- Polaris Dawn completes first private spacewalk
- Isaacman, crew test new SpaceX suits in orbit
- Mission returns safely after five days in space
The flight, which carried four private people, tested many new SpaceX suits, including a 15-minute spacewalk by Jared Isaacman.
A wealthy astronaut and his crew returned to Earth after participating in the first private spacewalk.
Polaris Dawn, operated by SpaceX on behalf of billionaire Jared Isaacman, touched down in the Gulf of Mexico at 8:37 a.m. today near Florida’s Dry Tortugas.
The Falcon 9 rocket launched into space on Tuesday, carrying four private individuals, including SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, and remained in orbit for five days.
Isaacman radioed, “We are mission complete,” while the capsule bobbed in the sea, waiting for the recovery team.
While orbiting the planet, Mission Commander Mr Isaacman joined a limited group of spacewalkers (he was the 264th), which had previously consisted of only professional astronauts from a dozen countries.
The SpaceX Polaris Dawn spacewalk was described as a “highly risky mission,” as they orbited approximately 460 miles (740 kilometers) above Earth, higher than the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope.
At the age of 16, Mr Isaacman developed Shift4 Payments, a payment processor now believed to be worth $1.9 billion (£1.45 billion).
It was his second chartered mission with SpaceX, with two more planned under his self-funded space exploration initiative, Polaris (named after the North Star).
He paid an undisclosed sum for his first spaceflight in 2021, transporting contest winners and a childhood cancer survivor into space while generating millions for St Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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Mr Isaacman charged the cost of his most recent mission, Polaris Dawn, to SpaceX but has not stated how much he spent.
During the spacewalk, he stated in a live feed sent back to Earth: “Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do. But from this perspective, Earth appears to be a flawless world.
All four Polaris Dawn crew members donned SpaceX’s new spacewalking suits to protect themselves, and one of the mission’s primary objectives was to test these suits.
After climbing through a hatch one at a time, the spacewalkers spent about 15 minutes outside. While still linked to the spacecraft and their feet inside, they performed a series of stretches to test the suits.
Scott “Kidd” Poteet, mission pilot, and Ms. Menon, mission expert, and medical officer, remained in their seats throughout the operation, monitoring essential support systems.
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