A billionaire space traveler and his crew safely returned to Earth on Sunday, concluding a groundbreaking five-day journey that took them farther from Earth than anyone has ventured since NASA’s lunar missions.
Historic Spacewalk and Splashdown
The SpaceX capsule, carrying tech mogul Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers, and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot, splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida’s Dry Tortugas in the early morning hours. Their mission achieved a record-setting altitude, reaching up to 875 miles (1,408 kilometers) above Earth, surpassing both the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope.
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Private Spacewalk Milestone
During their mission, the crew conducted the first-ever private spacewalk while orbiting nearly 460 miles (740 kilometers) above Earth. Isaacman became the 264th individual to perform a spacewalk since the first one by the former Soviet Union in 1965. SpaceX’s Sarah Gillis followed as the 265th person. This marks a significant milestone as previously, all spacewalks had been performed by professional astronauts.
Joyful Return and New Landing Site
Upon their return, Isaacman announced, “We are mission complete,” as the capsule floated in the water, awaiting recovery. Within an hour, the crew exited the spacecraft and celebrated on the ship’s deck, signaling their successful completion of the mission.
The splashdown location near the Dry Tortugas, a group of islands 70 miles (113 kilometers) west of Key West, was a new destination for SpaceX. Typically, SpaceX targets landings closer to the Florida coast, but poor weather forecasts led them to choose this alternative site. To commemorate the event, SpaceX employees at Mission Control in Hawthorne, California, celebrated with a large green turtle balloon.
Brief Spacewalk and Technological Advances
The spacewalk on Thursday was notably brief, lasting less than two hours. The Dragon capsule’s hatch was open for only half an hour, with Isaacman emerging up to his waist to test SpaceX’s new spacesuit, while Gillis briefly demonstrated her suit’s functionality. The primary time was spent depressurizing and repressurizing the capsule. Both Isaacman and Gillis wore spacesuits, along with SpaceX’s Anna Menon and Scott “Kidd” Poteet, who stayed inside the capsule.
SpaceX views this brief spacewalk as an initial step in evaluating spacesuit technology for longer future missions, including those to Mars.
Polaris Dawn Mission and Future Plans
This mission, named Polaris Dawn, was Isaacman’s second chartered flight with SpaceX. He has two more planned under his Polaris program, which is named after the North Star. Isaacman’s first spaceflight in 2021 involved contest winners and a pediatric cancer survivor, raising over $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The cost of the Polaris Dawn mission was shared between Isaacman and SpaceX, though the exact amount remains undisclosed.
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