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SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission is complete: it launched on September 10, 2024, and returned to Earth on September 15. You can watch the archived launch webcast, along with recordings of the mission’s spacewalk and splashdown, on SpaceX’s official Polaris Dawn mission page.
How can I watch the Polaris Dawn launch?
Open SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission page and select the archived webcast for the event you want to see. The page lists recordings of the launch, the extravehicular activity (EVA, or spacewalk), and splashdown. These are replays, not live coverage of an upcoming launch.
| Recording | Date | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| Launch webcast | September 10, 2024 | Falcon 9’s launch of the Dragon spacecraft and four-person crew. |
| EVA webcast | September 12, 2024 | The crew’s spacewalk—the first EVA conducted from a Dragon spacecraft. |
| Splashdown webcast | September 15, 2024 | The crew’s return to Earth and Dragon’s splashdown. |
Why is the Polaris Dawn mission important?
Polaris Dawn was the first human spaceflight mission in the Polaris Program. Its milestones included a high-altitude Earth orbit, the first EVA from Dragon, and tests of new communications technology. The mission also carried out research in orbit.
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A high Earth orbit
The crew reached a maximum altitude of 1,408.1 kilometers. SpaceX describes this as the highest Earth orbit flown since the Apollo program. The figure is SpaceX’s reported mission altitude, not an independently measured finding cited here.
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The first spacewalk from Dragon
On September 12, crew members conducted the first-ever EVA from a Dragon spacecraft while wearing SpaceX-developed EVA suits. SpaceX describes the suits as an evolution of its intravehicular activity (IVA) suits, which are designed for use inside a spacecraft. Their features include mobility-focused joints, a 3D-printed helmet, a visor, a heads-up display, and a camera. SpaceX’s EVA suit update explains the design.
Research and communications tests
SpaceX reports that the crew conducted about 36 research studies and experiments involving 31 partner institutions. The mission also tested Starlink laser-based communications in space. These are figures and descriptions reported by SpaceX, not results from an independent assessment.
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Who flew on Polaris Dawn?
- Jared Isaacman, commander
- Kidd Poteet, pilot
- Sarah Gillis, mission specialist
- Anna Menon, mission specialist and medical officer
SpaceX says Poteet, Gillis, and Menon were making their first spaceflights.
What happened during the mission?
- September 10, 2024: A Falcon 9 launched Dragon and its crew at 5:23 a.m. Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- September 12, 2024: The crew carried out the first EVA from Dragon.
- September 15, 2024: After nearly five days in orbit, Dragon splashed down at 3:36 a.m. Eastern Time off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida.
SpaceX’s mission page provides the official mission details and webcast archive.
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