Watch live as SpaceX crew carry out first-ever commercial spacewalk
Astronauts Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis completed the first privately funded spacewalk during the Polaris Dawn mission, testing new spacesuits and depressurization procedures 400 miles above Earth.
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A historic milestone was achieved as a group of astronauts, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, completed the first privately funded spacewalk during the Polaris Dawn mission. This significant event took place over 400 miles above Earth, where Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis exited the Crew Dragon capsule to conduct mobility tests in newly developed spacesuits. The spacewalk, which was broadcast live, aimed to assess the functionality of the suits and the depressurization process of the capsule, marking a critical step for future private space missions. Isaacman expressed awe at the view of Earth, stating, "from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world." The mission faced challenges, including a malfunctioning door mechanism, but ultimately concluded successfully after approximately 30 minutes of extravehicular activity. The event showcased the potential for commercial space exploration, as it was previously limited to government astronauts. SpaceX plans to continue developing its spacesuit technology for future missions, including those to the Moon and Mars.
- Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis completed the first private spacewalk in history.
- The mission tested new spacesuit designs and depressurization procedures.
- The spacewalk took place over 400 miles above Earth and was broadcast live.
- The Crew Dragon capsule faced minor technical issues but completed the mission successfully.
- SpaceX aims to develop scalable spacesuit technology for future private space missions.
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7 commentsAs a species, our emissions have to peak next year and then be halved by 2030 to prevent the worst of climate change. That won't even be enough if the recent "hot models" turn out to be accurate. Hundreds of millions of people (at least) are going to starve this century if that goal can't be met, and the less severe consequences will drastically roll back the average quality of life. We're living in the final years of a golden age.
I admire the aspirational vision the company and its employees are pursuing, but it's a naive one. All these brilliant engineers have been seduced by it but they will more likely spend their retirement in a refugee camp than on Mars if our priorities don't change.
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