SpaceX Polaris Dawn astronauts made the first private spacewalk in orbit

Billionaire Jared Isaacson and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis have made the first-ever spacewalk as part of a commercial mission.

September 12, 2024 was a significant date in the history of astronautics. For the first time, non-professional astronauts went into space during the private Polaris Dawn mission. Jared Isaacson, billionaire and founder of the Shift4 Payments payment system, and Sarah Gillis, SpaceX engineer, successfully left the Dragon capsule at an altitude of 700 kilometers above the Earth.

The spacewalk began at 11:52 GMT (13:52 Kyiv time) when Isaacson opened the Dragon capsule hatch.

«At home we have a lot of work to do, but from here the Earth looks like a perfect world,» he commented on his first impressions. Gillis joined him 15 minutes later.

In addition to Isaacson and Gillis, the Polaris Dawn crew includes two other members. Scott «Kidd» Sweat, a retired US Air Force pilot and close friend of Isaacson, is the mission’s pilot. Anna Menon, a SpaceX engineer, is the mission specialist and is responsible for medical research. Although Poteet and Menon did not participate in the spacewalk, they played a critical role in ensuring the safety of the operation from aboard the capsule.

This spacewalk set several records. Firstly, it took place at the highest altitude in the history of extra-vehicular activity — 700 km above the Earth’s surface. For comparison, the International Space Station orbits at an altitude of approximately 400 km.

Secondly, it was the first time that four people were simultaneously in the vacuum of space. Although only Isaacson and Gillis went outside, all four crew members were wearing SpaceX’s new EVA spacesuits. This was done for safety, as the Dragon capsule was completely depressurized.

Preparations for the departure were extremely difficult. The crew spent two days breathing pure oxygen to prevent decompression sickness. The Dragon capsule, unlike the ISS, does not have an airlock, so it was completely depressurized before the astronauts left.

The astronauts used new spacesuits for extravehicular activities (EVA) from SpaceX. These suits are equipped with advanced technologies, including displays with information on the status of life support systems. The suits were flexible enough to be used both during launch and landing and for spacewalks.

The Polaris Dawn mission, funded by Isaacson, is part of a series of private space flights aimed at expanding humanity’s capabilities in space. In addition to entering outer space, the mission aims to reach the highest Earth orbit since the «Apollo» — program to 1400 km above the Earth.

The success of the Polaris Dawn mission opens new prospects for space tourism and scientific research. However, experts note that mass space travel is still a long way off due to high costs and technical difficulties.

Source: BBC, Space