SpaceX Polaris Dawn Mission Recognized for Record-Breaking Flight
Historic firsts include the farthest women have flown from Earth and the first commercial spacewalk
Washington, D.C. – Jan. 22, 2025 – The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced that the SpaceX Polaris Dawn Mission set the latest NAA space record during their 5-day mission in orbit. Among them, the crew reached an apogee of 875 miles, which set a national record* for Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon as the farthest any women have flown from Earth.
As the official custodian of aviation and aerospace records in the United States, the NAA certifies all new U.S. records. The Fédération Aéronautique Internationale (FAI) further solidifies these achievements by ratifying those that qualify as world records. The NAA and FAI have a unique and valuable partnership, established since their foundations in 1905, that ensures the highest standards in record certification.
“Record-breaking flights, exemplified by the Polaris Dawn Mission, not only push the boundaries of human endeavor but also significantly advance our understanding of how space exploration influences science, health, and technology, inspiring hope for the future,” said Amy Spowart, President and CEO, National Aeronautic Association. “This program and future space missions create exciting possibilities for how we see and utilize our place in the universe.”.
Polaris Dawn is a private crewed spaceflight operated by SpaceX on behalf of Jared Isaacman. It is the first of three planned missions in the Polaris program. On September 10th, the four-person crew launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center into orbit. Jared Isaacman, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon flew in an elliptical orbit that took them the farthest from Earth since NASA’s Apollo Program. During the mission, the crew performed the first commercial spacewalk, tested Starlink laser-based communications, and researched to understand better the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health, which could have significant implications for future space missions and our understanding of human biology.
*The NAA has submitted this record to the FAI for world record ratification
photo courtesy of Polaris Program
