SpaceX introduces EVA spacesuit that Polaris Dawn program participants will use for spacewalk

SpaceX, the aerospace company, has unveiled to the public the EVA (Extravehicular Activity) suits, which will be used for the first-ever spacewalk from the Crew Dragon spacecraft as part of the Polaris Dawn program. These spacewalk suits from SpaceX are based on the company's existing suits used in manned missions.

Engineers at SpaceX made several modifications to the design of the company's existing suits to make them suitable for use outside the spacecraft. Among other improvements, the design of the suit's movable parts has been refined, and thermal regulation has been enhanced. The upgraded helmet features a new coating for more effective protection of astronauts' eyes from sunlight. The helmet also integrates a projection display that will show information about the suit's status during spacewalks.

The EVA suits will be used for the first time in the Polaris Dawn mission, part of the Polaris program sponsored by billionaire Jared Isaacman. He and three other crew members will embark on a tourist spaceflight, during which the spacewalk from the Crew Dragon spacecraft is planned. It's worth noting that the SpaceX spacecraft does not have an airlock, so all crew members will have to use the new suits because there will be a depressurization of the spacecraft during the spacewalk.

According to available data, two out of four crew members will perform spacewalks during the Polaris Dawn mission. The Skywalker device, located at the front hatch and equipped with handholds, will be used for this purpose. During this task, data will be collected on the effectiveness of the EVA suits and how comfortable they are to work in during spacewalks.

The new SpaceX suits have already undergone comprehensive testing in laboratory conditions, including a test where the Crew Dragon capsule was placed in a vacuum chamber with subsequent depressurization. SpaceX Vice President Stu Keech noted during the presentation that all tests proceeded as expected.

SpaceX also highlighted that these suits represent significant steps towards creating a scalable suit design for future long-duration missions, including building a base on the Moon and a city on Mars. According to the company, millions of suits will be needed for these missions.

In addition to new suits, significant modifications were made to the Crew Dragon spacecraft itself. For instance, SpaceX engineers integrated a repressurization system, which will restore pressure inside the capsule after the completion of spacewalks.

Regarding the upcoming Polaris Dawn mission, the timing of its implementation was constrained by the need to create new suits. Now that this work is completed, SpaceX plans to send the crew into space in early summer. For this, the Falcon 9 rocket will be used, which will launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft into an elliptical orbit ranging from 190 to 1200 km in altitude. After that, the spacecraft will raise its apogee to 1400 km and remain in this orbit for some time, collecting data on increased radiation levels. Then the orbit altitude will be lowered to 700 km, where the spacewalk is planned. In addition to scientific experiments, the crew members will test the reliability of communication with Earth via the Space Starlink satellites.