In a historical achievement for the space industry, SpaceX has completed the world’s first commercial spacewalk, a turning point for the future of private space exploration. The event was the centerpiece of Polaris Dawn, a partnership of Elon Musk’s SpaceX and Jared Isaacman, an American billionaire CEO of the finance company Shift4 Payments who led the mission; his close friend and former US Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet; and also SpaceX operation engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. They kicked off this mission by breaking an altitude record, travelling as high as 870 miles (1400 kilometers). That surpasses the record set by NASA in 1966 which reached 853 miles (1,373km) as the highest earth orbit ever attained by humans. It occurred on the SpaceX’s most recent flight, cementing the company’s leadership in the space industry and laying the groundwork for more ambitious commercial ventures beyond earth.
What to know about Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis
Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis made their history by becoming the first non professional crew members to conduct a spacewalk which is a dangerous maneuver that involves existing the spacecraft while still on the orbit. With this mission, they have demonstrated that through training and preparation, non professional astronauts can also contribute meaningfully to the humanity ventures which are above the earth.
The successful spacewalk further reinforces the SpaceX long standing ambition to make space travel accessible to non professional astronauts who are not working at governmental space agencies like NASA. Since 1965, when the Gemini program introduced space exploration for the United States, NASA has been conducting space missions up to date. But members of a privately funded crew executed this historical mission, marking the first time that people outside of governmental sponsored space missions have managed to venture into the safety of their spacecraft. This signifies the growing involvement of private companies in space exploration and the start of a new era of commercial space activities.
Paving the Way for Future Commercial Space Missions
The commercial spacewalk is a part of SpaceX’s broader technique of expanding the human presence beyond the earth and also supporting space tourism. Because of its success, SpaceX has proven that commercial space travel is an attainable reality not a distant dream. This significant accomplishment comes on a string of other notable achievements by SpaceX such as resupply missions to the International Space Station. However, the SpaceX signifies the new order of ambition. SpaceX has plans to offer more commercial EVAs in the future targeting those who want to explore the last frontier.
A New Era in Space Exploration
The fact that SpaceX’s first commercial spacewalk was successful underscores how the landscape of space exploration is evolving. Today, private companies are beginning to have access to what was once the exclusive domain of the government agencies like NASA and Roscosmos. This is anticipated to accelerate innovation and drive down the costs of space flight, making it more accessible to many people in the near future. Elon Musk has made no secrets about his vision for a multi planetary species. The accomplishment of the commercial spacewalk sets a direction in that step. As SpaceX continues to push the envelope of space exploration, the possibility of common people to travel into the space seems to be more closer than ever.
