Polaris Dawn Crew Breaks NASA Gemini 11’s 58 245y4p Year Old Orbital Record With SpaceX Dragon

The Polaris Dawn crew has sured NASA’s 1966 Gemini 11 record by reaching a new altitude of 1400 kilometres. 5m464a

Written by Gadgets 360 Staff | Updated: 12 September 2024 13:09 IST

Polaris Dawn Crew Breaks NASA Gemini 11’s 58-Year Old Orbital Record With SpaceX Dragon

Photo Credit: X/SpaceX 3p4gx

SpaceX Crew Dragon Resilience raised its apogee to 1,400.7 km on September 10 during Polaris Dawn mission

Highlights

Polaris Dawn crew sets new 1400 km altitude record
Crew breaks Gemini 11 record from 1966
SpaceX Dragon es through Van Allen belt

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spacecraft orbited Earth eight times before reaching its highest point.

A Historic Feat 4y482k

The crew, led by billionaire and Polaris Dawn mission commander Jared Isaacman, includes pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Isaacman highlighted that Gillis and Menon have now set a record as the women who have travelled the furthest from Earth. The crew's mission aimed to gather data on the effects of space conditions on human health and spacecraft systems, venturing through sections of the Van Allen radiation belt, an area where charged particles accumulate.

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Polaris Dawn and Dragon at 1,400 km above Earth – the farthest humans have traveled since the Apollo program over 50 years ago pic.twitter.com/rRDeD1dY1e
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 11, 2024

Scientific Purpose 1z5v39

The altitude record was set to help SpaceX further its research in preparation for future deep space missions. By exposing the Resilience spacecraft to different levels of radiation, scientists aim to better understand the impacts on both the human body and modern spacecraft technology.

The mission also tests how touchscreens and digital displays perform under such conditions, which has never been done before at this altitude.

Honouring Past Achievements 15u5y

As a tribute to NASA's Gemini 11 astronauts, Charles “Pete” Conrad and Richard “Dick” Gordon, the Polaris Dawn crew carried a medallion similar to the Gemini 11 patch. The medallion was auctioned to St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, continuing the legacy of space exploration for the greater good.

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