The crew of SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission made history after stepping outside their spacecraft for the first civilian spacewalk. Shortly before 7 a.m. on September 12, tech billionaire Jared Isaacman stepped out of the safety of his Crew Dragon capsule and into the deep void of space.

Magnificent view of the world

Floating about 435 miles above the Earth, Isaacman took in the magnificent view of the planet and expressed his admiration for how peaceful it looked from space.

“We all have a lot of work to do at home, but it’s like a perfect world from here on out,” Isaacman said.

And the view from inside the Crew Dragon, where crew members Scott “Kidd” Poteet and Anna Menon stayed during the spacewalk, wasn’t too bad. The crew saw a sunrise and sunset about every 106 minutes, CNN reported.

“It’s honestly one of my favorite views,” Mennon said. “The sun rises above the horizon and the whole world lights up, or the whole world goes to sleep. And you watch it for hours and it’s beautiful. Our world is beautiful.”

Specially designed SpaceX space suits

Once Isaacman returned to his seat, it was time for engineer Sarah Gillis to exit the pod. Gillis decided to test the flexibility and functionality of SpaceX’s specially designed space suits worn by the crew. They are lighter and more flexible than previous models. Strapped into the Crew Dragon capsule, Isaacman and Gillis spent about 10 minutes in the vacuum of space.

How long did the spacewalk last?

After all, the capsule spent less than two hours in space with the hatch open. “There was a lot of time spent venting (or depressurizing the spacecraft) and repressurizing,” Isaacman told CNN.

A spacewalk from the International Space Station (ISS) typically lasts six to eight hours. The duration depends on the complexity of the tasks and the cosmonaut’s workload. Formally known as extravehicular activity (EVAs), spacewalks involve activities such as repairing equipment, installing new instruments, or conducting experiments.

The importance of civilian spacewalks

The first civilian spacewalk challenges the assumption that only well-trained government astronauts could perform such a complex and dangerous task. The success of this mission demonstrates the growing role of private companies in space exploration.

The spacewalk also marked a significant milestone in the development of equipment that could be used on future missions to Mars. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson shared on X that the spacewalk is a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and NASA’s long-term goal of building a vibrant U.S. space economy.

The Polaris Dawn mission, which will last a total of five days, focuses on testing new technologies and conducting experiments related to human health and space travel.

Polaris Dawn breaks records

In addition to the historic spacewalk, the Polaris Dawn team had other ambitious goals. They aimed to break the altitude record for near-Earth orbit set by NASA’s Gemini 11 mission in 1966, as well as the altitude record for any woman in space.

On Tuesday, the second day of the trip, the team broke those records. Polaris Dawn officially surpassed the 853 miles reached by astronauts Pete Conrad and Richard Gordon during the Gemini 11 mission. Gillis and Menon also traveled farther than any other women in history.

Mission Inspiration4

Isaacman, CEO of Shift4 Payments, previously funded and led the first all-civilian space mission, Inspiration4. The mission launched aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft in September 2021. It was a multi-day orbital flight that raised awareness and more than $240 million for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

The four-person crew orbited Earth for three days at an altitude higher than the International Space Station (ISS). The mission marked a milestone for civilian space exploration, highlighting both SpaceX’s capabilities and the potential for ordinary astronauts to fly into space.