SpaceX has captured breathtaking imagery of an orbital sunset, as seen from their Polaris Dawn Crew Dragon spacecraft, orbiting far above Earth. These images offer a unique perspective of our planet, appearing rounder and more distant than astronauts typically see from the International Space Station. This is because the Crew Dragon is orbiting at an altitude over three times higher than the ISS.
Since launching from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Tuesday, the Crew Dragon and its four-person crew have reached an apogee of over 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), marking the furthest humans have traveled in space since the Apollo program five decades ago. This historic mission is pushing the boundaries of commercial space exploration, setting a new benchmark for human spaceflight.
On Wednesday, the mission will take another groundbreaking step with the first-ever spacewalk from a Crew Dragon spacecraft. Two crew members, Jared Isaacson and Sarah Gillis, will venture out at a point approximately 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth. This event will also be the first-ever commercial spacewalk, a testament to the growing private sector involvement in space exploration.
The spacewalk will also involve testing a revolutionary new spacesuit designed for greater mobility and comfort compared to existing models. A refined version of this suit is likely to be used on future crewed missions to the Moon and potentially even to Mars.
The Polaris Dawn crew, which also includes Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, has been diligently preparing for the spacewalk while simultaneously engaging in various science and research activities. They have also been staying connected with Earth through video calls, including chats with their families over SpaceX’s Starlink connections.
This ambitious mission is the brainchild of Jared Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who founded Shift4 Payments in 1999 at the young age of 16. Isaacman is no stranger to space exploration, having previously participated in the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, which involved four non-professional astronauts.
The Polaris Dawn crew is scheduled to return home this weekend after spending about five days in orbit. Their mission will leave a lasting legacy, contributing valuable insights into space exploration and demonstrating the potential of commercial spaceflight to push humanity’s boundaries further than ever before.
