A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida, carrying American billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others into orbit to attempt the world’s first private spacewalk.
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- Onboard crew members: Isaacman, Gillis, Poteet and Menon
- The spacewalk’s main aim is to test the spacesuits, developed by SpaceX.
About Polaris Dawn Mission
- Polaris Dawn will be the first non-government effort to perform a spacewalk approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) above Earth.
- The mission will involve orbiting through the Van Allen Belts.
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What is a Spacewalk?
- A spacewalk or an “extravehicular activity (EVA)” is a period of activity spent outside a spacecraft by an astronaut in space.
- The first-ever spacewalk was carried out on March 18, 1965, by the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov.
- Siginifcance:
- Science experiments: Spacewalks are done to carry out science experiments.
- For Example: Astronauts can attach experiments to the outside of a spacecraft during their spacewalk, and observe how the space environment impacts different things.
- Testing New Equipment: Astronauts can also test new equipment, and repair satellites or their spacecraft during the walk.
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- Research Focus
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- The Polaris Dawn mission will focus on researching the effects of space radiation on human biology.
- This includes studying its impact on eyesight and brain structure and addressing risks such as Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).
- The mission will also investigate decompression sickness (DCS) which is a condition caused by nitrogen gas bubbles damaging human tissue.
About Van Allen Belt
- Discovered in the 1950s: Located beyond low-Earth orbit, these radiation belts were discovered in 1958 by astrophysicist James Van Allen who helped uncover the key to enabling exploration of the outer solar system.
- Van Allen calculated that it was possible to fly through the weaker regions of radiation to reach outer space.
- Formation: The Earth’s magnetosphere traps the high energy radiation particles and shields the Earth from the solar storms and the constantly streaming solar wind that can damage technology as well as people living on Earth.
- These trapped particles form two belts of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, that surround the Earth like enormous donuts.
- The outer belt: It is made up of billions of high-energy particles that originate from the Sun. Situated at altitudes ranging from 15,000 to 20,000 kilometers above the Earth’s surface
- The inner belt: It results from interactions of cosmic rays with Earth’s atmosphere. Located between 680 and 3,000 kilometres above the Earth’s surface
- Significance: Astronauts must fly though the Van Allen Belts to reach outer space, so it is important to fly through this region quickly to limit their exposure to radiation.
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