The new spacesuit that SpaceX will be using for the forthcoming Polaris Dawn mission’s first-ever commercial astronaut spacewalk has been unveiled.
SpaceX released a brief video on Sunday that features close-ups of the extravehicular activity (EVA) suit (top).
More mobility, a cutting-edge helmet Heads-Up Display (HUD) and camera, new thermal management textiles, and materials used from the Dragon spacecraft’s trunk and the Falcon 9 rocket’s interstage are all features of the new suit, according to SpaceX.
The suit is far smaller than the one used for spacewalks at the International Space Station (ISS) as it does not have a bag, as the video illustrates. The extravehicular mobility unit (EMU) backpack that ISS astronauts utilize is equipped with life support systems, including power, air, and cooling, allowing the astronaut to conduct spacewalks with more independence. In contrast, the SpaceX suit will have an umbilical that supplies the same systems from within the spaceship.
“Building a base on the moon and a city on Mars will require millions of spacesuits,” the Elon Musk-led aerospace corporation stated in comments that accompanied the video. “The development of this suit and the execution of the spacewalk will be important steps toward a scalable design for spacesuits on future long-duration missions as life becomes multiplanetary.”
The launch window for SpaceX’s all-private Polaris Mission is yet unknown, although it is expected to occur sometime this year—possibly even this summer.
Four non-professional astronauts and a Crew Dragon will be sent into space by a Falcon 9. Two members of the Polaris Dawn crew will conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk in the new spacesuits at an altitude of around 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth, which is significantly higher than the International Space Station’s orbit of Earth at approximately 250 miles (402 kilometers). The two-hour walk is intended to evaluate a number of components of the EVA suit, including its ability to move as intended in the microgravity environment.
Jared Isaacman, who made history in 2021 as the first person to fly to space on an all-civilian mission called Inspiration4, will serve as the mission’s leader on Polaris Dawn. That trip, which was also planned by SpaceX, took place in a Crew Dragon spaceship that had been modified and had a glass dome that provided an amazing view of Earth.
