The historic Polaris Dawn mission was filled with many memorable moments for its crew, including the first-ever commercial spacewalk. So, it is no surprise that crew members were able to capture some epic moments during their time in space, and tey’ve just shared them with the rest of the world.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launched the Polaris Dawn mission to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:23am ET on September 10, 2024. While in space the crew flew higher than any Dragon mission to date, reaching the highest Earth orbit ever with a peak apogee of 1,408.1 kilometers above Earth. While at altitudes ranging between approximately 190 and 740 kilometers above Earth, the crew completed the first-ever commercial space walk. After nearly five days in orbit, the crew returned to Earth, splashing down off the coast of Florida at 3:36am on September 15, 2024.
Crew member Anna “Walker” Menon.
While much of the media attention focused on billionaire Jared Isaacman, it was Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon who took center stage in one photo (seen above) shared by the crew. Anna, given the nickname “Walker,” is seen staring out a window of the Dragon capsule, while her long hair flows behind her. The image was captured three days into the mission on September 13.
There have been many images captured of Earth from low-Earth orbit, but the one snapped by the Polaris Dawn crew is still stunning. It brings to mind just how small we all are in the grand scheme of things. The crew labeled the image simply, “Earth from space.”
Not to be outdone by her fellow crewmate, Sarah “Cooper” Gillis was also captured gazing out of a portal from the Dragon capsule. In this image, Gillis’ hair seems to be flowing straight up from the top of her head, as her eyes are affixed on the blue oceans of Earth below.
One last image from the Polaris Dawn mission shows all four of the crew members. From left to right, Sarah Cooper, Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteat, and Anna Menon.
Polaris Dawn was the first of three planned Polaris missions. The missions are a collaboration between Jared Isaacman and SpaceX, and include the first manned flight of the new SpaceX rocket Starship, which is still being tested.