Next week, Jared Isaacman’s Polaris Dawn mission will mark a significant step forward in the history of private human spaceflight with the first spacewalk by a “tourist.” Beyond its scientific goals, the mission raises questions about the definition of space tourism, calling into question the relevance of the term in the age of private, manned flights. For us, Polaris Dawn ushers in the era of space adventure tourism.
next week, SpaceXSpaceX The first of three special missions of the program will be launched. PolarisPolaris Designed by Jared Isaacman. This introductory mission is called Polaris dawndawnwill represent a major turning point in the emerging history of Space tourismSpace tourismWhich began in 2001 with Dennis Tito’s stay on the International Space Station. It represents an important milestone in the development of private human spaceflight by expanding horizons and redefining the challenges of space tourism, paving the way for the era of space adventure tourism before the era of space tourism exploration. But can we still talk about tourism?
“The Road to the Age of Space Adventure Tourism Before the Age of Space Exploration Tourism“
crew Polaris Dawn It will consist of four people, led by Jared Isaacman. It will also consist of pilot Scott Poteet and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both SpaceX employees. This will be the first time two SpaceX employees have participated in a crewed flight into space. Elon MuskElon Musk Valuable insights and feedback for the company's future space missions. Polaris Dawn is scheduled to last five days.
First spacewalk by a private astronaut
The crew will fly aboard a version of the Crew Dragon, designed for spacewalks, for which this will be the first flight. The SpaceX vehicle will enter a new orbit for the Crew Dragon, about 700 kilometers above Earth. From this “bulge,” Jared Isaacman will attempt to conduct his first commercial extravehicular activity. For this, he will wear a spacesuit designed by SpaceX to safely exit into space. This flight is just one aspect of this mission, during which the crew will conduct 36 experiments for 23 international institutions, primarily focused on human health, raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Hospital, which specializes in pediatric diseases, and test lasers in orbit. Communications services in real conditions via Starlink constellation.
A version of the Crew Dragon designed to go into space
On this historic mission, two astronauts, including Jared Isaacman, will perform a two-hour spacewalk, which will include both the initial depressurization of the cabin and the subsequent repressurization. It is important to note that Crew Dragon does not originally have an airlock to relieve pressure, which would require the entire cabin to be depressurized to allow this space to escape. The astronauts will use an innovative device called the com.skywalker », located at the front of the capsule, to exit the Crew Dragon and “fly” into space.
To meet the challenges of depressurization and repressurization, several modifications were necessary to the Crew Dragon. These included enhancing the ship's environmental control and life support systems. In addition, consumables required for ship cooling and repressurization (such asOxygenOxygen or chemicals to maintain a healthy environment on board the capsule) will be used at a more sustainable rate than any other Crew Dragon flight. To ensure safety and redundancy, additional tanks have been installed, improving the durability of the ship's environmental control and life support systems.
The crew will wear SpaceX EVA suits at all times, including during Crew Dragon's liftoff and return to Earth.
