Cape Canaveral, FL: Billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman has successfully completed the first ever private spacewalk. This historic event took place during the ‘Polaris Dawn’ mission, a groundbreaking project led by Isaacman and conducted in collaboration with SpaceX.
Isaacman, who is widely known for his role in the Inspiration4 mission, became the first private astronaut to venture outside a spacecraft in the vacuum of space. The spacewalk occurred in low Earth orbit, approximately 400 kilometers above our planet which lasted approximately six hours, was conducted from the SpaceX *’Crew Dragon’ capsule at an altitude significantly higher than most previous human spaceflights. The mission aimed to push the limits of current space technology and test new equipment designed for future deep-space exploration.
Mission Specialist @Gillis_SarahE is conducting the same series of suit mobility tests @rookisaacman completed pic.twitter.com/XbS6SNFv3a
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024
Isaacman spent around three hours outside the spacecraft, equipped with a specialized spacesuit and tethered to the Crew Dragon, later joined a crew member Sarah Gillis. During his time outside the spacecraft, Isaacman captured high-resolution images and video footage of Earth. These visuals not only offer a unique perspective of our planet but also contribute to scientific research related to Earth observation and environmental monitoring.
Jared said that, “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”
Isaacman and his team Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon carried out a series of scientific experiments and technological tests. One of the key objectives was to evaluate the performance of SpaceX’s new spacesuits, which are intended for more extensive missions beyond low Earth orbit.
This historic spacewalk represents a significant advancement for space tourism. It showcases the capabilities of private space travel and demonstrates that such missions can be conducted safely and successfully. Isaacman’s achievement is expected to inspire further interest in space tourism and lead to increased investment in commercial space ventures.