On September 12th, SpaceX achieved another milestone event as billionaire Isaacman and SpaceX employee Gillis conducted the first privately-funded spacewalk in human history at an altitude of approximately 700 kilometers above the ground. This private space mission, named the “Polaris · Dawn” mission, was launched from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on September 10th.
During this mission, in addition to the historic private spacewalk, the Dragon spacecraft also completed a 1400-kilometer orbit around the Earth, setting a record for the farthest distance humans have traveled away from Earth since the end of the Apollo program over fifty years ago.
In this mission, they tested a series of new technologies, focusing on four main aspects: high-orbit manned flight, the first commercial spacewalk, laser space communication based on Starlink, and research on the effects of space on human health.
The Falcon 9 rocket initially placed the Dragon spacecraft and astronauts into an elliptical orbit around the far point of approximately 1400 kilometers, completing six orbits around the Earth. This achievement marked the farthest distance humans have traveled away from Earth since the Apollo 17 moon landing in 1972.
The highlight and most spectacular part of this commercial space flight was the first commercial spacewalk. In this context, “commercial” means that the spacewalk activity was not government-funded but carried out with self-raised funds by a private enterprise. Up until now, spacewalks have been completed with government funding, totaling approximately 470 missions. SpaceX has broken this record with this mission.
The spacesuit worn by SpaceX astronauts outside the capsule was definitely a highlight of this space activity. This spacesuit integrates many cutting-edge technologies, including a forward-facing display, helmet cameras, and innovative joint designs. The suit is covered in thermal insulation and equipped with a copper alloy oxide visor. The ultimate goal of the SpaceX extravehicular suit design is not only to serve in Earth’s orbit but also to evolve into independent extravehicular suits for moonwalks and Mars walks, providing support for future manned moon or Mars missions.
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