Watch Live as Billionaire Aboard SpaceX Capsule Attempts First Commercial Spacewalk

Four backstage astronauts are getting acceptable for a daring feat successful debased Earth orbit, opening the hatch and exposing the unit capsule to the vacuum of abstraction earlier 2 unit members effort the first-ever civilian spacewalk.

The Polaris Dawn mission launched connected Tuesday astatine 5:23 a.m. ET connected committee a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center successful Florida. After spending astir 2 days successful orbit, 2 astronauts volition task retired for an extravehicular enactment extracurricular the Dragon spacecraft successful marque caller spacesuits. The orbital stunt has ne'er been attempted by a backstage crew, and could pave the mode for much adventurous trips to space.

The spacewalk is scheduled for Thursday astatine 2:23 a.m. ET, and volition beryllium live-streamed connected the SpaceX website and the company’s X account.

The four-person crew, led by tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, rode to abstraction connected committee a Dragon spacecraft, which reached higher altitudes than immoderate different SpaceX unit capsule. On Wednesday, Dragon reached a maximum orbit of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), wherever it performed six orbits of Earth, breaking the grounds held by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission; the crewed Gemini spacecraft orbited Earth astatine an altitude of 853 miles (1,373 kilometers) successful 1966.

After reaching apogee, Dragon performed 4 burns to little itself to an orbit of 118 by 461 miles (190 by 742 kilometers) to hole for the spacewalk, SpaceX wrote connected X. On Thursday, the Dragon unit capsule volition little its altitude to 430 miles (700 kilometers) supra Earth for the highly-anticipated event.

Two unit members volition hop retired of the Dragon spacecraft and into the vacuum of space. However, it won’t conscionable beryllium 50% of the unit bracing themselves for the spacewalk. Since the Dragon capsule has nary airlock, the full spacecraft has to beryllium depressurized and exposed to the vacuum of abstraction successful bid to hole the participating astronauts for the unit extracurricular the cabin. That means the full unit volition don their spacesuits for endurance for the duration of the extravehicular activity.

SpaceX designed caller spacesuits conscionable for this occasion. In May, SpaceX unveiled the marque caller spacesuits, an upgraded plan of the company’s suits presently worn by astronauts connected committee Dragon, with further features to enactment extravehicular activities. Isaacman launched alongside retired Air Force aviator Scott Poteet, arsenic good arsenic SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. It’s not wide which 2 volition task retired for the spacewalk, but the full unit has been successful grooming for astir 2 years successful mentation for the mission.

Aside from the extravehicular adventure, the Polaris Dawn unit volition besides transportation retired much than 30 technological experiments successful orbit. The mission’s probe mostly has to bash with astronaut wellness and preparing crews for long-duration missions. NASA sent a suite of experiments on with the crew, including a instrumentality that collects vitals similar humor pressure, bosom rate, and temperature. Upon landing, the unit volition besides supply NASA with information connected question sickness, intelligence and carnal health, and wounded oregon discomfort during reentry.

Given the altitude reached by Dragon, the Polaris Dawn unit flew into the Van Allen radiation belts, a portion of energetic charged particles that statesman astatine astir 600 miles (1,000 kilometers) supra Earth. This country is considered 1 of the main hazards for aboriginal crewed missions to Mars arsenic the trapped particles of the radiation belts situation Earth similar an tremendous donut, according to NASA. One of the mission’s tasks is to trial the effects of the region’s radiation connected astronaut health.

Polaris Dawn volition besides beryllium the archetypal to trial SpaceX’s Starlink laser-based connection successful space, which uses lasers to relay information betwixt satellites astatine the velocity of light. The institution is hoping to make the exertion to assistance successful connection systems for aboriginal missions to the Moon and Mars.

After wrapping up the database of activities successful orbit, the unit is scheduled to splash down disconnected the seashore of Florida, perchance arsenic aboriginal arsenic this coming Saturday. Polaris Dawn is the archetypal of 3 backstage missions purchased by Isaacman. Depending connected however this 1 goes, the adjacent 2 volition hopefully beryllium conscionable arsenic exciting.

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