NEW DELHI: The Polaris Dawn mission, the first of three spaceflight missions under the program, is scheduled to launch in mid-2024. A newly developed extravehicular activity (EVA) suit, supporting the crew at an altitude of 700 km above Earth, will provide crucial assistance during the historic first-ever commercial spacewalk by astronauts.
During the five-day mission, the crew will conduct SpaceX’s inaugural space activity (EVA) from the Dragon spacecraft, marking the first commercial astronaut spacewalk. This historic event will also be the first time four astronauts are exposed to the vacuum of space at the same time.
“In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, SpaceX shared a video and wrote: SpaceX Extravehcular Activity (EVA) Suit — At an altitude of approximately 700 km above Earth, the EVA suit will support the Polaris Dawn crew of the Polaris program in the vacuum of space during the first in the history of a commercial astronaut spacewalk.”
Advances in EVA suit design
An improvement over the current Intra-Vehicle Operations (IVA) suit worn aboard Dragon spaceflight, this suit ensures crew safety and functionality in the vacuum of space.
The EVA suit was designed with an emphasis on mobility, using modern materials, manufacturing processes and groundbreaking connection designs to enhance astronaut flexibility in pressurized scenarios while maintaining comfort in unpressurized situations.
The 3D-printed helmet includes a modern visor that reduces glare during EVA, as well as a modern Head-Up Display (HUD) and camera that provide information about the suit’s pressure, temperature and relative humidity.
The suit includes improvements for greater reliability and redundancy during spacewalks, including additional seals and pressure valves to maintain pressure and ensure crew safety.
The evolution of the EVA suit
The EVA suit has evolved from the In-Vehicle Activity (IVA) suit to include improved mobility, an advanced Heads-Up Display (HUD) and helmet camera, modern heat-wicking textiles, and materials borrowed from the Falcon stage and Dragon trunk.
The Polaris program, announced by Jared Isaacman and SpaceX in February 2022, aims to rapidly expand human spaceflight capabilities while supporting crucial goals on Earth.
The development of the EVA suit and execution of the spacewalk are key steps toward creating a scalable spacesuit design that can be used on future long-duration missions as humanity expands its presence beyond Earth.
The EVA suit improvements are part of a scalable project that allows teams to produce and adapt the suit to different body types, promoting greater accessibility of space for all humanity.
EVA suit debuts in low orbit
While the Polaris Dawn mission will be the first exploit of an EVA suit in Earth orbit, its ultimate goal is to support the construction of a base on the Moon and a city on Mars, which will require millions of spacesuits.
On his first Polaris Dawn mission, Commander Isaacman will fly the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with Sarah Gillis, Anna Menon and Scott Poteet. The second Polaris launch will also exploit a dragon, but the third is expected to be the first crewed mission of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship.
During the five-day mission, the crew will conduct SpaceX’s inaugural space activity (EVA) from the Dragon spacecraft, marking the first commercial astronaut spacewalk. This historic event will also be the first time four astronauts are exposed to the vacuum of space at the same time.
“In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, SpaceX shared a video and wrote: SpaceX Extravehcular Activity (EVA) Suit — At an altitude of approximately 700 km above Earth, the EVA suit will support the Polaris Dawn crew of the Polaris program in the vacuum of space during the first in the history of a commercial astronaut spacewalk.”
Augment
An improvement over the current Intra-Vehicle Operations (IVA) suit worn aboard Dragon spaceflight, this suit ensures crew safety and functionality in the vacuum of space.
The EVA suit was designed with an emphasis on mobility, using modern materials, manufacturing processes and groundbreaking connection designs to enhance astronaut flexibility in pressurized scenarios while maintaining comfort in unpressurized situations.
The 3D-printed helmet includes a modern visor that reduces glare during EVA, as well as a modern Head-Up Display (HUD) and camera that provide information about the suit’s pressure, temperature and relative humidity.
The suit includes improvements for greater reliability and redundancy during spacewalks, including additional seals and pressure valves to maintain pressure and ensure crew safety.
The evolution of the EVA suit
The EVA suit has evolved from the In-Vehicle Activity (IVA) suit to include improved mobility, an advanced Heads-Up Display (HUD) and helmet camera, modern heat-wicking textiles, and materials borrowed from the Falcon stage and Dragon trunk.
The Polaris program, announced by Jared Isaacman and SpaceX in February 2022, aims to rapidly expand human spaceflight capabilities while supporting crucial goals on Earth.
The development of the EVA suit and execution of the spacewalk are key steps toward creating a scalable spacesuit design that can be used on future long-duration missions as humanity expands its presence beyond Earth.
The EVA suit improvements are part of a scalable project that allows teams to produce and adapt the suit to different body types, promoting greater accessibility of space for all humanity.
EVA suit debuts in low orbit
While the Polaris Dawn mission will be the first exploit of an EVA suit in Earth orbit, its ultimate goal is to support the construction of a base on the Moon and a city on Mars, which will require millions of spacesuits.
On his first Polaris Dawn mission, Commander Isaacman will fly the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft with Sarah Gillis, Anna Menon and Scott Poteet. The second Polaris launch will also exploit a dragon, but the third is expected to be the first crewed mission of SpaceX’s next-generation Starship.
