Additional Coverage:
- Polaris Dawn crew aims for early Sunday splashdown (newsbreak.com)
The Polaris Dawn team wrapped up a historic commercial space mission and prepared for their return to Earth with a splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico, northwest of Key West, Florida, slated for early Sunday morning.
Traveling on a southwest-to-northeast path, the Crew Dragon capsule—carrying billionaire Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott Poteet, and engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis—is set to ignite its braking thrusters at 2:40 a.m. EDT on Sunday to exit orbit.
As it re-enters the atmosphere, the Crew Dragon’s heat shield will face temperatures up to 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit before it slows enough to release its parachutes. The capsule is expected to splash down in the Gulf near Dry Tortugas, Florida, at approximately 3:36 a.m.
A SpaceX recovery vessel is positioned nearby to retrieve the capsule and assist the crew with routine medical assessments before helicoptering them to shore for reunions with their families and friends.
The Polaris Dawn mission, funded by Isaacman and executed in collaboration with SpaceX, launched from the Kennedy Space Center on a Falcon 9 rocket early Tuesday. The crew set a new altitude record for a crewed spacecraft in Earth orbit, reaching 875 miles—the highest since the final Apollo mission to the moon in 1972.
On Thursday, Isaacman and Gillis set another record with the first non-government spacewalk, each taking turns floating outside the capsule’s hatch. “From here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman remarked as he marveled at the view.
The objectives of the spacewalk were to test SpaceX’s pressure suits in space conditions, evaluating mobility and joint movement to enhance future suits for moon and Mars missions. Alongside biomedical research, the crew tested laser communications between the Crew Dragon and the Starlink satellite network.
“Early this morning via @Starlink space lasers, the Polaris Dawn crew chatted with SpaceX teams over coffee and donuts,” SpaceX shared on X. “During the 40+ minute uninterrupted video call, Dragon completed half an orbit over the Eastern Seaboard of the U.S., cutting southeast over the Atlantic Ocean and rounding the Cape of Good Hope.”
During the mission, Gillis, an expert violist, even participated in an international concert, performing “Rey’s Theme” from John Williams’ “Star Wars” alongside young musicians from various countries.
Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned missions by Isaacman in partnership with SpaceX’s Elon Musk. The second mission will be another Crew Dragon flight, while the third will be the inaugural crewed flight of SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship rocket, which is currently being developed in Texas.
Details on the financial aspects of the missions remain undisclosed.
Polaris Dawn marks SpaceX’s fifth commercial Crew Dragon mission and its 14th flight with NASA crews to the International Space Station. Since piloted Crew Dragon flights began in May 2020, SpaceX has launched 54 astronauts into orbit.
Read More About This Story:
- Polaris Dawn crew aims for early Sunday splashdown (newsbreak.com)