The first-ever commercial spacewalk was completed on Thursday by two private astronauts aboard a SpaceX spacecraft as part of the all-civilian Polaris Dawn mission. Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis exited the Dragon capsule just before 7 a.m. EDT and spent about 10 minutes each outside the spacecraft as it flew over Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Ocean. The mission also includes crew members Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, who remained inside the capsule. The spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday aboard SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The historical spacewalk marks a significant milestone for the commercial space industry, as NASA Administrator Bill Nelson emphasized the mission’s role in advancing the agency’s goal of building a vibrant U.S. space economy. The Polaris Dawn crew’s mission is the furthest crewed space mission since NASA’s Apollo moon missions in the 1970s, reaching an altitude of about 870 miles. Additionally, the crew experiences a sunrise approximately every 106 minutes, showcasing the unique challenges and experiences of space travel.
Polaris Dawn is a five-day mission aimed at testing SpaceX’s spacecraft and spacesuit as part of the company’s efforts to commercialize space travel. The mission will also test SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communication network by sending down information from other experiments aboard the spacecraft, such as testing the effects of radiation in space on the human body. Isaacman, who funded the mission, revealed plans for two additional Polaris missions that may include a trip to the Hubble Space Telescope. These missions align with SpaceX’s larger mission of sending humans to the moon and Mars, echoing CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions of colonizing Mars.
Jared Isaacman, the founder and CEO of payment processing firm Shift4 Payments, has an estimated net worth of $1.9 billion. Isaacman, who owns approximately 38% of shares in the company, was also part of SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the first orbital spaceflight featuring only private citizens. The success of the Polaris Dawn mission represents a significant step forward in the commercialization of space travel, highlighting the increasing role of private companies in advancing space exploration and paving the way for future missions to the moon and Mars.
The completion of the first-ever commercial spacewalk by private astronauts aboard a SpaceX spacecraft represents a groundbreaking achievement in the realm of space travel. The Polaris Dawn mission, led by tech billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, marks a significant milestone for the commercial space industry as it moves towards the commercialization of space travel. With crew members Scott Poteet and Anna Menon also on board, the spacecraft launched from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center on Tuesday, setting the stage for a historic spacewalk that took place as the Dragon capsule flew over Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Ocean.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson hailed the mission as a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry, emphasizing NASA’s goal of fostering a vibrant U.S. space economy. The Polaris Dawn crew, who experienced a sunrise every 106 minutes, tackled unique challenges and embarked on a mission that is the farthest crewed space mission since NASA’s Apollo moon missions in the 1970s. The mission, designed as a five-day test of SpaceX’s spacecraft and spacesuit, also aims to test SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communication network and study how radiation in space impacts the human body.
As part of the Polaris Dawn mission, SpaceX intends to send out two additional missions, potentially including a trip to the Hubble Space Telescope. These missions align with SpaceX’s broader mission of sending humans to the moon and Mars, a goal echoed by CEO Elon Musk’s ambitions of colonizing Mars. Jared Isaacman, a key figure in the mission and the founder of Shift4 Payments, has a net worth of $1.9 billion and played a pivotal role in both the Polaris Dawn mission and SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021, the first orbital spaceflight featuring private citizens. This success signals a bright future for commercial space travel and the expanding role of private companies in advancing space exploration.
