Polaris Dawn Launch Day At 5:23 a.m. EDT on September 10, Isaacman, Poteet, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, blasted off atop a Falcon 9 rocket, headed for five days in orbit in the SpaceX Dragon. They'd originally planned the launch ahead of Labor Day but weather got in the way. "We, as some know, we kind of sat here in quarantine for a little bit because Dragon is is very sensitive to splashdown weather conditions, and we've got no safe haven to go to when we're up there, so we got to be really sure we can launch and come back home," said Isaacman as he reflected on launch day. When launch day came, Poteet opened his remarks with "it's game time." He recalled that as soon as they knew they were go for launch that day, it was the last opportunity to speak to their families. Then the moment arrived. "The first time, you know, you close that hatch, and it's just us and it's time to focus. And I compare it to, you know, my experiences being a fighter pilot and going on a combat mission. There is immense, 100% trust that you have in your wingman, and that's exactly what we have with this crew. Not only do we know our specific roles and responsibilities, but we also know each other's strengths and weaknesses," said Poteet. As for riding on top of 1.7 million pounds of thrust, that's an experience unique in itself. "All the senses are engaged. You know you feel the rocket from the sway before launch, and then the rumbling as it's as it takes off from the pad. Loud sounds. And then you go through these sequential events that can surprise you if you're not aware," said Poteet. "At MECO (main engine cutoff) separation, you get thrown forward in your seat, and you go to 0 Gs all of a sudden. The second stage lights and you're back to positive G's (force of gravity). You build back up to that four and a half (Gs). And that's pretty intense." Polaris Dawn spacewalk: Crew reflects on EVA Isaacman had commanded the Inspiration4 mission, which was the first all-civilian mission to orbit in 2021. During that mission, the Dragon spacecraft had a cupola window which the crew could gaze out of. Still, it did not prepare Isaacman for what he saw during his spacewalk. "Just what an emotional experience, a sensory overload. There's the physical exertion, there's the pressure changes, the temperature changes, gets a little cold, and then, of course, the overwhelming visual sensation when you see Earth with no kind of barrier between you other than the visor that's in front of you. So it's a lot of senses that come together. Way more than my prior experience of just looking through the cupola on I4 (Inspriation4), where it's an immense visual experience. But this is ... this was something else," said Isaacman. "But when you look off to the side, and you look out into the darkness of space, and you see kind of your spaceship there, and how gritty it looks and stuff, it gave you this sense of this isn't going to be easy. Like, this is a hard, very threatening environment," said Isaacman. "It wasn't (what) I would describe as peaceful when you're looking out in the darkness of space. I think if anything, it was a little bit more of like if you want to be here, you're gonna have to work for it." Future of SpaceX spacesuits The Polaris crew had donned specially made SpaceX spacesuits during the spacewalk. The space company has continuously stated this is only the beginning of their plans. SpaceX plans to make the IVA (in-vehicular activity) suits for the Starship Human Lander, which will be used on NASA's Artemis return to the moon mission. However, they will not be making the EVA suits for NASA astronauts on the lunar surface. SpaceX said that they are looking to reduce what's called pre-breathe time for the suits, reducing the amount of time astronauts need to breathe additional oxygen prior to a spacewalk to avoid depression sickness. Stu Keech, VP of Dragon at SpaceX, told FLORIDA TODAY, "In the future, on the Moon and Mars, and for future surface suits, we need a backpack or some type of portable life support system. And you can't always be tethered to either your vehicle or rover or your habitat there. So part of what that entails is using a liquid cooling garment and having a full recoverable system for that life support backpack. The Apollo suits and the EVA suit up on ISS, and all of those kind of independent life support suits utilize a liquid cooling garment versus the open loop gas flow that we used on the Polaris Dawn mission." Brooke Edwards is a Space Reporter for Florida Today. Contact her at bedwards@floridatoday.com or on X: @brookeofstars.