Polaris Dawn Mission Set for Historic Return to Earth

The groundbreaking Polaris Dawn mission, which has achieved several milestones in commercial spaceflight, is preparing for its return to Earth after five eventful days in orbit. The SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule Resilience, carrying four private astronauts, is scheduled to splash down off the coast of Florida on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at approximately 3:36 AM EDT (07:36 UTC).

Mission Highlights

Polaris Dawn, launched on September 10, 2024, has accomplished several notable achievements:

• Reached the highest Earth orbit since Apollo 17 in 1972, with an apogee of 870 miles (1,400 km).
• Conducted the first-ever commercial spacewalk.
• Tested SpaceX’s new extravehicular activity (EVA) spacesuits.
• Performed over 35 scientific experiments.
• Demonstrated Starlink laser-based communications in space.

Crew

The mission is commanded by Jared Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 and funder of the mission. Joining him are:

• Scott “Kidd” Poteet: Mission Pilot
• Sarah Gillis: Mission Specialist
• Anna Menon: Mission Specialist and Medical Officer

Return Preparations

As the mission nears its conclusion, the crew will spend their final hours in orbit preparing for the deorbit burn and splashdown. Key steps in the return process include:

1. Donning flight suits, the same ones used during launch and the EVA.
2. Separating the “claw” connecting Crew Dragon to its trunk.
3. Retracting the protective nose cone.
4. Jettisoning the trunk approximately 5 minutes before the deorbit burn.

Deorbit and Reentry

The critical phases of the return journey are as follows:

1. Deorbit burn: Scheduled to begin about 52 minutes before reentry, lasting approximately 15 minutes.
2. Atmospheric reentry: Occurring about 12 minutes before splashdown, with temperatures reaching up to 1,930 degrees Celsius.
3. Parachute deployment: Drogue chutes will deploy first, followed by four main parachutes to slow the capsule for a safe splashdown.

Splashdown and Recovery

Resilience is targeted to splash down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Dry Tortugas. The recovery ship Shannon will be on site to retrieve the spacecraft and crew. After splashdown, the recovery team will:

1. Check for any hazards, including potential hypergolic fuel leaks.
2. Bring the spacecraft aboard the recovery vessel.
3. Extract the crew from Resilience.
4. Transport the astronauts to shore via helicopter.

Live Coverage

SpaceX will provide live coverage of the return, starting at 2:36 AM EDT (06:36 UTC) on September 15, about an hour before the expected splashdown. Viewers can watch the event on SpaceX’s X (formerly Twitter) account and the SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission page.

Mission Impact

Polaris Dawn has made significant contributions to commercial spaceflight and scientific research:

• Demonstrated new SpaceX EVA suit capabilities for future missions.
• Collected data on human health in space, including effects of radiation exposure.
• Tested Starlink communications for potential use in deep space missions.
• Raised funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, continuing the philanthropic efforts of Inspiration4.

As Polaris Dawn concludes, it marks another milestone in SpaceX’s ambitious plans for commercial space exploration. The mission’s success paves the way for future private spaceflights and advances in space technology, bringing us one step closer to sustainable human presence beyond Earth.