The Polaris Down mission is now in its fourth day, each day delivering a groundbreaking experience. Let’s take a look at what’s happened so far.
The historic mission is entering its fourth day. During this time, we have been able to observe records and experience together the first event of this type. Never before have astronauts been sent into space who were not military, and on top of that in a machine paid for by a private investor. On top of that, it was built by a company not run by the government. Let’s see what has happened so far.
Day 1
The Polaris Dawn crew blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. On board are Jared Isaacman, the billionaire who is paying for the mission, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gills and Anna Menon. The Dragon capsule was carried by SpaceX’s partially “recoverable” Falcon 9 rocket. Hours later, everyone was doffing their spacesuits and beginning the first day of a five-day mission.
Shortly after liftoff, a process very similar to what divers do when emerging from the water began. Nitrogen was slowly removed from the capsule’s cabin and oxygen was added to prepare the astronauts for the decompression of the vehicle’s interior. This is necessary because Dragon does not have a separate chamber between the hatch and the crew.
The day was eventful enough, so the crew was spared complicated tasks, but still remained focused. That day the vehicle passed the South Atlantic Anomaly Zone (SAA), where the Earth’s magnetic field is weaker, allowing larger debris, circulating in space, to get closer to Earth. The command center had to be vigilant. And on board, after the first meal, the Starlinks were checked. They will be necessary for contact with families.
At an altitude of 1,216 km, the crew retired for a well-deserved sleep. Flying a record distance between man and his planet.
Day 2
No human has gone this far in more than 50 years. The Polaris Dawn mission broke the 1,400-km barrier and created a new chapter in human history. And mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon (who is also Polaris’ medical specialist) became the first women to go that deep into space. Mission commander Jared Isaacman passed the baton to NASA’s Artemis mission, which will be the first unmanned, then manned mission to the moon in more than half a century.
The capsule is still in the process of preparing the internal atmosphere for decompression.
After circling the planet several times, Dragon began the process of descending towards Earth. The astronauts presented the spacesuits that would soon become the only layer separating them from the vacuum of space. Several other research activities were carried out simultaneously, dedicated to eyeballs and the behavior of body fluids in a microgravity environment.
The day ended with a reading of a book for children from St. Jude Children’s Oncology Hospital and the family of Anna Menon. She was the narrator, but is also the author of the book “Kissses from Space,” which was being presented to the audience.
Day 3
On September 12th at 13:58 Polish time, the first ever commercial spacewalk (EVA) took place. The civilian astronauts were at an altitude of 732.2 km above Earth. This was possible, among other things, thanks to a two-day process designed to counteract the effects of decompression on humans. The pressure inside the cabin was gradually reduced, but the amount of oxygen was increased. In the process, the bodies of the crew members were prepared for the conditions inside the suits.
The walk officially lasted 106 minutes, and every stage of it was included in that time. This included checking the suits, getting rid of nitrogen and equalizing the pressure. Only when everyone, i.e. the crew and the command center, was certain that there were no contraindications to continuing the walk, did the capsule begin to rotate to the position intended for opening the hatch.
The whole thing was broadcast live over the internet. Including the moment when the mission commander left his seat and opened the Dragon hatch, exposing the entire crew to the vacuum of space. Then he climbed toward the exit and performed maneuvers that tested the suit’s behavior when exposed to the space environment. After him came Sarah Gillis. Both were the first humans in different categories. Sarah the first woman to walk in space, and Jason the first civilian astronaut. The rest of the crew monitored the situation from inside.
After that, the hatch was closed and the entire crew, once again complete, waited for the pressure and atmosphere to return to conditions that would allow them to remove their specialized suits. Then they had time to recover, eat, and talk to their families.
Even more excitement awaits us and the crew
Many loud, big things have already happened. Now, the astronauts will have these typical research activities, which will not be spectacular scenes to watch. Which is completely contrary to their value. All the tests that are already taking place and will continue during the 4th and 5th days of the Polaris Dawn mission, are of great value for every subsequent mission. Regardless of whether it is funded by governments or the private sector. Despite the divisions on Earth and the race to Mars, in fact, in this fledgling stage of space conquest, everyone must act as a collective.
Source: antyweb.pl
