Jewish-American tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico on Sunday after becoming the first civilian to conduct a private spacewalk, venturing outside SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule after traveling farther from Earth than any human in more than 50 years.
The capsule landed near Florida’s Dry Tortugas at 3:37 Eastern time in the predawn darkness, finishing the five-day mission to orbit.
It was also carrying two SpaceX engineers and a former U.S. Air Force Thunderbird pilot.
As the capsule floated in the water following its splashdown and waited for the recover team, Isaacman radioed, “We are mission complete.”
The spacewalk, which began shortly before 7 a.m. on Thursday, marked a significant milestone in private space exploration. Isaacman, the 41-year-old founder and CEO of payment processing company Shift4, emerged from the capsule on a tether, facing the vast expanse of space with Earth gleaming below.
“Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman remarked upon exiting the spacecraft, as reported by the New York Post.
The daring feat came after Isaacman and his three crewmembers reached an altitude of nearly 870 miles above Earth’s surface, surpassing the Earth-orbiting record set during NASA’s Project Gemini in 1966. Only the Apollo mission astronauts who traveled to the moon have ventured further into space.
Isaacman’s spacewalk lasted approximately 15 minutes before SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis replaced him. The other two crewmembers, engineer Anna Menon and former U.S. Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, also participated in the extravehicular activity.
The entire spacewalk procedure, including preparation and completion, took about two hours. SpaceX streamed the event live on its website, allowing viewers worldwide to witness this historic moment in commercial spaceflight.
The mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, is part of a series of three trips Isaacman purchased from SpaceX in 2022. While the cost of these expeditions has not been publicly disclosed, they represent a significant step forward in private space exploration.
Isaacman and his crew launched from Florida on Tuesday for their five-day journey. They wore newly designed SpaceX suits that Isaacman helped develop, which were crucial for protection against the vacuum of space during the spacewalk.
The spacewalk’s success was not guaranteed, as SpaceX unexpectedly delayed its start by a few hours. However, the company assured via social media that “all systems are looking good” before proceeding with the mission.
This achievement builds upon Isaacman’s previous space endeavor in 2021, when he became the first space tourist to orbit Earth without a professional astronaut onboard.
As private citizens continue to push the boundaries of space exploration, Isaacman’s successful spacewalk opens new possibilities for civilian involvement in extraterrestrial activities. It also highlights the growing role of commercial enterprises in advancing space technology and exploration.
Originally published by Israel Hayom.
