Elon Musk is ramping up space exploration as SpaceX’s latest mission will send a crew of four civilians.
This morning the SpaceX launched a rocket whose crew intends to conduct the first commercial spacewalk.
Polaris Dawn
The mission, known as Polaris Dawn, was live streamed this morning on X, formerly known as Twitter prior to Musk purchasing the platform in 2022.
Viewers were able to watch the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lift-off from Launch Complex-39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.
History In The Making
Polaris Dawn will make modern history as the mission will fly higher than any crewed mission has traveled since the December 1972 Apollo 17 moon missions.
It is due to reach an altitude 3 times higher than the orbit of the International Space Station. It is due to surpass the milestone of furthest capsule traveled in space, and it may be the furthest a woman has ever traveled in space.
A First Of Its Kind Mission
After reaching its peak altitude, it will return to the halfway mark of its journey. Here, the crew will depressurize the Dragon Crew capsule and 2 of the crewmembers will embark on a spacewalk in newly designed SpaceX spacesuits.
The spacewalk will be the first ever by a non-government mission.
“As you gaze towards the North Star, remember that your courage lights the path for future”
SpaceX launch director Frank Messina spoke words of encouragement as the capsule entered Earth’s orbit.
He said: “As you gaze towards the North Star, remember that your courage lights the path for future explorers. We trust your skills, your bravery, and your teamwork to carry out the mission that lies ahead.”
Who Is The Crew Completing The Mission?
The crew consists of commander, Jared Isaacman, American billionaire funder and commercial astronaut. Isaacman was the commander of Inspiration4, a private spaceflight using SpaceX’s Crew Dragon Resilience, launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 16, 2021.
As well as retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel and pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both of whom are SpaceX engineers.
The Countdown To Launch
The successful launch of Polaris Dawn occurred at 5:23am ET. But the launch was plagued with delays after less than optimal weather conditions took place in late August.
SpaceX didn’t just need to rely on perfect weather for take-off, but they also need optimal conditions for the crew’s safe return in a number of days.
High-Stakes For Returning Home
The crew will return home to Earth after 5 days in space. SpaceX have painstakingly calculated the optimum time of launch and return to coincide with calm waters and winds.
The return home is fraught with risk because the crew’s spacewalk will drain their oxygen supplies. The Polaris Dawn mission will only have enough life support for five or six days in space.
A SpaceX Legacy
SpaceX is already being increasingly relied upon by the United States. Stranded Boeing astronauts on the International Space Station will be returned home in a SpaceX craft in February 2025.
But Musk’s venture into the space world could soon see more and more commercial flights taking civilians to new heights, new horizons and even new planets.
A Multiplanetary Way Of Life
SpaceX’s goal is to build technologies which would make life multiplanetary. Their website statement says, “This is the first time in the 4-billion-year history of Earth that it is possible to realize that goal and protect the light of consciousness.”
Musk’s next step is to send humanity to Mars, the planet the company believes is the best desistation to begin a multiplanetary way of life.
