Summary and Key Points: SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, set to launch on August 28, aims to push the boundaries of human space travel and contribute vital scientific data for future deep space missions.

-Led by entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, the mission will include the first private astronaut spacewalk and tests of advanced spacesuit technology and experimental laser communication.

-The crew will also study the effects of high-energy radiation from the Van Allen Belts, critical for future Mars missions. The mission not only advances SpaceX’s space ambitions but also demonstrates the company’s capability to support U.S. military operations in higher orbital planes.

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn, Explained 

Elon Musk’s SpaceX private space corporation is single-handedly keeping the U.S. in the new space race. And the U.S. military has finally come to recognize the benefits SpaceX offers its own space operations. 

Since 2010, SpaceX has enjoyed a massive increase in support from the U.S. Department of Defense. Even when SpaceX is engaged in seemingly non-military mission sets, the lessons it learns from the kinds of radical missions it embraces redound to the benefit of the U.S. military.

On Aug. 28, SpaceX is set to make history by launching the Polaris Dawn mission. Spearheaded in cooperation with Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who is funding the mission and serving as mission commander, it will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center Launch Complex 39A. The mission claims it will push the boundaries of human space travel while contributing valuable scientific data for future deep space missions. 

The Polaris Dawn Mission 

If the incredible mission succeeds, it will include the first spacewalk by private astronauts. Isaacman and Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX engineer, are slated to conduct the spacewalk. Theirs would be the farthest ever spacewalk from the Earth, making this SpaceX mission one for the history books. 

One of the key things SpaceX is testing is how well their spacesuits withstand the environment of deep space. 

The mission is a proof-of-concept for these suits, which are made from new materials for improved mobility. The spacesuits also come with a 3D-printed helmet including a heads-up display and visor to better protect the astronauts from the sun. 

Another key element of this mission is to test experimental laser communication. If successful, this could lead to advances that might eventually find a home in military space operations.

More important, the mission will pass through the Van Allen Belts. These are two bands of radiation that consist of high-energy particles derived from the sun and the atmosphere’s interaction with cosmic arrays. It is also considered to be highly dangerous for human beings. 

Interestingly, recent studies published in Nature have indicated that the American astronauts of the Apollo era who passed through the Van Allen Belts had an increased chance of cardiovascular disease caused by the high degree of ionizing radiation. 

So the SpaceX mission is also seeking to test this observation, as well as to test different methods for overcoming the problem. If Elon Musk’s ultimate goal of getting a permanent human settlement on Mars is to be realized, understanding the risk posed to humans from high degrees of ionizing radiation will be essential. 

The mission is crewed not only by Isaacman and Gillis, but also by fellow SpaceX engineer Anna Menon and retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Scott “Kidd” Poteet . 

A Stepping-Stone to the Great Beyond

Polaris Dawn is rightly viewed by most space enthusiasts as a stepping stone toward making space travel more accessible and sustainable. Many of the technologies and capabilities being tested in high-Earth orbit by SpaceX will be taken to their inevitable limits by the much grander mission to Mars that Musk’s SpaceX is planning within the decade.  

Until the Mars mission takes place, Musk is showing a relatively skeptical Pentagon that SpaceX can perform vital missions at any level of space. This is to say nothing of the implicit claim that, if tasked, SpaceX could easily ensure the U.S. gets the dominant position on the moon.

The U.S. military needs to have access to higher orbital planes. The loss of the Space Shuttle greatly reduced the ability for in-orbit servicing of damaged satellites, or even the deployment of certain satellites. Musk’s mission to Earth’s higher orbital planes indicates SpaceX may be readying to offer unique satellite launch services to the military. 

Implications of This Mission

Lessons shared by SpaceX could help give the U.S. military greater situational awareness.

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission is not just an exercise in vanity. The people involved in this mission are serious. They are going to make history. Yet there is something deeper here. The lessons learned from this mission will be applied to a future Mars mission and likely to any U.S. military plans for space. This is a truly historic event in the annals of human spaceflight operations. 

Author Experience and Expertise: Brandon J. Weichert

Brandon J. Weichert, a National Interest national security analyst, is a former Congressional staffer and geopolitical analyst who is a contributor at The Washington Times, the Asia Times, and The-Pipeline. He is the author of Winning Space: How America Remains a Superpower, Biohacked: China’s Race to Control Life, and The Shadow War: Iran’s Quest for Supremacy. His next book, A Disaster of Our Own Making: How the West Lost Ukraine, is due October 22 from Encounter Books. Weichert can be followed via Twitter @WeTheBrandon.

All images are Creative Commons or Shutterstock.

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