Groundbreaking! SpaceX Polaris Dawn crew takes historic private spacewalk in cutting-edge suits (WATCH)
In a groundbreaking achievement for private space exploration, a team of four astronauts performed first commercial spacewalk in orbit on Thursday, using a SpaceX capsule as their platform.
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FollowIn a groundbreaking achievement for private space exploration, a team of four astronauts performed first commercial spacewalk in orbit on Thursday, using a SpaceX capsule as their platform. This historic event, part of the ambitious Polaris Dawn mission, featured the debut of SpaceX's cutting-edge EVA suits and marked the first-ever extravehicular activity (EVA) employing privately developed equipment and novel procedures.
SpaceX heralded the milestone with a statement on X (formerly Twitter), emphasizing the significance of this advancement: "Building a base on the Moon and a city on Mars will require thousands of spacesuits. The development of this suit, and the EVA performed on this mission, will be important steps toward a scalable design for spacesuits on future long-duration missions."
Also read: Polaris mission explained: Deep dive into SapceX's groundbreaking commercial spacewalk
In an exhilarating video shared by the company, viewers witnessed Commander Jared Isaacman making his exit from the Dragon capsule and embarking on the initial of three suit mobility tests.
These tests are designed to evaluate hand-body coordination, vertical movement with the Skywalker apparatus, and foot restraint. Isaacman, the founder of the electronic payments firm Shift4, leads the Polaris Dawn mission and has been a pivotal financial backer of this ambitious venture, his second space journey following a three-day orbital flight in 2021.
Also read: SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission: Meet the astronauts set for historic spacewalk
Isaacman’s team includes Scott Poteet, a former US Air Force lieutenant colonel, alongside SpaceX’s own Anna Menon, a lead space operations engineer, and Sarah Gillis, an astronaut training engineer.
SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission: A series of tests
"Commander @rookisaacman has egressed Dragon and is going through the first of three suit mobility tests that will test overall hand body control, vertical movement with Skywalker, and foot restraint," SpaceX wrote on X.
"The second test assesses the crew’s ability to move up and down using Skywalker. @rookisaacman and @Gillis_SarahE will use both the horizontal and vertical bars and gauge their maximum reach," it added.
"The third test evaluates using a foot restraint. Jared and Sarah will gauge difficulty in getting in and out of the restraint, how easily they can move their body, the ease with which they can maintain position while hands free or using tools, and recovery from a single foot disengaging," it further added.
The mission’s primary objective is to investigate human physiological responses to deep space conditions, extending decades of research previously conducted on the International Space Station (ISS).
The spacewalk also serves as a critical evaluation of SpaceX’s newly developed spacesuits, designed for various missions within Earth’s orbit and potentially beyond. This leap forward in spacesuit technology represents a significant stride towards sustainable human space exploration and future interplanetary endeavors.
