The SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew has safely returned to Earth after a groundbreaking five-day mission, which included the world’s first commercial spacewalk.
The mission reached a record altitude of 1,400 km, making it the highest Earth orbit travelled by humans in over 50 years. Mission commander Jared Isaacman, along with crew members Scott Poteet, Anna Menon, and Sarah Gillis, performed a series of science experiments in orbit, including tests on space adaptation syndrome and connectivity via SpaceX’s Starlink. Notably, Gillis and Isaacman completed brief spacewalks to evaluate EVA suits.
The return to Earth involved a complex de-orbit burn and re-entry, with the Crew Dragon capsule enduring temperatures up to 1,900°C before safely splashing down in the Gulf of Mexico.
Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew splash down off the coast of Florida, completing the @PolarisProgram's first human spaceflight mission pic.twitter.com/Sobt66zxnL
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 15, 2024
