Polaris Dawn Crew Completes First All-Civilian Spacewalk

Billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX crew trainer Sarah Gillis made history Thursday by conducting the first non-government spacewalk from the Polaris Dawn spacecraft. The event marked a significant milestone in space exploration, showcasing advancements in commercial space travel.

As they prepared for the spacewalk, crewmates Anna Menon and Scott Poteet stayed inside the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, ensuring safety tethers and umbilicals were monitored closely. The spacewalk initiated at 6:12 AM EDT when Isaacman and Gillis donned their pressurized spacesuits, emerging into open space via a scaffold-like assembly known as the “Skywalker.” This structure provided stability as they floated outside the hatch.

Isaacman’s first foray outside lasted several minutes, as he cautiously adjusted to the environment before re-entering the capsule just before 7 AM. Gillis soon took her turn outside the hatch, with the hatch itself being closed around 7:15 AM.

During their brief excursions outside the hatch, Isaacman and Gillis did not drift away from the Crew Dragon. Their SpaceX-designed pressure suits relied on 12-foot-long umbilicals for oxygen and life support, which connected them to the safety of the spacecraft.

The astronauts utilized this time to test the comfort and flexibility of their suits by carrying out various movements. “We intend to utilize various mobility aids engineered by the SpaceX team, giving it a sort of dance-like quality,” remarked Isaacman prior to launch, highlighting their aim to gather vital feedback for future suit designs.

Mounted cameras inside and outside the Crew Dragon, as well as those attached to the astronauts, provided stunning views of space and Earth while they orbited between altitudes of 121 and 458 miles—well above the International Space Station.

The primary goal of this exercise is to refine low-cost, easily manufactured spacesuits for future commercial astronauts bound for lunar and Martian travels aboard SpaceX’s Starship rockets. Isaacman articulated his vision, stating that developing affordable extra-vehicular activity (EVA) suits is essential. He emphasized that in the future, many SpaceX missions will send crews to Mars, and those astronauts will need the capability to step outside their spacecraft to explore.

The Polaris Dawn mission, which launched from the Kennedy Space Center aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, aimed for an ambitious altitude of 870 miles—surpassing any piloted spacecraft since the Apollo missions over 60 years ago. They later adjusted their orbit to a more suitable 458 miles for the duration of the mission.

To mitigate the risk of decompression sickness during the transition between sea-level pressure and the lower pressure in their spacesuits, the team implemented a meticulous 45-hour pre-breathe protocol. This protocol increased oxygen levels in the cabin while gradually reducing cabin pressure, allowing the crew time to eliminate nitrogen from their bloodstreams.

Menon, a former biomedical flight controller for NASA, expressed confidence in their preparations, noting the extensive planning undertaken to minimize risks associated with the transition.

Modifications were essential to the Crew Dragon, which is not equipped with an airlock or systems designed for spacewalks. Key upgrades included enhanced oxygen supply capabilities and a nitrogen repress system to restore cabin pressure after the EVA.

Isaacman pointed out that while the iconic images of Ed White, the first U.S. astronaut to perform a spacewalk in 1965, were inspiring, this mission was more about gathering technical data rather than floating freely away from the spacecraft. He emphasized that they aimed to simulate practical scenarios to gain valuable insights into the suits’ performance.

Throughout the extravehicular activities, Isaacman and Gillis executed a series of predetermined movements to evaluate joint mobility while pressurized, testing innovative features such as heads-up displays in their helmets. These displays provide crucial telemetry about suit pressure, temperature, and oxygen usage during the spacewalk.

The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three fully planned missions led by Isaacman, with future flights expected to include another Crew Dragon mission and SpaceX’s Super Heavy-Starship rocket. While the commercial arrangements have not been disclosed, the mission will have a five-day duration concluding with a splashdown off the Florida coast.

With each step taken, Isaacman and his crew continue to pave the way for a new era of commercial space exploration.

Source: CBS News