Thu Sep 12 06:36:51 UTC 2024: ## SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn Mission Makes History with First Private Spacewalk
**CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA** – A historic milestone was achieved Thursday as a crew of four private citizens on SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission conducted the first ever commercial spacewalk. This groundbreaking event marks a significant step forward for the space industry, showcasing the increasing role of private companies in space exploration.
Led by fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman, the Polaris Dawn mission launched on Tuesday from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, sending the crew on a multi-day orbital expedition deeper into space than any humans in decades. The mission reached an altitude of 434 miles, where Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis donned their spacesuits and ventured outside the Dragon capsule, becoming the first non-professional astronauts to conduct a spacewalk.
The spacewalk, lasting an hour and 46 minutes, saw the crew perform mobility tests on SpaceX’s next-generation suits, demonstrating the company’s commitment to advancing space technology. While the spacewalk didn’t involve the daring feats of early space explorers, it represents a significant achievement for the commercial space sector, demonstrating the capability of private companies to push the boundaries of human space exploration.
“Today’s success represents a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and NASA’s long-term goal to build a vibrant US space economy,” wrote NASA administrator Bill Nelson on X.
The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three under the Polaris program, a collaborative effort between Isaacman and SpaceX. The future missions are expected to push the boundaries of space exploration even further, with the ultimate goal of achieving the first crewed flight of SpaceX’s Starship, a rocket crucial to Elon Musk’s Mars colonization ambitions.
First Piper 