Historic SpaceX Polaris Dawn Mission Prepares For Splashdown

AFP/APP

Washington: The SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission, which made history with the first ever spacewalk by non-government astronauts, is set to return to Earth on Sunday.

Splashdown is scheduled for approximately 3:36 am Eastern Time (0736 GMT) off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida. SpaceX will broadcast a live webcast starting about an hour before the splashdown.

The four-member crew, led by fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman, launched from the Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday. They ventured deeper into space than any humans have in the past 50 years, entering the Van Allen radiation belt. The mission reached a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers)—over three times higher than the International Space Station—making it the farthest humans have traveled from Earth since the Apollo missions.

On Thursday, with their Dragon spacecraft orbiting at 434 miles, Isaacman exited the hatch and completed a spacewalk, gripping a structure called “Skywalker” with a stunning view of Earth. “SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman said to mission control in Hawthorne, California, as the team applauded.

Isaacman was later replaced by SpaceX Engineer Sarah Gillis, who also performed a series of mobility tests on SpaceX’s next-generation spacesuits. Due to the absence of an airlock, the entire crew was exposed to the vacuum of space during the spacewalk. Mission Pilot Scott Poteet and SpaceX Engineer Anna Menon stayed inside the spacecraft, monitoring vital support systems.

NASA Chief Bill Nelson described the event as a “giant leap forward” for the commercial space industry, while SpaceX celebrated another major achievement. Founded in 2002 by Elon Musk, SpaceX has rapidly advanced beyond its competitors, driven by Musk’s ambition to colonize Mars.

Rousing Violin Solo

Since completing the spacewalk, the crew has conducted approximately 40 science experiments. These included using endoscopic cameras to image their airways, aiding the study of long-duration space missions’ effects on human health.

The team also demonstrated connectivity with SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network, sending high-resolution video footage of Gillis playing “Rey’s Theme” from Star Wars composer John Williams on the violin.

Polaris Dawn is the first of three missions under the Polaris program, a collaboration between Isaacman and SpaceX. Financial details remain private, but Isaacman reportedly invested $200 million of his own money into leading the 2021 all-civilian SpaceX Inspiration4 mission. The final Polaris mission aims to be the first crewed flight of SpaceX’s Starship, a key part of Musk’s interplanetary vision.