The Polaris Dawn crew, consisting of four SpaceX astronauts, safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico after completing a historic five-day mission. This mission marked the world’s first-ever commercial spacewalk, performed by civilian crew members Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis, as they floated 435 miles above Earth. The Dragon capsule, named Resilience, landed off the coast of Florida early Sunday morning, re-entering Earth’s atmosphere at blistering temperatures of 1,900°C. SpaceX livestreamed the event, which NASA hailed as a significant step forward for the commercial space industry.

During their time in orbit, the crew conducted over 40 experiments, including studies on the effects of space missions on human health and testing laser communications between the Dragon spacecraft and SpaceX’s Starlink satellites. A standout moment was Sarah Gillis performing a violin piece from Star Wars and sending it back to Earth via Starlink, showcasing the potential for in-space connectivity. The mission reached an altitude higher than any human spaceflight since the Apollo missions, and it’s just the first of three planned Polaris missions, with future goals including a manned flight of SpaceX's Starship.