CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — A fearless billionaire, Jared Isaacman, took off into space on Tuesday with the hope of achieving the first private spacewalk and traveling farther than anyone has since NASA’s Apollo missions to the moon.
This time, unlike his previous flight, Isaacman partnered with SpaceX to share the costs of the mission. They also collaborated on designing and testing new spacesuits to ensure they can withstand the challenging conditions of outer space.
If everything goes according to plan, this will mark the first occasion that private citizens step outside their spacecraft for a spacewalk, though they will remain attached to the capsule. Spacewalks, known for being one of the most dangerous aspects of space travel, have traditionally been performed only by professional astronauts since the Soviet Union opened the hatch in 1965, followed closely by the U.S. Nowadays, spacewalks are common at the International Space Station (ISS).
Isaacman, along with two SpaceX engineers and a former Air Force Thunderbirds pilot, launched before dawn on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Florida. Their planned spacewalk is set for Thursday, halfway through their five-day mission.
However, before that, they are aiming for a remarkable altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometers), which would surpass the record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. Only the 24 astronauts who flew to the moon during the Apollo missions have gone further than this altitude.
They plan to stay at this altitude for 10 hours, where conditions are extremely harsh due to high radiation levels and potential debris. Afterward, they will lower their orbit to 435 miles (700 kilometers), which is still above the space station and even higher than the Hubble Space Telescope, the previous high point for shuttle astronauts.
All four crew members will wear SpaceX’s special spacewalking suits because the Dragon capsule will be depressurized during the two-hour spacewalk, exposing them to the harsh environment of space.
Isaacman and SpaceX’s Sarah Gillis will take turns briefly exiting the hatch. They will conduct tests on their specially designed suits by moving their bodies while always keeping a hand or foot connected to the capsule or a support structure resembling a pool ladder’s top. Unlike NASA’s suits, which have jetpacks for emergencies, their suits lack these features, so they will avoid any risky maneuvers.
Pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX’s Anna Menon will oversee the spacewalk from inside the capsule. Similar to previous SpaceX astronaut missions, this one is expected to end with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. “We’re sending you hugs from the ground,” Launch Director Frank Messina communicated after the crew reached orbit. “May you make history and return safely.” Isaacman responded, “We wouldn’t be on this journey without all 14,000 of you back at SpaceX and everyone else cheering us on.”
During a preflight press conference, Isaacman, who is also the CEO and founder of Shift4, a credit card processing company, declined to reveal how much he invested in this mission. “Not a chance,” he said. SpaceX collaborated with Isaacman to handle the costs of developing the spacesuits and other mission-related expenses, as noted by William Gerstenmaier, a SpaceX vice president and former head of NASA’s mission operations.
“We’re really starting to push the frontiers with the private sector,” Gerstenmaier added.
This is the first of three trips that Isaacman purchased from Elon Musk about two and a half years ago, shortly after his first private SpaceX spaceflight in 2021. He funded that initial flight for an undisclosed sum, taking along contest winners and a childhood cancer survivor, raising hundreds of millions for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
Delays in the spacesuit development process pushed back this initial mission, now known as Polaris Dawn. Extensive training preceded the flight, which Poteet noted was comparable to what he experienced during his Air Force career.
As SpaceX astronaut trainers, Gillis and Menon helped prepare Isaacman and his previous mission team, as well as NASA’s professional crews, for their space journeys.
“I wasn’t alive when humans walked on the moon. I’d certainly like my kids to witness humans walking on the moon and Mars, exploring our solar system,” said the 41-year-old Isaacman before takeoff.
Poor weather conditions led to a two-week delay. The crew required favorable forecasts not just for launching but also for their return to Earth. With limited supplies and no way to reach the ISS, they had no choice but to wait for better conditions.
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The Associated Press Health and Science Department is supported by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
