Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis, members of the Polaris Dawn mission, successfully conducted the first-ever commercial spacewalk on September 12. The historic event was a key part of SpaceX’s mission to develop new technologies for future crewed space exploration.
Read: Bandwidth Blog & Smile 90.4FM Tech Tuesday: Drama in Space!
First view of Dragon's forward hatch open pic.twitter.com/2KpzA2ILfq
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024
The spacewalk began at 6:01 AM Eastern time, with Isaacman and Gillis donning SpaceX’s specially designed extravehicular activity (EVA) suits. After a thorough safety check, the Dragon capsule’s hatch was opened, exposing the astronauts to the vacuum of space. Isaacman emerged first, his silhouette visible against the Earth’s backdrop.
The primary goal of the spacewalk was to test the performance of SpaceX’s new EVA suits. Isaacman and Gillis performed a series of mobility exercises to assess the suits’ flexibility and comfort. The astronauts’ experience will be invaluable in refining future designs for space exploration missions.
Commander @rookisaacman conducting suit mobility tests while Dragon flies between Australia and Antarctica pic.twitter.com/yj3vFOTNzQ
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 12, 2024
Following Isaacman’s successful spacewalk, Sarah Gillis exited the Dragon capsule. The team encountered a minor issue with the hatch seal but was able to resolve it and allow Gillis to complete her tasks.
After the spacewalk, the Dragon capsule was repressurized, and the crew returned to the safety of the spacecraft. The successful completion of this historic event marks a significant milestone for commercial space exploration.
