American entrepreneur and billionaire Jared Isaacman made history as the first private person to make a spacewalk thanks to SpaceX’s commercial Polaris mission. The crew also included four members, none of whom are professional astronauts. It is reported Wall Street Journal and Washington Post.
During the live broadcast, viewers were able to watch Isaacman leave the capsule of SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, perform several maneuvers and successfully return. SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis followed him into outer space.
Both participants spent several minutes outside the capsule during the flight over Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Ocean. Isaacman shared his impressions: “It’s incredible. There’s a lot of work at home, but the Earth looks like a perfect world from here.”.
Until now, spacewalks were carried out only by state astronauts as part of missions organized by national space agencies. This exit was the first in history when commercial tourists got such an opportunity.
Spacewalks are one of the most risky tasks for astronauts, but at the same time, they allow you to observe the Earth from an unparalleled perspective.
SpaceX’s commercial Polaris Dawn mission also aims to test new spacesuits, which the company has been working on for more than two years. These suits are designed to protect astronauts from radiation and extreme temperatures, while providing maximum mobility.
SpaceX sees this mission as a key part of preparing to return humans to the moon and potentially build bases on Mars.
Mission details
Jared Isaacman, engineer Sarah Gillis, retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet and mission manager Anna Menon lifted off on a Falcon 9 rocket from the Cape Canaveral Spaceport on September 10.
The financing of the mission was carried out by Isaacman, who paid for a separate flight to SpaceX three years ago, expressing his desire to contribute to further space exploration.
The mission will last up to five days, after which the Crew Dragon is to return to Earth, drifting under parachutes and landing in the Atlantic Ocean near Florida.
