SpaceX highlights progress made on the new spacesuit that the four civilians on the Polaris Dawn mission will wear. It is on this occasion that one of them will make a spacewalk. A first.
If all goes well for SpaceX, the Polaris Dawn mission should take place in the summer of 2024. On this occasion, a great first is planned: the extravehicular exit (EVA) of a civilian from a vehicle built and operated by a private company, in low Earth orbit.
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For such a spacewalk, you will need a dedicated suit.
This was precisely the subject ofa step point May 4 — which is the day of celebration of Star Warswhatwanted to emphasize SpaceX. The company has described the new suit it will provide to the four members of Polaris Dawn. This is an evolution of the outfit that astronauts already wear when they stay In the Dragon capsule.
The advantages of the SpaceX space suit
Thus, this diving suit designed for vacuum offers “ greater flexibility ”, thanks to “ new joints », allowing them to be as comfortable in the capsule as outside. This is a key point, because the four members of Polaris Dawn will go into space already harnessed. In addition, the capsule offers limited space for moving and changing.
According to SpaceX, the suit includes “ new materials and manufacturing processes “. She DImprovements in reliability and redundancy during a spacewalk. “. This includes seals and pressure valves, to ensure the outfit remains well pressurized at all times. The lives of astronauts depend on it.
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As for the helmet, it has benefited from three-dimensional (or 3D) printing and its visor has benefited from a treatment to reduce reflections during EVA. It also includes a new head-up display via which data will be communicated: pressure, temperature, humidity. There will also be an on-board camera.
Announced in February 2022, the Polaris Dawn mission was initially planned for the end of 2022. It has since been postponed gradually, until the summer of 2024 – which allowed the crew to continue and deepen their training (they will however benefit from continuous assistance from SpaceX teams on the ground) .
The mission must last five days and remain in orbit at a few hundred km altitude from Earth. If only one person has to carry out a spacewalk, everyone will have to wear the same suit: in fact, the Dragon capsule is not equipped with an intermediate airlock to keep the cabin watertight.
Two other Polaris missions are planned later.