SpaceX Makes History with First Private Spacewalk: Key Highlights

SpaceX has once again made history with the first-ever private spacewalk, led by fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman and his crew. This monumental event marks a major step forward in commercial space exploration, pushing the boundaries of private space ventures.

1. The Crew Behind the Spacewalk

The crew for this historic mission includes Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott Kidd Poteet, and SpaceX employees Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. These non-professional astronauts are part of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission.

2. Orbital Path of Dragon Spaceship

The crew’s Dragon spacecraft reached an elliptical orbit of 430 miles at its highest point and 120 miles at its lowest. This orbit is farther into space than any mission has gone in the past 50 years.

3. The First Spacewalk Begins

The spacewalk, or extravehicular activity (EVA), officially began when the crew’s spacesuits were filled with pure oxygen. Isaacman was the first to stretch and test the durability of SpaceX’s new spacesuit.

4. Sarah Gillis Takes the Lead

After Isaacman, Sarah Gillis, a SpaceX engineer, followed the same procedures. She tested the suit’s flexibility while floating in zero gravity, providing valuable feedback to Mission Control.

5. A Milestone for SpaceX

This spacewalk is another groundbreaking achievement for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, a company that has revolutionized the space industry since its founding in 2002, making commercial space exploration a reality.

6. Testing SpaceX’s New Suits

A key goal of this mission was to test SpaceX’s newly designed spacesuits, which will be used for future missions to Earth’s orbit, the Moon, and Mars.

7. Starlink Communication Systems

The crew is the first to test Starlink laser-based communications in space, which is expected to improve future space communication for long-duration missions.

8. Scientific Research in Orbit

During the mission, the crew is conducting scientific research aimed at improving human health on Earth and understanding the effects of space travel on the human body for future long-duration spaceflights.