SpaceX is no stranger to making history. It was the first private spaceflight company to carry astronauts to the International Space Station and the first to develop a reusable rocket booster. On September 15, 2024, SpaceX reached a new milestone with the successful completion of Polaris Dawn, the first of three commercial space missions under the Polaris program. This five-day flight saw a crew of all civilian astronauts set several space altitude records and conduct a pioneering spacewalk.
The Dragon capsule lifted from Florida's Kennedy Space Center on September 10, 2024. Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who is funding the Polaris missions, served as mission leader. He was joined by SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon and retired US Air Force pilot Scott Poteet.
Late on September 11, 2024, the spacecraft reached its highest point, 870 miles (1,400 km) above Earth. This is higher than any previous human spaceflight since the Apollo missions to the Moon. The record was previously held by NASA's Gemini 11 mission, which reached an altitude of 853 miles (1,372 km) in 1966. Gillis and Menon made further history as the first women to fly so far from Earth.
Beyond the records, there was a more important reason for reaching the high altitude. It was to assess the impact of the increased radiation levels on the Dragon capsule and its crew. This information will help prepare for future missions to the Moon and beyond.
The spacecraft then descended to a cruising altitude of 435 miles (700 km) above Earth for the mission's biggest test: The first-ever civilian spacewalk. On September 12, 2024, Isaacman and Gillis began preparing for the task, often considered the most dangerous part of space travel. They wore the new SpaceX spacesuits and underwent a "pre-breathing" routine to prevent decompression sickness.
The astronauts then emerged from the capsule, holding onto a special set of rails. Notably, the new spacesuits lacked the life support systems found in traditional spacesuits. Instead, Isaacman and Gillis were tethered to the spacecraft by a 12-foot-long cord that provided them with oxygen. Following a successful 10-minute spacesuit functionality test, the astronauts safely re-entered the Dragon spacecraft.
The historic mission ended at 3:37 a.m. ET on September 15, when the Dragon and its four crew members splashed down into the Gulf of Mexico. Since returning to Earth, Issacman and his team have undergone a series of medical tests to assess the effects of space travel on their bodies. These findings will help scientists develop strategies to protect astronauts on future lunar and deep-space missions.
Resources: USAtoday.com, Space.com, CNN.com, Wikipedia.org
