SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn crew returns to Earth after historic mission

SpaceX's Polaris Dawn crew returned safely to Earth on Sunday, concluding a groundbreaking five-day mission that included the first-ever commercial spacewalk, private firm SpaceX announced.

The Crew Dragon capsule, carrying mission commander Jared Isaacman, former U.S Air Force pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, landed in the Gulf of Mexico at 3.37 am ET (0737GMT) Sunday off the coast of Dry Tortugas, Florida.

The Polaris Dawn mission achieved several milestones, including reaching an unprecedented altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) from Earth, besting the 1966 Gemini 11 record.

This mission also marked the highest orbit traveled by humans since NASA's Apollo Program ended in 1972. Gillis and Menon became the first women to reach such a distance from Earth.

A highlight of the mission was the historic spacewalk conducted by Isaacman and Gillis early Thursday morning. This private spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), was the first of its kind.

"Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here-looks like a perfect world," Isaacman said of the experience.

The Crew Dragon capsule successfully performed a "de-orbit burn" to manage re-entry, enduring temperatures up to 1,900C (3,500F) as it re-entered Earth's atmosphere.

Parachutes were deployed to slow the descent before the capsule splashed down.

During the mission, the crew did nearly 40 scientific experiments, including research on space adaptation syndrome. Gillis also used SpaceX's Starlink to stream a violin performance of Rey's Theme from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Menon read her book Kisses From Space to children at St. Jude Children's Hospital, showcasing the mission's outreach efforts.

This mission is part of SpaceX's Polaris program, which aims to push the boundaries of private space travel.

The success of Polaris Dawn sets the stage for future missions, including another Crew Dragon flight and the anticipated first piloted flight of SpaceX's Super Heavy-Starship rocket.