In a groundbreaking achievement on September 12, 2024, SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn astronauts successfully carried out the first-ever commercial spacewalk. The historic event was broadcast live as Commander Jared Isaacman and mission specialist Sarah Gillis ventured out of the space capsule into the vast expanse above Earth. Stunning images of the mission have now been made available through photos shared by the Polaris Program on Flickr.
The Polaris Dawn crew, consisting of four members, orbited 875 miles above Earth, marking the highest orbit achieved since NASA’s Apollo program. Traveling in the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule named “Resilience,” Commander Isaacman and Mission Specialist Gillis embarked on the historic spacewalk, while Medical Officer Anna Menon and Mission Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet remained onboard the spacecraft. The crew spent five days in orbit conducting various research and experiments before safely returning to Earth by splashing down off the coast of Florida.
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