SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission made history yesterday as billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis completed the first private spacewalk. The pair exited their Crew Dragon capsule roughly 450 miles above Earth in new SpaceX-designed spacesuits.
Before the walk, the crew underwent a two-day pre-breathe process—breathing pure oxygen to purge nitrogen from the bloodstream—while decreasing cabin pressure to reduce the risk of decompression sickness. All four crew members wore spacesuits, which operate at a lower pressure than the spacecraft's interior, and the entire capsule needed to be depressurized as it lacks an airlock. The mission is also conducting 36 scientific experiments from 31 institutions, including studies on radiation exposure, motion sickness, and eye health. Many aim to contribute to NASA's Human Research Program and provide insights into deeper space travel.
Only 265 humans have conducted a spacewalk, with 149 from the US. Watch a video of the spacewalk here.
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