Days after returning to Earth, the four civilian crew members of the Polaris Dawn mission shared their experiences in an exclusive interview with NBC. They discussed the emotional side of their five-day journey, describing the beauty of Earth from orbit and the thrill of conducting the world’s first all-civilian spacewalk. The crew members highlighted the awe-inspiring views of sunrises and sunsets, the high G-forces experienced during re-entry, and the intense moments of the spacewalk.
The crew launched on Sept. 10 and splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico, off the Florida coast, on Sunday. During the mission, they reached the highest orbital altitude since the final Apollo mission in 1972 and completed a spacewalk where two members ventured out into space. Their spacewalk marked a milestone in commercial spaceflight, as previously only government astronauts had conducted such activities.
The crew spent two-and-a-half years training for the mission, which was funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman in partnership with SpaceX. The flight aimed to pave the way for future long-duration trips to the moon and Mars. During the mission, the crew members also raised money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Overall, the Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three flights in the Polaris program, with the goal of eventually making humans a multiplanetary species. The crew’s experiences, including passing through the Van Allen radiation belt, will contribute to scientific research on human response to space environments. Isaacman emphasized the importance of spaceflight in inspiring people and advancing science for future exploration.
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