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Launch Date: August 27, 2024 Launch Time: 3:38 a.m. EDT, 0738 UTC, 09:38 CEST Planned Orbit: Low Earth Orbit (LEO) Launch Status: Scheduled and announced Splashdown: TBD Launch Provider: SpaceX Launcher System: Falcon 9 Block 5 (Booster B1083) Booster Landing: Autonomous Drone Ship TBD Dragon Spacecraft: C207 “Resilience“ Dragon Flight: #3 Contractor: Jared Isaacman Flight Number: #4 Flown missions for the booster: 3 - SpaceX Crew-8, Starlink Group 6-48, Starlink Group 6-56 Mission: Polaris Dawn Launch Location: SLC-40 - Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Florida, USA Launch Inclination: North East Landing: Droneship TBD SpaceX targets launching the Polaris Dawn mission for Jared Isaacman to Low-Earth Orbit (LEO) on August 27, 2024. The launch time is 3:38 a.m. EDT, 0738 UTC, 09:38 CEST. Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew will spend up to five days in orbit, during which they will work towards the following objectives: HIGH ALTITUDE This Dragon mission will take advantage of Falcon 9 and Dragon’s maximum performance, flying higher than any Dragon mission to date and endeavoring to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown. Orbiting through portions of the Van Allen radiation belt, Polaris Dawn will conduct research to better understand the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health. FIRST COMMERCIAL SPACEWALK At approximately 700 kilometers above the Earth, the crew will attempt the first-ever commercial extravehicular activity (EVA) with SpaceX-designed extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits, upgraded from the current intravehicular (IVA) suit. Building a base on the Moon and a city on Mars will require thousands of spacesuits; the development of this suit and the execution of the EVA will be essential steps toward a scalable design for spacesuits on future long-duration missions. IN-SPACE COMMUNICATIONS The Polaris Dawn crew will be the first to test Starlink laser-based communications in space, providing valuable data for future space communications systems necessary for missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond. HEALTH IMPACT RESEARCH While in orbit, the crew will conduct scientific research designed to advance both human health on Earth and our understanding of human health during future long-duration spaceflights. THE CREW Four crew members will combine their expertise, knowledge, and passion for spaceflight to further human space exploration: Jared Isaacman (Mission Commander) Scott Poteet (Mission Pilot) Sarah Gillis (Mission Specilist) Anna Menon (Mission Specialist & Medical Officer) Jared Isaacman (mission commander) info about the planned EVA's (Extra Vehicular Activities): Our extravehicular activity is generally designed for 2 hours, but many factors influence the time. I'm counting on 20 minutes for each crew member leaving extra. time for depressurization/pressurization of the ship's cabin and unforeseen circumstances. Only one crew member will go outside the ship at a time, and we will not be floating freely in outer space. We will also not go into outer space while standing, but will maintain contact with the ship using a special means of transportation. The primary purpose of the spacewalk is to learn about the performance of the new spacesuit and test it (including one-handed and hands-free operations), and to collect data on thermal regulation and other aspects of its life support system. Main risks associated with the mission: - Depressurization of the ship's cabin. We deliberately plan to depressurize the ship's capsule for subsequent exit beyond its boundaries. It's worth noting that the same risks existed on other ships without an airlock, such as Gemini, the Apollo Command Module, and the LEM. We have confidence in the ship's systems and contingency procedures, the SpaceX team, support from NASA and our training. - Space debris. Unfortunately, there are many very small objects that fly at orbital speeds and cannot be tracked. Even objects as small as a millimeter can penetrate a spacecraft. At high altitudes, especially between 600 and 1500 km, there is quite a lot of space debris. We will combat this by checking the trajectories of dangerous objects, an elliptical orbit with a low perigee, and precise targeting of the ship's orbit. - Increased radiation. We will avoid anomalous zones over the South Atlantic, reduce apogee after high orbits, and we have a contingency plan in case of space weather problems. All of these risks are directly related to the important goals of the Polaris Dawn mission and the goals that SpaceX sets for itself. If humans become a spacefaring civilization and live on Mars, it means that we will regularly fly through the Van Allen Belts, deal with the problem of space debris, and produce thousands of low-cost spacesuits for work and exploration beyond spacecraft and low-Earth orbit.
