World’s First All-Civilian Spacewalk Becomes a Success | A Billionaire Among the Crew!
A major milestone in space exploration was achieved recently when four private citizens completed the first all-civilian spacewalk. Unlike past missions, this was not carried out by government space agencies like NASA. It was a mission by SpaceX, a private company founded by the billionaire businessman Elon Musk. The mission, known as ‘Polaris Dawn,’ was led by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. This achievement marks a significant step for civilians in space exploration. The Polaris Dawn mission may be the beginning of a new era. The space is no longer exclusive to astronauts but accessible to private citizens too. Let’s have a closer look at the crew and the mission’s success.
The Polaris Dawn Mission
Polaris Dawn is a bold mission with the primary goal of testing new space technologies, such as spacesuits and procedures. A mission to prepare for future, longer space missions. The mission is a five-day journey, during which the crew aims to help advance space exploration. One of the mission’s objective is to reach an orbital altitude of 870 miles above Earth. Higher than any human has traveled since the Apollo missions of the 1970s. It is undoubtedly crucial and it tests how humans handle such extreme conditions.
“Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”
Jared Isaacman
Meet the Crew
The crew of Polaris Dawn includes:
- Jared Isaacman: A fintech billionaire and experienced space traveler who funded the mission.
- Scott “Kidd” Poteet: A retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel.
- Sarah Gillis: Engineer at SpaceX
- Anna Menon: Engineer at SpaceX
This mission stands out because it involves private citizens. They are not government-trained astronauts. Each crew member brought unique skills that contributed to the mission’s success. Their involvement signals a new chapter where civilians can have a direct hand in space exploration. SpaceX aims to make space travel more accessible.
The Historic Spacewalk
The Polaris Dawn mission included a spacewalk that took place on Thursday (12th September 2024). The mission began at 6:12 a.m. ET and ended at 7:58 a.m. ET.
Astronauts in early space missions, like Alexei Leonov of the Soviet Union, floated in space tethered to their craft. Some Space Shuttle astronauts even used jetpacks. Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis also left the safety of their SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, tethered to the spacecraft.
“It’s gorgeous.”
As Isaacman put it, after stepping out into space.
Isaacman and Gillis were the only ones to go outside. However, Scott Poteet and Anna Menon played an important role from inside the capsule, testing the new spacesuits.
One of the standout features of this spacewalk was the capsule’s lack of a pressurized airlock. In traditional missions, only the astronauts exiting the spacecraft are exposed to the vacuum of space. The entire capsule was depressurized. This unique method adds another layer of challenge to the mission.
The crew wore newly designed spacesuits that were tested during this spacewalk. These suits featured advancements like heads-up displays, helmet cameras, and improved joint mobility. Another important step was the use of pure oxygen to avoid decompression sickness.
However, this spacewalk, despite being shorter and less risky, marks the first time private citizens have been directly involved in such an activity.
“We’re going to make use of various mobility aids the SpaceX team has engineered, and it’ll look like we’re doing a little bit of a dance,” Isaacman said before launch. “The idea is to learn as much as we possibly can about this suit and get it back to the engineers to inform future suit design evolutions.”
Jared Isaacman
SpaceX Beating the Competition
SpaceX, founded by Elon Musk in 2002, has grown from a small startup into a leader in space travel. Initially dismissed by many in the aerospace industry, the company proved itself when, in 2020, it successfully delivered a spacecraft for NASA astronauts to the International Space Station, beating Boeing to the punch. The Polaris Dawn mission only further cements SpaceX’s position as the front-runner in private space exploration.
Conclusion
The success of this all-civilian spacewalk is a major milestone in the history of space exploration. It not only demonstrates the capabilities of SpaceX. It also shows that private citizens can play a crucial role in pushing the boundaries of space travel. The Polaris Dawn mission is more than just a technological achievement. It’s a glimpse into the future of space exploration, where civilians could one day travel beyond Earth as easily as astronauts.
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