Olathe-based Garmin’s Fēnix 7 Adventure Watches will play an important role in an upcoming Polaris Dawn human spaceflight. The health data the watches collect will provide 24/7 insights into the impact of space travel on the human body.
In collaboration with SpaceX, the Translational Research Institute for Space Health (TRISH) chose the fēnix® 7 adventure watches for their extended battery life that will allow scientists to collect highly accurate health data from the astronauts on board. Biometrics such as heart rate, pulse oximetry, and sleep patterns will be continuously measured throughout the five-day mission.
The information provided by the fēnix® 7 smartwatches will be used for years to come. Jimmy Wu, the senior biomedical engineer at TRISH noted that the research will be useful in future space exploration.
“Once collected, this physiological data will be added to TRISH’s EXPAND database, aiding current and future research to study and understand human health and performance for all future human space exploration missions,” Wu said.
Garmin Vice President of Global Sales Dan Bartel said the company is honored to be part of the effort in providing an understanding of how space travel affects the human body.
“The exceptional battery life of our smartwatches will allow researchers the opportunity to continuously monitor all four crew members while awake and at rest over the five-day mission—with no down time needed to recharge the battery,” Bartel said.
The Polaris Dawn mission will be the inaugural SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket flight with a human crew. The first of the three-part Polaris Program, the historic expedition is aiming to attain the highest recorded Earth orbit and lay the groundwork for further space exploration.
With the help of Garmin smartwatches, the Polaris Program will further the effort in advancing human health on Earth and in space.
