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SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew has safely returned to Earth after completing a groundbreaking five-day mission that included the first commercial spacewalk. The Dragon spacecraft carrying the four-member team splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida’s Dry Tortugas at 03:37 local time (07:37 GMT) on September 15, 2024, following a launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on September 10.
The mission, funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, tested new technologies and set multiple records in human spaceflight.
SpaceX confirmed the successful landing in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, writing, “Welcome back to Earth.” The splashdown was broadcast live on YouTube, with viewers watching as recovery teams approached the capsule. The hatch was opened at about 4:20 a.m. local time after the spacecraft was lifted onto a recovery ship.
The mission launched atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center at 5:23 a.m. EDT (0923 GMT) on September 10. The launch had been postponed several times due to helium leaks and poor weather.
Once underway, the crew entered a high elliptical orbit, reaching more than 700 km above Earth, placing them inside the Van Allen radiation belts farther than any crewed mission since the Apollo program more than 50 years ago.
Historic Spacewalk
On September 12, Commander Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis carried out the first-ever private spacewalk. Unlike previous missions, Dragon does not have an airlock, meaning the entire crew cabin was depressurized. The activity lasted about an hour, with the astronauts wearing new SpaceX-designed extravehicular suits. These suits were adapted from the intravehicular models previously used during launches and reentries.
“SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” Said Mission Commander Jared Isaacman during the spacewalk.
The Polaris Dawn team consisted of Jared Isaacman, SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, and retired U.S. Air Force pilot Scott Kidd. Isaacman financed the mission, which is part of the larger Polaris Program, a series of private missions intended to test technologies for future long-duration space travel.
Records and Firsts
- Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis became the first humans to complete a private spacewalk.
- Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon became the first women to travel to such a high orbital altitude.
- Sarah Gillis became the first person to play a violin in space.
- The crew tested Starlink laser-based communications in orbit, marking the first time the technology was used during human spaceflight.
The mission traveled farther from Earth than any crewed mission since Apollo, reaching beyond 700 km. Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned missions under the Polaris Program. Future flights are expected to continue testing new EVA suits and medical research in microgravity and eventually fly aboard SpaceX’s Starship once the vehicle is ready for crewed missions.
With its safe return, Polaris Dawn has demonstrated the potential for privately funded missions to push human spaceflight beyond the International Space Station and lay the groundwork for deeper exploration.
