Watch: SpaceX's Polaris Dawn Ends with Historic Splashdown in Florida Waters

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SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission concluded successfully on Sunday as the four astronauts aboard the Dragon capsule splashed down off the coast of Florida, marking the end of a groundbreaking five-day space mission. This historic flight achieved several milestones in commercial space travel, including the first commercial spacewalk, covering more distance than any human spaceflight since the Apollo era.

The five-day space voyage known as Polaris Dawn ended safely Sunday as four astronauts aboard a SpaceX Dragon splashed down off the coast of Florida, wrapping up a groundbreaking commercial mission. https://t.co/vBjhQVxqk5 pic.twitter.com/VayJpzHe0Z

— The Washington Post (@washingtonpost) September 15, 2024

 

The mission was spearheaded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who personally funded the flight. Isaacman, founder of Shift4 Payments, became the first private citizen to perform a spacewalk during the mission. Accompanying him in this achievement was SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, both of whom ventured outside the spacecraft to carry out their duties. Notably, NASA was not involved in this mission, and Isaacman has not disclosed how much he paid SpaceX for the flight.

 

As the Dragon capsule made its final descent back to Earth, the atmosphere was tense and filled with anticipation. A live stream from SpaceX captured the moment as cameras showed the astronauts calmly waiting, their arms crossed, while the Dragon’s parachutes were deployed. “Welcome back to planet Earth,” one of the SpaceX hosts declared as the capsule splashed down near the Dry Tortugas in the Gulf of Mexico. Watercraft were quickly dispatched to recover the crew.

 

The Polaris Dawn crew consisted of four members: Jared Isaacman, Sarah Gillis, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX mission director Anna Menon. The mission had initially launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral after delays. During the mission, the crew achieved an altitude of over 870 miles, the highest any human spaceflight had reached since the Apollo moon missions in 1972. They orbited the Earth at that altitude six times before descending to a lower orbit for their historic spacewalk. 

 

In a significant first, SpaceX stated that the spacewalk involved exposing all four astronauts to the vacuum of space simultaneously, as the spacecraft lacks an airlock. Consequently, all crew members had to don spacesuits as the cabin was depressurized.

 

Throughout the mission, the crew conducted various scientific experiments to further space exploration goals, including studies on how microgravity impacts eyesight, blood flow, and the effectiveness of medications in space. Another notable moment came when Sarah Gillis brought a violin aboard the spacecraft, marking the first time an instrument had been played in orbit. She performed the theme music from *Star Wars*, a memorable moment that SpaceX captured in a video.

 

The main objective of the Polaris Dawn mission was to test SpaceX’s newly developed spacesuit, which is designed to shield astronauts from radiation and extreme temperatures, as well as protect them in the vacuum of space. This mission marked another success in a series of recent victories for SpaceX, which has been responsible for ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station since completing its first crewed test flight four years ago.

 

As SpaceX continues to expand its reach, the company is now set to take on another NASA mission previously intended for Boeing. NASA announced it will use SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft for the February return flight of astronauts Sunita Williams and Barry Wilmore from the International Space Station, after safety concerns with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

 

The Polaris Dawn mission was Isaacman’s second flight with SpaceX, and two more are already planned. Isaacman has proposed that on his next flight, he will travel to the Hubble Space Telescope in hopes of raising its orbit, which could extend its operational life for years to come.

 

 

Credit: WP 2024-09-16