Check out this orbital sunset from a Crew Dragon way above Earth

SpaceX has recently released breathtaking images and a short video showcasing an orbital sunset captured from the Polaris Dawn Crew Dragon spacecraft high above Earth. Take a look at the stunning imagery below:

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— Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 12, 2024

From the vantage point of the Crew Dragon, Earth appears more distant and rounder compared to what astronauts aboard the International Space Station observe, as the spacecraft orbits at a height more than three times greater. Following its launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the Crew Dragon and its four crew members reached an apogee exceeding 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), marking the farthest human space travel since the Apollo program half a century ago.

Later today, two crew members – Jared Isaacson and Sarah Gillis – will carry out the first-ever spacewalk from a Crew Dragon spacecraft at an altitude of approximately 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth. This historic event will also be the inaugural commercial spacewalk and will involve testing a newly designed spacesuit that offers enhanced mobility and comfort compared to the current version. A refined iteration of this new spacesuit is expected to be utilized in future crewed missions to the moon and potentially Mars.

As per an update shared on Polaris Dawn’s X account today, the crew, which also includes Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, have been diligently preparing for the highly anticipated spacewalk, along with engaging in various scientific and research activities. They have also participated in multiple video calls to Earth, including conversations with their families conducted over SpaceX Starlink connections.

The Polaris Dawn mission has been financially backed by Isaacman, a billionaire entrepreneur who established the payments processor Shift4 Payments in 1999 at the age of 16. Isaacman has ventured into space once before, as part of the Inspiration4 mission in 2021, which involved four non-professional astronauts.

The Polaris Dawn crew is scheduled to return home this weekend after spending around five days in orbit.