Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes Staff
D.W.G. Kalani Tharanga is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Political Blogs.
In a groundbreaking achievement for private space travel, billionaire Jared Isaacman and engineer Sarah Gillis made history as the first non professional crew to perform a spacewalk on a commercial mission. The walk took place during SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, marking a significant milestone for privately funded space ventures.
Isaacman and Gillis stepped out of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft approximately 15 minutes apart, beginning the spacewalk at 11:52 BST. Dressed in specially designed EVA (extravehicular activity) suits, the pair floated 435 miles (700km) above Earth, with Isaacman expressing awe at the view: "Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here Earth sure looks like a perfect world."
Before this mission, spacewalks had been performed exclusively by astronauts from government space agencies. Live footage showed Isaacman and Gillis emerging from the spacecraft and narrating their experience as they tested the new suits, designed by SpaceX to handle the extreme conditions of space.
The walk, initially scheduled for earlier in the day, was delayed, adding to the anticipation. The Dragon capsule, lacking an airlock, required the entire spacecraft to be depressurized before the crew could step outside, unlike the traditional method used on the International Space Station (ISS), where only a section of the craft is exposed to space.
Both Isaacman and Gillis had prepared for the mission by undergoing "pre breathing" exercises to prevent decompression sickness, commonly known as “the bends,” caused by sudden changes in atmospheric pressure. This was part of a meticulous process leading up to the spacewalk, including depressurizing the Dragon capsule to simulate the vacuum of space.
According to Dr. Simeon Barber, a research scientist at the Open University, this mission took a “very different approach” compared to traditional government led spacewalks. The crew was entirely exposed to the space vacuum, making the operation particularly risky. However, SpaceX demonstrated once again its willingness to innovate in space exploration.
Isaacman, who funded the Polaris Dawn mission, was the only crew member with prior spaceflight experience. His companions included Scott "Kidd" Poteet, a retired air force pilot, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.
The Dragon capsule used for the mission had flown 46 times before, carrying a total of 50 crew members into space, though this was the first time its spacesuits were tested in a spacewalk. The mission also broke a new record: with all four astronauts wearing EVA suits, it became the largest number of people to be exposed to the vacuum of space simultaneously.
This private spacewalk represents a significant step forward in the quest to expand non professional space travel. Though the costs remain high, this mission marks a symbolic advance in reducing reliance on government funded space agencies and opening space to broader participation. As companies like SpaceX and entrepreneurs such as Elon Musk and Jared Isaacman push the boundaries, the dream of accessible space travel comes closer, albeit still distant.
