Polaris Dawn: SpaceX’s Experimental Mission That Changed the Boundaries of Space Exploration

The Polaris Dawn space mission is designed to challenge the limits of technology and safety. The mission is part of a program funded by Isaacman and SpaceX. (space)

IN 2021, Jared Isaacman, a visionary billionaire, launched a private space mission funded entirely from his own pocket. This mission is not only a space exploration, but also a fundraising event for childhood cancer research.

A crew of four from diverse backgrounds—with no experience in spaceflight—spent three days orbiting Earth in a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule measuring just 13 feet long.

After returning to Earth, Isaacman thought his space adventure was over. “We accomplished everything we wanted to,” he told CNN, noting that the Inspiration 4 mission proved that anyone, from any background, could be trained and empowered to go to space.

“I thought, maybe it’s time to stop.”

But Isaacman’s thoughts of the end of his space adventure didn’t last long. The following Monday, Isaacman and three other crew members—including his close friend and former Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and two SpaceX engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis—would arrive at Kennedy Space Center in Florida to prepare for an even more ambitious, more dangerous, and more experimental space mission.

The mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, is scheduled to launch on August 26, no earlier than 3:30 a.m. ET. Unlike previous missions that may have seemed like fun spacewalks, Polaris Dawn is a test mission designed to challenge the limits of technology and safety.

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For five days, Isaacman and his crew will spend time inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, flying to altitudes not reached by humans since NASA’s Apollo program in the 1970s. They will be in an orbit that passes through the Van Allen radiation belts, adding to the mission’s already dangerous level.

More than that, the crew will do something that has never been done before by non-government astronauts: they will open the capsule hatch and expose themselves to the vacuum of space. Only a new spacesuit designed by SpaceX in two and a half years will protect them from the deadly vacuum of space.

With Polaris Dawn, Isaacman is looking for more than just a repeat of the professional astronaut experience. As the founder of the payment services company Shift4 and a seasoned jet pilot, he aims to push the boundaries of space technology, help fund the development of new hardware, and take on big risks by being the one to test that technology in space.

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Garrett Reisman, a former NASA astronaut who is now a SpaceX consultant, applauded Isaacman’s move. “Jared isn’t just out for fun,” he said. “He wants to do things that SpaceX has never done before, improve their capabilities, and take us further into space.”

The Polaris Dawn mission, first announced in 2022, is the first of three missions in Isaacman’s Polaris Program, which is funded by SpaceX. The program aims to develop and test technologies that will one day be needed for missions to the deepest reaches of the cosmos, including spacesuits, extravehicular activity (EVA), and life-support technologies.

After launch, the crew will travel an orbit that extends up to 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) from Earth, passing through the Van Allen radiation belts, which are known to be dangerous because of the concentration of high-energy particles from the sun trapped in Earth’s atmosphere.

Also read: Elon Musk Ambitious to Build an Independent City on Planet Mars

Once in space, the Polaris Dawn crew will immediately begin a “pre-breathing” process to prepare for their spacewalk. This process is similar to what scuba divers do to avoid decompression sickness, purging nitrogen from their blood so it doesn’t form deadly bubbles when exposed to the vacuum of space.

On the third day, the crew will open the Crew Dragon’s hatch and expose themselves to the vacuum of space at an altitude of about 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth. Although only Isaacman and Gillis will be out of the craft, the entire crew will face greater risks than on any other space mission, including previous SpaceX missions that have taken customers to the International Space Station.

For two and a half years, SpaceX and the Polaris Dawn crew have been preparing for the mission with extensive testing and development of technologies, including the creation of EVA spacesuits capable of withstanding the extreme conditions of space. Another technical challenge is ensuring that the Crew Dragon spacecraft can withstand intense radiation and that its components do not release toxins when the cabin is repressurized after a spacewalk.

Isaacman acknowledges that the Polaris Dawn mission carries greater risks than other commercial space missions. But he and the crew remain eager to take on the challenge, confident that every test and development they undertake will bring us closer to a future where humans can live and work on other planets.

This mission is not just a personal journey for Isaacman, but part of a bigger dream to push humanity further into space. SpaceX, under the vision of Elon Musk, has become a pioneer in space exploration, and Isaacman is committed to supporting this mission as it reaches new frontiers in exploring the cosmos.

“I believe we are on the most incredible adventure ever,” Isaacman said, “seeking answers about our origins and our purpose in the universe.” (CNN/Space/Z-3)