{"id":142969,"date":"2024-09-13T13:05:48","date_gmt":"2024-09-13T17:05:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/?p=142969"},"modified":"2024-09-16T12:57:53","modified_gmt":"2024-09-16T16:57:53","slug":"ucf-space-medicine-expert-polaris-dawn-brings-new-areas-of-research-medical-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ucf.edu\/news\/ucf-space-medicine-expert-polaris-dawn-brings-new-areas-of-research-medical-care\/","title":{"rendered":"UCF Space Medicine Expert: Polaris Dawn Brings New Areas of Research, Medical Care"},"content":{"rendered":"

This week\u2019s launch of Polaris Dawn from Kennedy Space Center includes the first civilian commercial spacewalk and other factors that will be firsts for space medicine research<\/a>. And that\u2019s why Emmanuel Urquieta, an internationally recognized space medicine expert who recently joined UCF\u2019s College of Medicine<\/a>, is especially excited about this latest mission.<\/p>\n

The spacecraft is flying up to 870 miles above Earth \u2013 the highest orbit flown in the last half century. And at that altitude, the astronauts will be exposed to higher radiation than most astronauts who stay in low Earth orbit, such as those  onboard the International Space Station.<\/p>\n

After achieving the high orbit, Polaris Dawn will come down to a lower altitude for the spacewalk. Traditionally, when astronauts exit the spacecraft, there is an airlock that allows the interior of the vehicle to stay pressurized. But during this week\u2019s walk, the entire vehicle will be depressurized so all four astronauts will be exposed to the vacuum of space and must rely on their spacesuits for life support.<\/p>\n

For that reason, the astronauts are testing a new Space X-designed suit and a new procedure to get them physiologically ready for working in the vacuum of space.<\/p>\n