Polaris Dawn Flight Day 1 Update The Polaris Dawn crew completed their first day on-orbit, also known as Flight Day 1. After a successful launch by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket to low-Earth orbit from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:23 a.m. ET, the crew took off their spacesuits and began their multi-day mission. Shortly after liftoff, the crew began a two-day pre-breathe protocol in preparation for their anticipated spacewalk on Thursday, September 12 (Flight Day 3). During this time, Dragon’s pressure slowly lowers while oxygen levels inside the cabin increase, helping purge nitrogen from the crew’s bloodstreams. This will help lower the risk of decompression sickness (DCS) during all spacewalk operations. About two hours into Flight Day 1, the crew enjoyed their first on-orbit meals before engaging in the mission’s first science and research block and testing Starlink, which lasted about 3.5 hours. Dragon made its first pass through the South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA), a region where Earth’s magnetic field is weaker, allowing more high-energy particles from space to penetrate closer to Earth. Mission control operators and the crew worked closely to monitor and respond to the vehicle’s systems across all high-apogee phases of flight, particularly through the SAA region. Mid-day, the crew settled in for their first sleep period in space, during which Dragon will perform its first apogee raising burn. Orbiting Earth higher than any humans in over 50 years, the crew will rest for about eight hours ahead of a busy day on Flight Day 2. Most excitingly, during its first orbit, Dragon reached an apogee of approximately 1,216 kilometers, making Polaris Dawn the highest Dragon mission flown to date. Following a healthy systems checkout, the crew and mission control will monitor the spacecraft ahead of the vehicle raising itself to an elliptical orbit of 190 x 1,400 kilometers at the start of Flight Day 2.

We are going! ❤️ Go Polaris!

All lowering burns are now complete and Dragon is orbiting Earth at ~195 x 737 km

Dragon and the Polaris Dawn crew have completed six orbits of Earth at ~1,400 km. Over the next five hours, Dragon will perform four burns to lower itself to an orbit of ~190 x 742 km in preparation for Thursday’s spacewalk

Strive to greater heights, For a future brighter than the past, Waking up each morning inspired, To learn new secrets of the Universe!

Polaris Dawn and Dragon at 1,400 km above Earth – the farthest humans have traveled since the Apollo program over 50 years ago

Dragon astronauts are now further from Earth than any humans in over half a century!!

🔥🔥🔥

Achievement unlocked - apogee 1,400.7 km Forward bulkhead Draco firing during burn 🔥

The apogee-raising burn is now complete. The Polaris Dawn crew and Dragon are now on their way to an altitude of ~1,400 km

Dragon’s apogee-raising burn is underway and will last ~eight minutes

Launch of Falcon 9 & Polaris Dawn!

Falcon 9 lifting off from pad 39A in Florida and beginning Polaris Dawn’s multi-day mission on-orbit, where they will conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk as early as Thursday, September 12

Help us save lives with these commemorative items, such as these patient art license plates that were featured in the vehicles that transported the crew to the launch pad. Celebrate the @polarisprogram with us! bit.ly/3ZiTPw8

Liftoff of Falcon 9, Dragon, and the Polaris Dawn crew More photos → flickr.com/photos/polarispro…

Once on-orbit, the crew started to conduct initial rounds of research and test @Starlink

Dragon and the crew will remain at this altitude for ~eight orbits before the spacecraft raises itself to an altitude of 1,400 km later today

View of Earth and Dragon’s Skywalker shortly after the Polaris Dawn crew launched into an orbit of ~190 x 1,216 km

They're off! Congratulations to @PolarisProgram on a successful launch in space! Looking forward to what is to come this week, while the crew, @rookisaacman , @KiddPoteet , @annawmenon , @Gillis_SarahE are in space! ❤️🚀

BREAKING NEWS: Doritos spotted in space. No seriously, we’re going to space today! We’ve partnered with @stjude & @polarisprogram to send Doritos out of this world to help fuel awareness and funds for childhood cancer research and treatment. Visit StJude.org/DoritosInSpace to donate for a chance to try the limited-edition chips and snag other far-out rewards.