Forbes
Tech billionaire Jared Isaacman, along with another private astronaut, completed the first-ever commercial spacewalk aboard a SpaceX spacecraft as part of the all-civilian Polaris Dawn mission. The historic moment took place while the spacecraft was flying over Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Ocean. Isaacman, who funded the mission, hopes to continue with two more Polaris missions, potentially including a trip to the Hubble Space Telescope. This achievement marks a significant milestone for commercial space travel as SpaceX continues to push the boundaries of space exploration.
The Polaris Dawn mission, which also includes crew members Scott Poteet and Anna Menon, was launched by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The crewmembers experienced a sunrise roughly every 106 minutes as they orbited the Earth at an altitude of about 870 miles, making it the furthest crewed space mission since NASA’s Apollo moon missions in the 1970s. The goal of the mission is to test SpaceX’s spacecraft and spacesuit, as well as to utilize the Starlink satellite communication network to send down information from various experiments aboard the spacecraft.
NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the mission, highlighting its importance in advancing the commercial space industry and contributing to NASA’s goal of building a vibrant U.S. space economy. The success of the Polaris Dawn mission represents a significant step forward in the commercialization of space travel and demonstrates SpaceX’s capabilities in enabling private individuals to explore space. Isaacman, who has a net worth of $1.9 billion and owns a significant stake in the payment processing firm Shift4 Payments, has been a key figure in funding and participating in private space missions.
As the Polaris Dawn mission continues to pave the way for future commercial space endeavors, SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk’s vision of sending humans to the moon and Mars remains a key focus for the company. The successful completion of the commercial spacewalk by Isaacman and his fellow astronaut demonstrates SpaceX’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of space exploration and making space travel more accessible to private individuals. With plans for additional Polaris missions and potentially trips to iconic space destinations like the Hubble Space Telescope, SpaceX is poised to further revolutionize the space industry in the years to come.
The Polaris Dawn mission’s groundbreaking achievements showcase the potential for commercial space travel to become more mainstream in the future. As SpaceX continues to expand its capabilities and push the boundaries of space exploration, the success of missions like Polaris Dawn highlights the opportunities for private individuals to participate in space missions. With the support of visionary leaders like Isaacman and Musk, the commercial space industry is poised for significant growth and innovation in the years ahead.
