Polaris dawn: SpaceX's billionaire astronaut and civilians successfully complete first-ever private spacewalk

The crew wore special suits and the entire spacecraft was exposed to the vacuum outside. (SpaceX)

In a historic moment for private space exploration, a billionaire and an engineer have become the first non-professional crew to successfully complete one of the most perilous tasks in space—a spacewalk. Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis stepped out of the SpaceX spacecraft, with Isaacman exiting first at 11:52 BST, followed by Gillis approximately 15 minutes later. Wearing specially-designed suits, the two performed the walk while orbiting 435 miles (700km) above Earth.

As he emerged from the spacecraft, Isaacman expressed his awe, stating, “Back home we have much to do, but from here, Earth looks perfect.” This mission, funded entirely by Isaacman, marks a significant departure from the past, where only government-funded astronauts had the opportunity to perform spacewalks.

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Live broadcasts showed the two crew members exiting the white Dragon capsule, with the vast blue Earth below them. Isaacman, who first stepped out, carefully tested his suit by wiggling his limbs and returned inside before Gillis, a SpaceX engineer, made her exit. Both narrated their experiences, providing insights into how their suits operated outside the craft.

The spacewalk, originally scheduled for 07:23 BST, was delayed earlier on Thursday. As the crew prepared to open the hatch, which lacks an airlock, anticipation and tension mounted. Unlike traditional spacewalks, this one took a “very different approach,” explained Dr Simeon Barber, a research scientist at the Open University. The SpaceX Dragon capsule, unlike the International Space Station, was fully exposed to the space vacuum, adding to the mission’s risks.

The four crew members had spent two days “pre-breathing” to prevent decompression sickness, commonly known as “the bends,” by replacing nitrogen in their blood with oxygen. The craft was then depressurised to align with the space vacuum conditions outside.

Isaacman, who funded the Polaris Dawn mission, was the only crew member with prior space experience. He led the mission aboard the Resilience spacecraft, accompanied by his close friend Scott 'Kidd' Poteet, a retired air force pilot, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.

This mission was particularly significant as the Dragon capsule and spacesuits were untested in this environment, underscoring the immense risks involved. Yet, the successful spacewalk by a private company represents a milestone in space travel history.

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This walk, conducted at a record height of 435 miles (700km), utilised advanced technology, including new extravehicular activity (EVA) astronaut suits, which are an upgrade from SpaceX’s previous intravehicular activity (IVA) suits. The EVA suits feature a heads-up display within the helmet, offering real-time data during the spacewalk.

Gillis utilised this feature during her time outside the capsule, reading out data displayed on her helmet. SpaceX claims that these suits are flexible and comfortable enough to be worn during launch and landing, eliminating the need for separate IVA suits.

Additionally, extra nitrogen and oxygen tanks were installed, allowing all four astronauts to wear the EVA suits, thus setting a record for the most people in the vacuum of space at once. The Resilience spacecraft had departed Earth on Tuesday, aboard a SpaceX rocket, with a mission goal to reach an altitude of up to 870 miles (1,400km)—the farthest a human has travelled in space since NASA’s Apollo programme ended in the 1970s.

As private enterprises like SpaceX push the boundaries of space exploration, this mission serves as a symbolic leap forward. While private space travel for non-professionals remains a costly endeavour, this successful mission hints at a future where space is accessible to more people.

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