On September 10, 2024, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying four crew members launched from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. AP Photo
On Tuesday, billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman embarked on an ambitious space mission to achieve a historic private spacewalk and reach new heights in space travel. This mission is set to break records previously held by NASA’s Apollo missions, marking a significant milestone in private space exploration.
Unlike his previous spaceflight, Isaacman has partnered with SpaceX to share the mission's expenses. This collaboration includes developing and testing new spacesuits designed to withstand the harsh conditions of outer space. This mission represents the first attempt by private citizens to conduct a spacewalk, a task previously reserved for professional astronauts since the Soviet Union's first spacewalk in 1965.
Isaacman, along with SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, and former Air Force Thunderbirds pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. The spacewalk, planned for Thursday during the five-day mission, will be conducted in a depressurized Dragon capsule. This maneuver will expose the astronauts to the challenging space environment, including extreme radiation and debris.
The crew aims to reach an altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometres), surpassing the Earth-orbiting record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. This altitude is higher than any previous manned mission, with only the Apollo astronauts having ventured further. The mission plan includes spending 10 hours at this extreme height before reducing the orbit to 435 miles (700 kilometres), which would still exceed the height of the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope.
During the spacewalk, Isaacman and Gillis will test the new spacesuits by briefly exiting the capsule, always maintaining contact with the spacecraft or support structure. Unlike NASA astronauts, who use jetpacks for spacewalks, these private astronauts will remain tethered to avoid drifting away.
Inside the capsule, Poteet and Menon will oversee the spacewalk operations. This mission, like previous SpaceX flights, will conclude with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. After the crew successfully reached orbit, Launch Director Frank Messina wished them well, saying, "We're sending you hugs from the ground. May you make history and come home safely."
Isaacman, who is also the CEO of Shift4, a credit card processing company, declined to disclose the cost of this mission. SpaceX Vice President William Gerstenmaier noted that the collaboration with Isaacman is pushing the boundaries of private-sector space exploration. Isaacman had previously funded a private SpaceX mission in 2021, which included contest winners and a childhood cancer survivor, raising significant funds for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
The development of the spacesuits took longer than expected, delaying the mission, but extensive training ensured that the crew was well-prepared. Isaacman, expressing his vision for the future, said, "I wasn't alive when humans walked on the moon. I'd certainly like my kids to see humans walking on the moon and Mars, and exploring our solar system."
The mission faced a two-week delay due to poor weather conditions, which affected both the launch and the planned splashdown. With limited supplies and no way to reach the space station, the crew had to wait for improved weather to ensure a safe and successful mission.
