SpaceX testing breakthrough tech in risky spacewalk

SpaceX is set to make history next week with its inaugural private spacewalk, testing innovative equipment including sleek new spacesuits and a Crew Dragon capsule designed to operate without a traditional airlock.

This ambitious mission will see a billionaire, a retired fighter pilot, and two SpaceX engineers venture into space, pushing the boundaries of human spaceflight, Caliber.Az reports per foreign media.

Scheduled for launch on August 27, the mission will send the crew aboard a modified Crew Dragon spacecraft. Two days later, they will perform a 20-minute spacewalk at an altitude of 434 miles (700 km) — significantly higher than the International Space Station's orbit at 250 miles (400 km).

Dubbed Polaris Dawn, the five-day mission will trace an elliptical orbit around Earth, ranging from as close as 118 miles (190 km) to as far as 870 miles (1,400 km). This will be the farthest any humans have traveled since the Apollo moon missions ended in 1972.

Billionaire Jared Isaacman, who funded the mission with an estimated cost exceeding $100 million, will be joined by mission pilot Scott Poteet, a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.

The mission will test SpaceX's slimline spacesuits and an innovative airlock-free process for opening the spacecraft's hatch in space, a novel approach that eliminates the need for traditional airlock procedures.

The Polaris Dawn mission will take the crew through the Van Allen radiation belts, presenting a higher radiation risk than low-Earth orbit. The mission’s success will depend on the performance of Crew Dragon's electronics and shielding under these conditions.

In preparation for the spacewalk, the Crew Dragon cabin will be depressurized and exposed to the vacuum of space. Two astronauts will float outside, tethered by an oxygen line, while the remaining crew relies on their spacesuits for life support. They will undergo a "pre-breathe" process to remove nitrogen from the cabin air to prevent decompression sickness.

The mission will also provide valuable data for future space exploration, including how astronauts cope with long-duration spaceflight conditions. However, unlike NASA missions, private missions like Polaris Dawn lack established US safety standards, though SpaceX has planned for potential contingencies.

Despite the preparations, former NASA astronaut Garrett Reisman emphasizes the high stakes and limited margin for error in this groundbreaking mission.