Flying Farther Than Any Woman In Space, Anna Menon & Sarah Gillis Make History

Space engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis of SpaceX accomplished a historic feat on September 10 as they flew further into space than any female astronaut ever. They flew as part of the four-member Polaris Dawn mission, reaching an altitude of approximately 1,400 kilometres (870 miles) above the Earth's surface. The crew, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, took off from the NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. 

Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon Aboard Polaris Dawn

Gillis and Menon surpassed the previous record set for farthest spaceflight by women set during the Gemini 11 mission in 1966. Menon also made history by conducting the world's first commercial spacewalk alongside the crew's Commander Isaacman on September 12.

Mission Specialist @Gillis_SarahE is conducting the same series of suit mobility tests @rookisaacman completed pic.twitter.com/XbS6SNFv3a

— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024

The Polaris Dawn mission is reportedly taking its crew farther from Earth than any human has travelled since the Apollo missions. Gillis leads crew training for private spaceflight missions while Menon acts as the onboard medical officer, according to SpaceX.

What Is The Mission About?

Setting records is not the only reason the crew is on the Polaris Dawn mission. The scientists are conducting about 40 experiments including brain imaging and X-rays using natural space radiation. They are also testing Starlink laser-based communications in space.

While on-orbit, the Polaris Dawn crew will conduct 36 research and science experiments from 31 partner institutions to expand our knowledge of humans adapting, living, and working in space. pic.twitter.com/659vUqruly

— Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 10, 2024

They will fly through parts of the Van Allen radiation belt, to study valuable data on the space environment's effects on spacecraft systems and human physiology, the Elon Musk-owned corporation said. With Menon and Gillis exceeding the boundaries in space, they are setting a precedent for the future of women in STEM careers and championing gender inclusivity in often male-dominated fields.