction between cosmic rays and Earth's atmosphere.
- Outer belt: It is situated at altitudes ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers above the Earth's surface, the outer belt predominantly consists of high-energy electrons originating from the solar wind.
- Radiation risks: The spacewalk will expose the crew to higher levels of radiation than those on the ISS.
- The charged particles within these belts can lead to radiation sickness, harm to human tissues, and an increased risk of cancer.
- Data collected during this mission will be crucial for future deep-space missions, including NASA’s planned 2025 mission to the Moon and Mars.
Significance of the Spacewalk:
- Van Allen belts: The mission will involve orbiting through the Van Allen Belts, regions of intense radiation that astronauts typically avoid. The ability to navigate these belts is crucial for future missions to Mars.
- Testing new spacesuits: The four astronauts on board will test new spacesuits developed by SpaceX. These suits are designed to protect against the heightened radiation found in the Van Allen Belts.
Planned health research:
- Biological effects of space travel: It aims to create research biobanks to study how space travel impacts human biology, including eyesight and brain structure.
- These studies address Spaceflight-Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS), a significant health risk in space.
- Decompression sickness: It will also contribute to research on decompression sickness (DCS), a condition caused by nitrogen gas bubbles damaging human tissue during spaceflight.
Innovation in space communications:
- Laser communications test: The crew will test laser communications provided by SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network.
- This technology is vital for future space missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. The data from these tests will inform the development of advanced space communication systems.
Polaris Missions ahead:
- Mission progression: Isaacman has committed to three Polaris missions in collaboration with SpaceX. The first mission is planned to last five days, with future missions set to push the boundaries of human spaceflight, communications, and scientific research.
- Starship test: The third Polaris mission will involve the first crewed test of SpaceX’s reusable Starship spacecraft.
