Jared Isaacman Becomes First Civilian to Complete Private
Spacewalk on Polaris Dawn
Billionaire Jared Isaacman made history by becoming the
first non-professional astronaut to embark on a private spacewalk during
SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission. The spacewalk, a high-risk activity even for
trained astronauts, took place against the stunning backdrop of Earth.
Isaacman’s venture marked a significant milestone in private space exploration.
The spacewalk, delayed by four hours for undisclosed
reasons, proceeded after rigorous safety checks. Isaacman, 41, exited the
Dragon capsule first, making him part of a small, elite group of spacewalkers
previously limited to government-trained astronauts. Spectacular footage showed
Isaacman’s cautious ascent through the capsule hatch, cheered on by mission
control at Cape Canaveral, Florida.
“It’s gorgeous,” Isaacman exclaimed as he floated in the
vacuum of space, tethered to the capsule while testing SpaceX’s new, slimmer
spacesuits. His fellow crew member, Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX engineer, later
followed him to perform similar mobility tests. Both astronauts remained
attached to the spacecraft with 12-foot tethers, cautiously navigating the
weightlessness.
The mission, called Polaris Dawn, is one of SpaceX's
riskiest to date. Unlike traditional space capsules, Dragon lacks a safety
airlock, heightening the complexity of the spacewalk. This mission also aimed
to test a new generation of spacesuits, designed to be more lightweight than
NASA’s bulky models.
Isaacman, a tech entrepreneur and founder of Shift4, is
funding three Polaris missions, with total costs speculated to be in the
hundreds of millions. He has refrained from disclosing the exact amount but has
emphasized the importance of these missions for future space exploration.
Isaacman expressed his long-term vision, hoping future
generations will witness humans walking on the Moon and Mars. Despite minor
glitches during the mission, the successful spacewalk represents a major step
forward for civilian involvement in space exploration.
