A BIG LEAP FOR SPACE TOURISM BY SPACEX?

The first-ever spacewalk conducted by private civilians has been successfully carried out as part of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission. The four-person crew spent approximately one hour in the harsh conditions of space. With the spacewalk completed, the crew is preparing to return to Earth, with a splashdown expected in the Gulf of Mexico on Saturday.

The commercial spacewalk, initially delayed by two and a half hours, commenced at 10:50 GMT when the spacecraft’s hatch was finally opened. Prior to this, the cabin pressure was gradually adjusted as part of a “pre-breathing” procedure that prepares the astronauts’ bodies for the change in environment. At the time of the hatch opening, the spacecraft was orbiting at 736 km (457 miles) above Earth at a velocity of over 25,000 km/h (about 15,500 mph).

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire mission commander, was the first to open the hatch and broadcast the inaugural view of Earth from outside the spacecraft. His careful movements, pre-learned to assess mobility in space, were met with cheers from the SpaceX team on the ground. After spending a few minutes partially outside the hatch, Isaacman, 41, returned to the capsule.

He was followed by 30-year-old SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis, who performed similar movements, testing the flexibility of the newly designed spacesuits. Both crew members remained tethered to the spacecraft with a 12-foot (3.6-meter) cord and utilized a device called “Skywalker,” a mobility aid developed by SpaceX. Though neither ventured fully outside the spacecraft, their tests were crucial.

The other two crew members, Scott “Kidd” Poteet, a 50-year-old former United States Air Force commander, and Anna Menon, a 38-year-old SpaceX engineer and medical officer, remained inside the Dragon capsule. Despite staying inside, they were exposed to the vacuum of space and conducted their own mobility tests while assisting their teammates.

Fortunately, none of the crew exhibited any serious symptoms related to space exposure, such as acute motion sickness, which can result from pressure changes and can be life-threatening in severe cases.

In addition to the spacewalk, the Polaris Dawn crew also carried out numerous experiments, one of which involved testing laser communications between the spacecraft and SpaceX’s Starlink satellite network. The mission had been two years in the making, with extensive training to prepare the astronauts physically and mentally for the challenges they would face in space.

The broader aim of the Polaris program is to test and develop technologies that will ultimately aid SpaceX in its mission to facilitate space travel and establish settlements on other planets, with Mars being a key target. One of the primary objectives of this spacewalk was to evaluate the performance of SpaceX’s newly designed Extravehicular Activity (EVA) spacesuits.

These suits were developed specifically for this mission over two years and are part of SpaceX’s plan to create suits that are more affordable and adaptable for a diverse range of future space travelers. Unlike the traditional EVA suits used on the International Space Station (ISS), which are equipped with a Primary Life Support System (PLSS) backpack, the Polaris Dawn suits relied on life support provided by long hoses connected to the spacecraft.

The mission also aimed to collect data on the effects of extreme conditions such as high-altitude radiation. The crew’s experiments and communication tests are intended to help improve future connectivity systems in space.

The journey began on Tuesday at 09:23 GMT, after several weather-related delays pushed back the launch. The crew ventured as far as 1,000 km (600 miles) into Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts. The mission also saw the successful recovery of the Falcon 9 rocket’s first-stage booster, which landed on SpaceX’s ocean-based platform, “Just Read The Instructions,” after detaching from the spacecraft.

The Polaris Dawn mission has set multiple records. It reached a peak altitude of at least 1,400 km (870 miles), surpassing NASA’s 1966 Gemini 11 mission, which reached 1,373 km. This mission marks the farthest distance humans have traveled since the Apollo moon missions in 1972 and sets a record for the farthest a woman has ever ventured into space. Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of Shift4, a credit card processing company, funded the Polaris Dawn mission as part of a trio of spaceflights he purchased from SpaceX founder Elon Musk in 2022. This mission follows Isaacman’s first space trip, which helped raise funds for a pediatric cancer hospital in the United States.

At present, there are 19 people in Earth’s orbit, a record number for humanity. This includes seven crew members aboard the ISS, three astronauts on a Soyuz mission to the ISS, three aboard China’s Tiangong space station, and two Boeing Starliner test pilots currently stranded at the ISS, with a planned return to Earth in 2025.

Some experts have expressed concern that the mission may violate a provision of the Outer Space Treaty, an international agreement signed during the Cold War in 1967. This treaty requires that non-governmental space activities be authorized and supervised by a state party. Since Polaris Dawn is a privately funded mission and not a NASA operation, it lacks U.S. government regulation.

The success of Polaris Dawn and its first-ever civilian spacewalk marks a monumental leap forward not just for space exploration but also for the future of space tourism. SpaceX is spearheading this new frontier, turning what was once the exclusive domain of government-funded astronauts into an achievable reality for private citizens. This mission demonstrates how private companies like SpaceX are pushing the boundaries, making space accessible to a broader demographic, and paving the way for a future where space travel could become a common experience for those outside government space programs.

SpaceX’s dedication to developing more cost-efficient technology, such as the new EVA spacesuits designed to accommodate people of various body types and ages, signals their vision for the future of space tourism. As safety standards improve and costs decrease, the door opens wider for civilians to embark on more ambitious space adventures—whether for research, recreation, or even establishing permanent human settlements on other planets like Mars. This mission represents a critical step in SpaceX’s long-term goal of normalizing private space travel, making it a viable and sustainable industry in the near future.

With each successful mission, SpaceX is setting the stage for a booming space tourism industry, which could soon see everyday citizens journeying into space, experiencing microgravity, and witnessing Earth from above. As the technology evolves, space tourism may become one of the defining industries of the 21st century, bringing humanity closer to fulfilling the dream of living and working in space.