Watch: SpaceX Dragon and Polaris Dawn crew return to Earth after historic mission

Sunday 15 September 2024 13:23 BST

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Watch as the SpaceX Dragon and Polaris Dawn crew returned to Earth on Sunday (15 September) after a historic mission.

A billionaire floated in space in the first-ever private spacewalk on Thursday (12 September) – a major milestone for space tourism, and for SpaceX.

Businessman Jared Isaacman, 41, stepped out of his capsule while hundreds of miles from Earth, attached to a tether and watched on a live feed.

Mr Isaacman financed his private flight through a deal with Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which follows a similar deal that saw him undertake the first ever fully commercial spaceflight in 2021.

He flew alongside Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, two SpaceX engineers. They were joined by Scott Poteet, a retired US Air Force lieutenant colonel who served as the mission’s pilot.

As part of the spacewalk, Mr Isaacman and Ms Gillis each left the spacecraft through the hatch for about 15 minutes, during which they tested the movement and other characteristics of SpaceX’s suits, stretching to see whether they could move around properly. SpaceX hopes versions of the suit could one day be used for trips to Mars and elsewhere.

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Watch: SpaceX Dragon and Polaris Dawn crew return to Earth after historic mission

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