The Polaris Dawn crew from SpaceX has successfully completed their mission and returned to Earth after spending five days in orbit. This mission was particularly notable as it included the first-ever commercial spacewalk, marking a significant milestone in the realm of private space exploration.The Dragon capsule executed a splashdown off the coast of Florida at approximately 03:37 local time (07:37 GMT), an event that was broadcast live by SpaceX. Following the successful landing, SpaceX announced, “Splashdown of Dragon confirmed! Welcome back to Earth,” celebrating the crew’s safe return. NASA characterized the mission as “a giant leap forward” for the commercial space sector.During re-entry, the spacecraft experienced extreme temperatures reaching 1,900°C (3,500°F) due to the intense pressure and friction encountered while traveling at speeds of around 7,000 mph (11,265 kph). The crew, which included retired US Air Force pilot Scott Poteet and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, Jared Isaacman. They were part of a significant mission that marked a new chapter in space exploration.
Mr. Isaacman and Ms. Gillis made history as the first non-professional astronauts to perform a spacewalk. They exited the white Dragon capsule and floated 435 miles above Earth, facing the vacuum of space since the Dragon lacks an airlock.This spacewalk was the highest ever attempted, thanks to advanced astronaut suits equipped with cutting-edge technology. Over the course of five days, the crew carried out more than 40 experiments, focusing on how space missions affect human health and testing laser communication between the Dragon spacecraft and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite.
The team spent five days in orbit aboard the Dragon spacecraft called Resilience, having launched early Tuesday morning from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. This mission marked a significant achievement by reaching a peak altitude of 1,400 kilometers (870 miles), surpassing the height reached by any human since the last Apollo mission in 1972.Polaris Dawn is the inaugural mission in a series of three planned Polaris missions, a partnership between Mr. Isaacman and SpaceX. This series will also feature the first crewed flight of the new SpaceX rocket, Starship, which is currently still in development.
