The SpaceX EVA Suits discussion on
𝕏Polaris
Recording of today’s Spaces event with the Polaris Dawn crew and SpaceX team
5/4/24, 4:12 PM.
https://x.com/polarisprogram/status/1786851486703538242 https://twitter.com/i/spaces/1YqJDgBaOyNGVNotes:
Now that Axiom mission and Crew-8 uphill flight are complete, targeting Polaris launch for early summer. The specially-built Dragon for the Polaris mission is already at KSC.
The Trajectory: launch to highly elliptical orbit. 190km x 1200 km, raise apogee to 1400km, highest since Apollo, just below Van Allen radiation belt. 7 orbits, doing research, then lower altitude back to 700km for the rest of the flight, including the spacewalk.
5 action-packed days, with 40 experiments & science.
Examples: measurements at the high altitude to better understand that environment.
Use a camera to capture X-ray images, testing for use with future medical diagnosis while in space.
Research space motion sickness - help prepare future fliers.
Group testing: neuro-ocular syndrome. Why do vision changes occur on long duration space flights?
Planning an amazing test using Starlink for high band-width comms; exciting alternative to NASA’s aging, slow and over-subscribed TDRS system. [See above re Orion’s difficulties.]
The suits:
Some advances developed for the SpaceX EVA suit have already been incorporated into Crew-8’s IVA suits. Eventually, there will only be one suit for Dragon. EVA suit has special mobility joints, rotators on shoulders, arms, wrists that
STAY SOFT AND FLEXIBLE WHEN UNPRESSURIZED, so no there are no metal parts causing discomfort during IVA use. [Unlike NASA’s and Boeing’s suits….] Helmet cameras. Head Up Display on the visor shows pressure, temperature, O2, EVA timer. This is the first suit design, so expect iterations and block upgrades.
In the future: Might the HUD have checklists? Augmented reality? [Think: showing the way home in the dark….]
No water pool used for suit simulations. SpaceX needed to move faster than the traditional Neutral Buoyancy Lab testing; besides, using a pool means you have to alter the suit to create microgravity-like conditions. [See the NASA suit video above.] Instead, Hawthorne has a “vertical simulator” accurate enough that tapping with a finger results in movement similar to microgravity. Rigging a Dragon hatch on its side in that simulator allowed for EVA egress and ingress practice.
How long will the spacewalk be?
About two hours includes venting the capsule, and repressurizing. Two members will go through a series of tests outside the spacecraft. This also validates the accuracy of the testing method used in their simulator environment, for future training.
Tested the Dragon regime in a vacuum chamber, completely depressurized for a full EVA duration, flowed O2 to four simulated suits, repressurized. We have a good safety margin on top of that.Pre-breathe protocol? Since we don’t have an airlock, can’t use the usual ISS procedures. [But suits need to be at low pressure, else movement is too difficult.]
We lower Dragon’s pressure slowly beforehand, and increase pO2. Like visiting a mountain city, it’s not uncomfortable.
Movies show a person throwing on a suit and immediately going out — we’re getting closer to this.
Elon Musk
Our EVA suit will look even better, but with a jetpack for maneuvering
5/4/24,
https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1786829373422837974
