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Polaris Dawn crew flies higher than 1966 Gemini 11 orbital record

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Four members of the Polaris Dawn mission climbed into an elliptical orbit with a high point, or apogee, of 870 miles ( 1,400.7 kilometers ) They reached the record distance about 15 hours after lifting off at 5:23 a.m. EDT ( 0923 GMT ) from Florida .

The crew's top altitude more than doubled the maximum height that NASA 's space shuttle reached when it deployed the Hubble Space Telescope in 1990 .

Data collected will also help SpaceX refine its future vehicle architecture.

He previously developed online content for the National Space Society and Apollo 11 moonwalker Buzz Aldrin , helped establish the space tourism company Space Adventures and currently serves on the History Committee of the American Astronautical Society , the advisory committee for The Mars Generation and leadership board of For All Moonkind . In 2009 , he was inducted into the U.S. Space Camp Hall of Fame in Huntsville , Alabama . In 2021 , he was honored by the American Astronautical Society with the Ordway Award for Sustained Excellence in Spaceflight History..