A billionaire and an engineer have made history by becoming the first non-professional astronauts to conduct a spacewalk during a commercial mission. This groundbreaking event took place aboard a SpaceX spacecraft, marking a significant milestone in private space exploration.
Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis commenced their spacewalk approximately 15 minutes apart, starting at 11:52 BST, donning specially-designed suits for the occasion.
“Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman remarked as he made his exit from the craft.
Prior to this mission, spacewalks had only been conducted by astronauts associated with government-funded space programs.
Live broadcasts captured the crew as they floated 435 miles (700 km) above Earth. Isaacman was the first to emerge, testing his suit by moving his limbs before returning to the hatch, followed by Gillis, who is also an engineer for SpaceX.
Both crew members provided commentary on their spacewalk, detailing their experiences and the performance of their suits in the vacuum of space.
The spacewalk, originally planned for 07:23 BST, faced delays earlier in the day, building anticipation as the crew prepared to open the hatch of the craft, which lacks an airlock.
The crew underwent two days of “pre-breathing” to mitigate the risks of decompression sickness, replacing nitrogen in their blood with oxygen before depressurizing the craft.
This innovative spacewalk represented a departure from traditional methods used by government agencies, as noted by experts in the field.
In recent decades, astronauts have relied on airlocks to separate the spacecraft from the vacuum of space. However, this mission utilized a SpaceX Dragon capsule that is fully exposed to the outside environment.
According to experts, this approach exemplifies SpaceX’s willingness to take risks and explore uncharted territory in space travel. Yet, it comes with its own set of hazards.
Isaacman, who financed the Polaris Dawn mission, was the only crew member with previous spaceflight experience.
He is joined on this expedition by former air force pilot Scott ‘Kidd’ Poteet and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.
While the Dragon capsule has previously completed 46 missions and carried a total of 50 crew members, the spacecraft and suits lack regulatory oversight and were untested in this particular environment.
Successfully conducting a spacewalk through a private initiative marks a pivotal moment in the realm of space exploration. This mission achieved a record altitude of 435 miles (700 km) for a spacewalk and utilized advanced technology in the newly designed extravehicular activity (EVA) suits.
The EVA suits include a heads-up display in the helmet to provide real-time data about the suit’s status.
During her time outside the Dragon capsule, Gillis read out crucial information from her display.
SpaceX claims these suits offer the comfort and flexibility required for launch and landing, eliminating the need for separate suits.
The mission also set a record for the most astronauts in the vacuum of space at the same time, with enhancements made to the suits for added safety.
The Resilience spacecraft departed Earth on Tuesday and is expected to reach altitudes up to 870 miles (1,400 km) in orbit—surpassing any previous human endeavor since NASA’s Apollo program ended in the 1970s.
Government agencies are increasingly looking to private companies for assistance with astronaut transport, aiming to make space travel more cost-effective.
Entrepreneurs are pushing for expanded opportunities in private space travel to allow more non-professional astronauts to experience space.
While this mission signifies a crucial step forward in private space exploration, significant obstacles remain, chiefly the high costs associated with such ventures.
