Samsung Galaxy Watches used in SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn project

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Samsung Galaxy Watches used in SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn project

Published: 18 Sep. 2024, 16:32 Updated: 18 Sep. 2024, 16:49

LEE JAE-LIM
lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr

The body monitoring function on Samsung's Galaxy Watch 5 was used in a recently completed space project led by SpaceX, Samsung said on Wednesday. [SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS]

Samsung’s Galaxy Watches were used in SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn project to monitor astronauts’ body conditions in a microgravity environment, the electronics maker announced Wednesday.

Galaxy Watch 5 models were used in one of the research projects conducted during the space mission, which focused on preventing muscle loss.

The watches are equipped with advanced bioactive sensors and support body composition monitoring functions that can analyze metrics such as skeletal muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, body water and fat percentage.

Traditional body monitoring equipment is bulky and heavy, making it difficult to transport into space. However, Samsung’s Galaxy Watch products are much more portable as they are worn on the wrist.

The models successfully passed a yearlong series of pre-flight tests conducted by NASA, according to Samsung.

The research was in collaboration with NASA’s health research partner, the Baylor College of Medicine’s Translational Research Institute for Space Health and SpaceX, the California-based spacecraft manufacturer.

It was led by the University of Hawaii Cancer Center, which also collaborates with Samsung on research.

The Polaris Dawn mission was a five-day flight launched on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket on Sept. 10. Four Americans, led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, participated in the project, which marked a significant milestone in space history with the first private spacewalk.

The mission’s primary goal is to test procedures and technologies that could be used in future long-duration space missions.

BY LEE JAE-LIM [lee.jaelim@joongang.co.kr]