SpaceX's Polaris Dawn crew, comprising mission commander Jared Isaacman, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Anna Menon, and Sarah Gillis, embarked on a groundbreaking mission that recently concluded with a successful return to Earth. The crew achieved a significant milestone by reaching an orbit around Earth that extended as high as 870 miles, breaking a record previously set by NASA's Gemini 11 mission in 1966.
During the mission, the crew made history with the world's first commercial spacewalk, conducted by Isaacman and Gillis. The crew dragon capsule became entirely depressurized as they ventured out into the vacuum of space, carrying out tests and observations before returning safely inside the spacecraft. Additionally, the crew carried out nearly 40 science experiments and research activities, including investigations into space adaptation syndrome and the impact of microgravity on the human body.
The Force Awakens,” which was sent back to Earth using SpaceX's Starlink. Menon shared her book, "Kisses From Space," with her family and patients from St. Jude Children’s Hospital as part of a fundraising initiative. The crew's return to Earth, marked by a safe splashdown in the Gulf of Mexico and subsequent extraction by rescue crews, concludes a historic and eventful mission for the Polaris Dawn crew.