Early Sunday (September 15) morning, SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission ended with a pre-dawn splashdown near Dry Tortugas, off the coast of Florida.

The mission, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, concluded after a five-day journey that marked several significant milestones in private space exploration.

The Crew Dragon capsule, “Resilience,” safely returned to Earth at 3:37 a.m. EDT, completing what is now considered a key moment in the future of commercial spaceflight.

The Polaris Dawn crew, which included SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, as well as pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, performed the first-ever commercial spacewalk on September 12. I

Isaacman and Gillis ventured outside the capsule during this “stand-up” extravehicular activity, testing newly designed EVA suits developed by SpaceX. This spacewalk, lasting over 20 minutes combined, is seen as a critical step toward future deep space missions.

In addition to the spacewalk, the crew conducted almost 40 scientific experiments, studying the effects of microgravity on the human body and testing advanced medical technologies. Communication tests using SpaceX’s Starlink satellites were also a key part of the mission, with data streamed back to Earth during orbit

This mission not only advanced scientific knowledge but also moved commercial space travel closer to missions beyond Earth’s orbit, including potential expeditions to Mars.

(Reuters)