SpaceX Is Recreating The Fantastic Four Experiment
Four non-government astronauts are going into space to test an experimental radiation shield, where they will be exposed to cosmic radiation. That description may sound familiar to comic readers as the origin of Marvel’s Fantastic Four, but it’s also the plan for the upcoming real-life Polaris Dawn mission. The odd parallels between the SpaceX mission and the origin story of Marvel’s first family have people talking about the dangerous mission.
Real-Life Space Trip Into A Radiation Band
It’s hard to imagine in the age of SpaceX and space tourism, but when Jack Kirby and Stan Lee wrote Fantastic Four #1 in 1961, the moon landing was still years away. In that story, scientist Reed Richards sneaks onto a rocket along with his girlfriend Susan, her brother Johny, and Reed’s pilot best friend Ben. When the experimental radiation shielding fails, the four are transformed, becoming a superhero team.
Polaris Dawn will see four private citizens launching into space and intentionally exposing themselves to space radiation shielded only by SpaceX’s experimental Extra-Vehicular Activity suits. This will be the first field testing for the EVA suits, making it incredibly risky for the astronauts. Unfortunately, if the real-life radiation shielding fails, the results won’t be as whimsical as they were in Fantastic Four.
There’s Even A Pilot Best Friend
The four non-government astronauts are entrepreneur Jared Issacman, his best friend and retired pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. People have been quick to point out the shared detail of Issacman bringing his pilot best friend on the mission, just like Reed Richards brought Ben Grimm in Fantastic Four #1. As the face of space tourism, Issacman has become a strong proponent of space travel, further linking him to Marvel’s Mr. Fantastic.
Testing The Futuristic EVA Suit
While the comparisons to the Fantastic Four give the Polaris Dawn mission a whimsical feel, the SpaceX mission holds very real danger for those involved. Unlike Jared Issacman’s previous trip into space, in which another four-person crew orbited the Earth for three days, this mission is much more experimental. Spacewalks are always dangerous, and doing one with new equipment is particularly dangerous.
Adding to both the danger and the comparisons to The Fantastic Four are the experimental SpaceX EVA suits. Much more compact than traditional space suits, they have a sleek, sci-fi look that would look right at home in Marvel comics. To achieve that lighter design, the suit lacks a Primary Life Support System, increasing the risk to the astronauts if something goes wrong.
A Major Opportunity For SpaceX
Of course, the risky mission is also a huge opportunity for SpaceX, which has been pushing innovative technology in space exploration forward. The mission will be a major test of their technology and the ability to send trained civilians on experimental missions. Of course, the Fantastic Four origin can be read as a cautionary tale about the risks of putting the pursuit of human space travel ahead of safety, something some critics feel Elon Musk is doing with these missions.
A Major Step Forward For Space Tourism Or An Impending Disaster
As fans of the Fantastic Four already know, there can be major consequences to experimental space travel. With Polaris Dawn, SpaceX is pushing past simple space tourism by having civilians actively field-testing equipment, which could be a major step forward or a catastrophic disaster. The mission is scheduled to launch on August 26, and hopefully, it’s more successful than the mission Stan Lee and Jack Kirby dreamed up back in 1961.
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