Polaris Dawn Mission Ends Successfully as Astronauts, SpaceX Crew Dragon Land Safely on Gulf of Mexico

Polaris Dawn has paved the way for a new era of commercial spaceflights for humankind after successfully performing what it set out to do in orbit, as well as returning safely to the planet over the weekend. The latest splashdown of SpaceX's Crew Dragon spacecraft on the Gulf of Mexico marks the end of the unique and historical Polaris Dawn mission.

Polaris Dawn Mission Ends Successfully Over the Weekend

Last Saturday, SpaceX announced that Polaris Dawn's crew and the Crew Dragon spacecraft are returning after their five-day-long mission, which found them around 870 miles outside of our planet. This marked the beginning of its return to the planet where the Crew Dragon had performed a deorbit and an entry burn, targeting the Dry Tortugas after unfavorable weather prevented them from proceeding to seven return sites.

After the landing, SpaceX collected the spacecraft and opened the hatch of the Crew Dragon for astronauts Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon to exit the spacecraft.

Astronauts, SpaceX Crew Dragon Safely Lands on Earth

SpaceX first deployed the four parachutes of the Crew Dragon, which helped in further reducing the spacecraft's speed before its anticipated landing on the Gulf of Mexico. The feat did not see any issues or problems as the Crew Dragon and Polaris Dawn astronauts splashed down on the water.

The historic mission reached a variety of milestones. First, Polaris Dawn and the Crew Dragon ventured to the farthest location in space since the Apollo mission.

Second, they utilized SpaceX's Skywalker and EVA suits, with Isaacman and Gillis performing the first commercial spacewalk in history to test the spacesuit's mobility. Additionally, they completed a 40-minute video call to Earth using SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet.

They also sent files to further test Starlink, and Polaris Dawn's Sarah Gillis performed a violin piece in space. Lastly, Gillis and SpaceX engineer Anna Menon are also the first women who ventured the farthest from the planet, a feat they completed before the NASA Artemis mission.

The Historical Mission by SpaceX and Polaris Dawn

The entire world closely watched the many successful feats that Polaris Dawn accomplished over the past few days, with its five-day-long mission making history every step of the way. After 2020's Inspiration4 success, billionaire and civilian astronaut Jared Isaacman partnered with SpaceX yet again for Polaris Dawn, marking the latest effort to expand what humanity can achieve in outer space.

SpaceX was in charge of many aspects of the mission,as it provided various technology like its rockets, its EVA suits, the Skywalker, and other needs which helped make the mission a reality. Last September 9, it successfully launched the Crew Dragon aboard its Falcon 9 reusable rocket, performing the mission after a recent temporary suspension from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).

After spending five days in the farthest point in Earth's orbit and performing the historical commercial spacewalk, Polaris Dawn is back to bring what they discovered and open up the gates for humanity's future in space exploration.