{"id":131380,"date":"2024-09-11T19:36:44","date_gmt":"2024-09-11T14:06:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/?post_type=current-affairs&#038;p=131380"},"modified":"2024-09-12T13:31:32","modified_gmt":"2024-09-12T08:01:32","slug":"polaris-dawn-mission","status":"publish","type":"current-affairs","link":"https:\/\/pwonlyias.com\/stage\/current-affairs\/polaris-dawn-mission","title":{"rendered":"Polaris Dawn Mission"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket lifted off from Florida, carrying American billionaire Jared Isaacman and three others into orbit to attempt the world\u2019s first private spacewalk.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>More on News<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Onboard crew members: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Isaacman, Gillis, Poteet and Menon\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The spacewalk\u2019s main aim is to test the spacesuits, developed by SpaceX.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Polaris Dawn Mission<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Polaris Dawn will be the <\/span><b>first non-government<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> effort to perform a <\/span><b>spacewalk approximately 700 kilometers (435 miles) above Earth.<\/b><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mission will involve <\/span><b>orbiting<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> through the <\/span><b>Van Allen Belts.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pw.live\/batches\/upsc\/pw-only-ias?utm_source=seo+upsc+batch&#038;utm_medium=seo+upsc&#038;utm_campaign=seo&#038;utm_id=upsc\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Enroll now for UPSC Online Classes<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 100%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<th style=\"width: 100%; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000; background-color: rgba(184, 165, 217, 0.53); text-align: left; vertical-align: middle;\">\n<h3><span style=\"font-size: 16pt; color: #000000;\"><b>What is a Spacewalk?<\/b><\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A spacewalk or an <\/span><b>\u201cextravehicular activity (EVA)\u201d is<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> a period of activity spent outside a spacecraft by an astronaut in space.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"font-weight: 400; color: #000000;\">The first-ever spacewalk was carried out on March 18, 1965, by the Soviet cosmonaut Alexei Leonov.<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Siginifcance:<\/b><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><b>Science experiments: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spacewalks are done to carry out science experiments.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"3\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>For Example:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Astronauts can attach experiments to the outside of a spacecraft during their spacewalk, and observe how the space environment impacts different things.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><b>Testing New Equipment: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Astronauts can also test new equipment, and repair satellites or their spacecraft during the walk.<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<ul>\n<li><b>Research Focus<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Polaris Dawn mission will focus on r<\/span><b>esearching the effects of space radiation on human biology.<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This includes studying its i<\/span><b>mpact on eyesight and brain structure<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and addressing risks such as <\/span><b>Spaceflight Associated Neuro-ocular Syndrome (SANS).<\/b><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The mission will also investigate<\/span><b> decompression sickness (DCS)<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> which is a condition caused by <\/span><b>nitrogen gas bubbles damaging human tissue.<\/b><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>About Van Allen Belt<\/b><\/span><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Discovered in the 1950s:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Located beyond low-Earth orbit, these radiation belts were <\/span><b>discovered in 1958 by astrophysicist James Van Allen<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> who helped uncover the key to enabling exploration of the outer solar system.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Van Allen calculated that it was possible to fly through the weaker regions of radiation to reach outer space.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Formation<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: The Earth\u2019s magnetosphere traps the high energy radiation particles and<\/span><b> shields the Earth from the solar storms <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and the constantly streaming solar wind that can damage technology as well as people living on Earth.<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">These trapped particles form two belts of radiation, known as the Van Allen Belts, that surround the Earth like enormous donuts.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>The outer belt: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">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&#8217;s surface<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>The inner belt:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> It results from interactions of cosmic rays with Earth\u2019s atmosphere. Located between 680 and 3,000 kilometres above the Earth&#8217;s surface<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Significance<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: 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.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span class=\"vc_button\"><a href=\"https:\/\/store.pw.live\/govt-entrance-exams\/upsc-books\/upsc-textbooks?utm_source=SEO&#038;utm_medium=PW+Live&#038;utm_campaign=UPSC+Textbooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Check Out UPSC NCERT Textbooks From PW Store<\/span><\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<table style=\"width: 99.9251%;\">\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 137.805%; text-align: center; border-style: solid; border-color: #000000;\" colspan=\"2\"><span style=\"font-size: 18pt;\"><b>Must Read<\/b><\/span><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td style=\"width: 50.5357%; 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