I'm surprised that climbing to 20k ft. I don't see any evidence of supplemental oxygen equipment. Atmospheric pressure is <50% at that altitude.
Quote from: Vettedrmr on 06/03/2022 11:00 amI'm surprised that climbing to 20k ft. I don't see any evidence of supplemental oxygen equipment. Atmospheric pressure is <50% at that altitude.It looks like Ed Viesturs was part of their expedition. He has climbed all of the 8,000 meter (26,250 ft) peaks without supplemental oxygen. I climbed to nearly 19,000 ft when I was young. It was a strain, particularly the last few hundred feet in loose scree, but we did it with little acclimatization to altitude, minimal guidance, and zero support. It is possibleThis team, with first class support, must have had a glorious time, despite the significant physical challenge.
Quote from: Comga on 06/03/2022 04:47 pmQuote from: Vettedrmr on 06/03/2022 11:00 amI'm surprised that climbing to 20k ft. I don't see any evidence of supplemental oxygen equipment. Atmospheric pressure is <50% at that altitude.It looks like Ed Viesturs was part of their expedition. He has climbed all of the 8,000 meter (26,250 ft) peaks without supplemental oxygen. I climbed to nearly 19,000 ft when I was young. It was a strain, particularly the last few hundred feet in loose scree, but we did it with little acclimatization to altitude, minimal guidance, and zero support. It is possibleThis team, with first class support, must have had a glorious time, despite the significant physical challenge. I've been above 19,000 feet, it isn't an issue. I used to do a lot of climbing, so I was in excellent shape. I haven't been in shape for that for some time, back then some used to take a diuretic to help. I don't know what precautions folks take nowadays.
Polaris Dawn mission coin
JUNE 9, 2022Polaris Dawn Mission UpdatesOver the past three months, SpaceX and Polaris teams have been hard at work in preparation for Polaris Dawn’s targeted launch, scheduled for no earlier than the fourth quarter of 2022. Development is underway on multiple fronts as teams continue to identify scientific research and experiments; design, build, and test the spacesuit required for the first commercial spacewalk; develop technological firsts for Starlink; fundraise with Polaris Program partners to raise awareness of the mission’s purpose with St. Jude; and more.Below is a quick overview of some recent mission updates:Highest AltitudeTargeting an apogee of ~1,400 kilometers, this Dragon mission will take advantage of Falcon 9 and Dragon’s maximum performance, endeavoring to fly higher than any Dragon mission to date and farther than humans have traveled since the end of the Apollo program in 1972. Falcon 9 will launch Dragon and the crew from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida to an elliptical orbit with an apogee of ~1,200 kilometers and perigee of 190 kilometers (1,200 x 190 km). After verification of a healthy vehicle, Dragon’s Draco engines will fire to raise the spacecraft’s apogee to an altitude of ~1,400 kilometers, where Dragon will remain for several orbits before lowering to a coasting elliptical orbit of ~700 x 190 km for the remainder of the mission.Crew TrainingThe Polaris Dawn crew began training in May in California, kicking off the start of their mission with two days of basic medical and scuba training to learn skills that will help the crew communicate during the first commercial space walk. Non-verbal communication and buddy support skills used in scuba are comparable to communication skills used during extravehicular activities (EVAs). The crew spent the first day in a pool refreshing themselves on basic diving skills before completing off-shore dives at Catalina, where they started to get comfortable with uncomfortable situations while also adapting to physiological responses due to changes in the pressure.Scuba is only one element of the SpaceX training program planned for the Polaris Dawn crew. To continue to build team dynamics and trust, the crew completed multiple high-altitude climbs in Ecuador, including Cotopaxi, an active volcano in the Andes Mountains. At 5,897 meters (19,347 ft), Cotopaxi is the second-highest peak in Ecuador. This expedition required the crew to not only acclimate to different altitudes throughout the climbs but rely upon basic technical mountaineering and glacier-crossing skills. Stay tuned to this site for more details to come on the team’s exciting trip to Ecuador.In the months ahead, the crew will complete extensive Dragon simulations, participate in centrifuge and hypoxia exercises, and receive hands-on medical training.
The Polaris Dawn crew began their first week of training on Dragon and its systems this week at @SpaceX headquarters in Hawthorne, CaliforniaPhoto: SpaceX
The Polaris Dawn crew completed a high-altitude mountaineering expedition in Ecuador and medical skills training in Texas → https://polarisprogram.com/polaris-dawn-crew-completes-high-altitude-mountaineering-medical-training/
Our Polaris Dawn mission patch is now available to order!Each purchase supports @StJude’s effort to help fight pediatric cancer → https://www.stjude.org/donate/polaris.html
