In a historic milestone, SpaceX successfully carried out the world’s first private spacewalk on Thursday morning. Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis became the first non-government astronauts to conduct a spacewalk in Earth’s orbit.
The groundbreaking spacewalk occurred as part of the Polaris Dawn mission, taking place approximately 400 miles above Earth. Isaacman and Gillis spent about 30 minutes outside the Crew Dragon capsule, while their crewmates, Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, monitored the mission from inside the spacecraft.
The Polaris Dawn mission represents a significant advancement in private space travel, testing new technology such as SpaceX’s advanced spacesuits and a complex depressurization process for the Crew Dragon cabin. This mission builds on SpaceX’s achievements in commercial space exploration, reinforcing its status as the only private company to routinely send humans into orbit and bring them back safely.
Isaacman expressed awe at the view from space, stating, “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the mission, noting, “Today’s achievement represents a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and aligns with NASA’s long-term goal of building a vibrant U.S. space economy.”
The Polaris Dawn crew will continue their mission, conducting further tests before returning to Earth. This landmark event sets a new precedent for private space endeavors, paving the way for more ambitious space exploration projects beyond Earth’s orbit.