SpaceX on Saturday unveiled an advanced extravehicular activity (EVA) suit designed for extravehicular activity during its upcoming mission “Dawn of Polaris,” the first flight of the company’s human spaceflight program. Elon Musk’s SpaceX says Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned human spaceflight missions that will launch targets into orbit.
During the five-day mission, which will orbit some 700 kilometers above Earth, the crew will undertake the first commercial extravehicular activity (EVA) using an upgraded spacesuit to replace the current intravehicular (IVA) suit. This space effort will be the first time four astronauts will be exposed to the vacuum of space at the same time.
Polaris Dawn’s crew will pioneer the testing of Starlink laser-based communications in space, gleaning critical insights into future space communications systems essential for missions to the Moon, Mars, and interplanetary. According to SpaceX, the development and use of these spacesuits and the performance of spacewalks represents significant progress toward creating scalable spacesuit designs for future long-duration missions.
Features of EVA suit
– SpaceX’s newly developed EVA suit is an advancement from the current IVA suit worn on the Dragon mission and will assist astronauts during spacewalks.
– Mobility was a key consideration in the suit’s development, and SpaceX integrated new materials, manufacturing techniques, and innovative joint designs. These improvements allow astronauts to maintain comfort in non-pressurized conditions while increasing flexibility in pressurized conditions.
– The suit’s 3D printed helmet features a redesigned visor to minimize glare during spacewalks. It also includes a heads-up display (HUD) and camera that provides real-time data on pressure, temperature, and humidity inside the suit.
– Reliability and redundancy enhancements are built into the suit, including additional seals and pressure valves. These features are critical to maintaining suit pressure and ensuring crew safety during spacewalks.
– All these improvements are part of our scalable design approach, allowing us to manufacture suits for different body types. SpaceX aims to improve access to space for all individuals.
– SpaceX’s EVA suit will debut in low Earth orbit during the dawn of Polaris, but its long-term mission will extend beyond Earth’s immediate vicinity. Establishing a lunar base and Mars settlement will require a scalable spacesuit design that can accommodate the millions of spacesuits needed for multiplanetary life.
