“Spacewalk is now complete”: the first spacewalk by two non-professional astronauts has been successfully completed. Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis both exited the spacecraft through a hatch and spent about 10 minutes in space. They wore entirely new spacesuits that had never been tested in space before. SpaceX can now breathe a sigh of relief, as this was the most dangerous and thrilling moment of the Polaris Dawn mission, launched on Tuesday.
For the first time, two “ordinary” people conducted a spacewalk. They did so at an altitude of around 700 kilometers above Earth, flying through space at 30,000 kilometers per hour. The risky part of the mission went as planned.
Jared Isaacman, an American businessman and billionaire, was the first to leave the spacecraft. He was followed by 30-year-old American engineer Sarah Gillis. The entire process, including opening and closing the hatch and adjusting the capsule’s air pressure, took about two hours.
This spacewalk is part of the Polaris Dawn mission, a commercial spaceflight by SpaceX. Isaacman, who financed the mission, and three other crew members are orbiting Earth aboard a Dragon capsule. The mission marks a milestone for non-professional astronauts, especially with the testing of new spacesuits designed by SpaceX. These suits aim to protect astronauts from cosmic radiation and extreme temperatures, an essential step in future space missions.
This achievement pushes the boundaries of space exploration and brings humanity closer to the ultimate goal of reaching Mars.
The entire livestream can be seen in the video below:
SpaceX and the Polaris Dawn crew have completed the first commercial spacewalk!
“SpaceX, back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.” — Mission Commander @rookisaacman during Dragon egress and seeing our planet from ~738 km pic.twitter.com/lRczSv5i4k
— Polaris (@PolarisProgram) September 12, 2024
The Polaris Dawn spacewalk is now complete, marking the first time commercial astronauts have completed a spacewalk from a commercial spacecraft! Congratulations to @rookisaacman, @Gillis_SarahE, @KiddPoteet, @annawmenon, and to all the SpaceX teams!
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024
Watch Dragon’s first spacewalk with the @PolarisProgram’s Polaris Dawn crew https://t.co/svdJRkGN7K
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024
