SpaceX's Polaris Dawn crew during the Spacewalk
On September 12, SpaceX’s private Polaris Dawn mission achieved another groundbreaking feat when its crew of four astronauts conducted the world’s first commercial spacewalk.
This historic event took place on the third day of a five-day trip in Earth’s orbit, marking yet another milestone for private space exploration.
“SpaceX, back at home we have a lot of work to do, but from here it looks like a perfect world,” said Polaris Dawn commander Jared Isaacman, the billionaire who financed the mission, as he gazed down at Earth from outside the Dragon spacecraft.
The mission, launched on September 10 from NASA’s historic Launch Complex-39A at Kennedy Space Center, propelled the crew into orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket.
The crew, consisting of Isaacman, pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, soared to an altitude of 870 miles (1,400.7 kilometers) – the highest any crewed mission has traveled since the Apollo era
This altitude surpassed the previous record set by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission, which reached 853 miles (1,373 km) above Earth.
After reaching its peak orbit, the Dragon Resilience capsule descended to 458 miles (737 km), where the spacewalk began.
The spacecraft was depressurized, and both Isaacman and Sarah Gillis exited the craft, starting their spacewalk at 6:48 a.m. EDT (1048 GMT) on September 12.
The spacewalk, which lasted one hour and 46 minutes, saw the astronauts performing mobility tests and other experiments, capturing stunning views of space.
“Whew! Smell that? Space,” Isaacman joked after re-entering the capsule. “Nice job for everyone at SpaceX who made it possible.”
One of the main goals of Polaris Dawn was to test SpaceX’s new extravehicular activity (EVA) suits.
These specialized suits, designed to be both lightweight and highly protective, were worn by Isaacman and Gillis during their historic spacewalk.
The spacesuits, described by SpaceX engineers as “a suit of armor made of fabric,” are intended for future missions, potentially paving the way for humans to walk on Mars.
The spacewalk was made possible by a custom-built “Skywalker” hatch, installed in place of Dragon’s standard ISS docking port.
This hatch provided handholds and footholds for the astronauts, enabling them to maneuver outside the spacecraft safely.
Polaris Dawn isn’t just about breaking records; it’s also contributing to crucial space research.
The crew is performing 36 science experiments from 31 institutions during their mission.
Many of these experiments focus on understanding how the human body responds to spaceflight, contributing valuable data to NASA’s Human Research Program.
One experiment involves wearable devices that track biometric data, while others aim to mitigate space-related motion sickness and monitor eye health in microgravity.
Additionally, Polaris Dawn’s journey through the Van Allen radiation belt is providing researchers with insights into the effects of radiation on the human body during space travel.
“Each mission, whether the crew is comprised of commercial or NASA astronauts, provides a key opportunity to expand our knowledge about how spaceflight affects human health,” said NASA’s Jancy McPhee, associate chief scientist for human research.
“Polaris Dawn will give us critical insights for planning future deep space missions.”
Isaacman, who also financed SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021, has repeatedly emphasized the significance of private space missions for advancing space exploration.
Inspiration4, the first all-civilian orbital mission, raised $250 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Polaris Dawn follows in its footsteps, raising additional funds for the same cause.
As the Polaris Dawn mission nears its conclusion, with a scheduled splashdown off the coast of Florida on the sixth day, it’s clear that this mission is a major leap for commercial spaceflight.
The data collected from Polaris Dawn will not only shape the future of human exploration but also potentially help the world reach Mars one day.
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