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WASHINGTON:
On Thursday, two astronauts, a billionaire, and an engineer achieved a milestone by conducting the first private spacewalk in orbit outside a SpaceX capsule. This groundbreaking event involved the use of a new type of spacesuit, marking a significant step away from the previous limitation of spacewalks to only government-trained astronauts.
As part of the Polaris Dawn mission, the astronauts spent approximately 10 minutes outside the Crew Dragon capsule, securely tethered for safety, while their two crewmates kept watch from inside. This mission, spearheaded by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, further advanced the possibilities of private space exploration.
Jared Isaacman, founder of Shift4 and a skilled pilot, was the first to make his exit, followed closely by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis. Inside the capsule, their crewmates, Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, observed the historic event as they orbited around 450 miles (730 km) above Earth. The entire spacewalk spanned a total of one hour and 46 minutes.
Isaacman, who also financed the Polaris mission, had previously funded the Inspiration4 flight with SpaceX in 2021. The mission was broadcast live on SpaceX’s website and aimed to evaluate new technologies, such as more streamlined spacesuits and a procedure for fully depressurizing the Crew Dragon cabin—innovations that Musk hopes to refine for future private missions to Mars.
Upon returning to the spacecraft, Isaacman shared his awe at the breathtaking view of Earth from space. This endeavor was regarded as one of the riskiest undertaken by SpaceX, which is the only private company capable of consistently launching people into and returning from orbit.
Before the spacewalk commenced at approximately 10:52 GMT, the capsule was entirely depressurized. The astronauts relied on their SpaceX-designed suits for oxygen, connected via an umbilical line to the capsule. Isaacman, 41, and Gillis, 30, assessed the flexibility of their suits and provided valuable insights for future designs.
The mission was designed to extend the boundaries of private enterprise in space, with ground teams located at SpaceX’s California headquarters supervising the hatch closure and conducting safety checks during the astronauts’ re-entry.
The procedure for the spacewalk closely resembled the first American spacewalk in 1965, which also involved depressurizing the capsule and tethering an astronaut in a spacesuit. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the mission as a "huge advancement" for the commercial space industry and a step toward developing a sustainable U.S. space economy.
While Isaacman has not disclosed the mission’s financial details, it’s anticipated to cost in the hundreds of millions, with individual Crew Dragon seats typically priced at around $55 million.
Joining Isaacman and Gillis were Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, and SpaceX engineer Anna Menon. Throughout their mission, the spacecraft circled the Earth several times, reaching altitudes of up to 1,400 km, the farthest any humans have ventured into space since the final Apollo mission in 1972.
Historically, spacewalks have been conducted exclusively by astronauts trained by government agencies. Since the inception of the International Space Station (ISS) in 2000, there have been approximately 270 spacewalks, with 16 occurring on China’s Tiangong space station.
The Polaris team underwent two and a half years of training, including mission simulations and rigorous real-world experiences, in preparation for their journey, as noted by Poteet.
Currently, a record number of 19 astronauts are in orbit, with 12 stationed aboard the ISS, following a recent Russian Soyuz mission that transported more astronauts there on Wednesday. Since 2001, Crew Dragon has successfully completed over a dozen astronaut missions, primarily for NASA.
The capsule was created as part of a NASA initiative to develop commercial spacecraft for ferrying astronauts to and from the ISS. Boeing’s Starliner capsule is also involved in this program; it launched its inaugural crew to the ISS in June but encountered difficulties, returning empty and leaving its crew on the station until next year, when a Crew Dragon capsule is expected to bring them back.
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