The Polaris Dawn crew has sent back captivating images of Earth from space, providing a stunning glimpse of our planet from a unique perspective. These pictures, shared on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), were transmitted using Starlink satellite internet, showcasing the power of this technology to enable communication from even the most remote locations.
“Sent to you from space over a beam of Starlink laser light,” the team wrote, accompanying two breathtaking images. One picture captured the four-member all-civilian crew, while the other offered a breathtaking view of Earth as seen from orbit. Starlink, the satellite internet branch of Elon Musk’s SpaceX, aims to bridge the digital divide by providing internet access even in areas with limited or no cellular coverage.
The Polaris Dawn mission, the first of a planned series of three human spaceflight missions under the Polaris program, launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday. The mission’s crew, led by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, includes Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon. They are expected to spend up to five days in orbit before returning to Earth.
The crew has already achieved several milestones, including reaching a maximum altitude of 870 miles – the farthest humans have ventured from Earth since the Apollo program. This surpasses the International Space Station’s maximum altitude of approximately 285 miles.
On Thursday, Isaacman and Gillis conducted a landmark spacewalk, exiting SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft into the vacuum of space at an altitude of about 738 kilometers. This event marks a significant achievement for commercial spaceflight, as it’s the first time a private company and civilians have attempted a spacewalk. Previous spacewalks have been conducted by government astronauts working for space agencies like NASA.
Isaacman and Gillis spent approximately 12 minutes each outside the spacecraft, testing SpaceX-designed EVA spacesuits. This successful spacewalk underscores the growing role of private companies in pushing the boundaries of space exploration and driving innovation in space technology.
The Polaris Dawn mission is a testament to the remarkable progress in commercial spaceflight and the exciting possibilities for the future of space exploration. The crew’s stunning images and groundbreaking spacewalk are a source of inspiration for aspiring space travelers and scientists worldwide.
