SpaceX Polaris Dawn Crew Completes Historic Civilian Spacewalk

Commander Jared Isaacman and mission specialist Sarah Gillis each spent a few minutes outside the Dragon capsule, performing tests on their spacesuits.

Jack Daleo

Thursday, September 12, 2024 at 04:06 PM ET

Verified

Edited By: tccjeremy

Key Takeaways:

SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission achieved the first spacewalk by civilian astronauts, with Commander Jared Isaacman and Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis exiting the Dragon capsule at an altitude higher than the International Space Station.
This historic commercial spacewalk was unique as all four crewmembers were exposed to the vacuum of space simultaneously because the Dragon capsule lacks an airlock, a profile that tested new SpaceX-developed EVA suits.
The mission marks a significant advancement for commercial spaceflight, providing crucial testing for new spacesuit technology vital for future long-duration missions and deep-space exploration.
Polaris Dawn is part of a broader program aiming to push the boundaries of human spaceflight, conduct scientific research, and support charitable endeavors, with potential implications for future missions like NASA's Artemis program.

See a mistake? Contact us.

The four-person crew of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission made history on Thursday morning by completing the first spacewalk with civilian astronauts.

Commander Jared Isaacman, the billionaire CEO of Shift4 Payments who purchased the five-day orbital flight from SpaceX, and mission specialist Sarah Gillis, one of two SpaceX engineers who are the company’s first employees to fly to space, exited SpaceX’s Dragon capsule one at a time, each spending about 12 minutes outside. The astronauts were traveling at 17,500 mph at an altitude more than 450 miles above Earth, higher than the International Space Station.