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On September 12, SpaceX's Polaris Dawn crew achieved a significant milestone when billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis conducted the first-ever all-civilian spacewalk. 

This historic event followed the successful launch of the mission on September 10, after multiple delays.

The spacecraft reached a maximum altitude of 870 miles (1,400.7 kilometers), setting a record for crewed Earth-orbiting spacecraft.

Isaacman, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon comprised the crew of the Polaris Dawn mission, which lasted five days.

On September 15, the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule returned safely to Earth after completing the mission.

The crew opened the hatch of their Dragon spacecraft during the spacewalk, allowing Isaacman and Gillis to exit while tethered to the capsule.

They each spent about 10 minutes in the vacuum of space. Although only Isaacman and Gillis ventured outside, all four crew members wore newly designed spacesuits due to the depressurization of the entire capsule.

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All-Civilian Spacewalk

The first spacewalk was performed by the former Soviet Union in 1965.

Isaacman became the 264th person to perform a spacewalk, while Gillis became the 265th. Unlike previous spacewalks, which were exclusively conducted by professional astronauts, this marked the first time civilians participated.

Previously, space agencies sent astronauts on spacewalks to build or upgrade space stations in orbit, repair satellites and complete science experiments.

The completion of the all-civilian spacewalk was a major achievement for the Polaris Dawn mission. The crew flew to the highest orbital altitude reached by humans since the Apollo moon mission in 1972. 

The mission's success sets the stage for future long-duration space missions, testing technologies and procedures essential for deep-space exploration.

The founder of payment company Shift4 described the mission on X.

 “We took our spaceship farther than any human has gone since the last Apollo mission over 50 years ago, and along the way, two of our crewmates became the women who have journeyed farthest from this planet. Now, if we have been there before, why is it significant? The better question might be, why haven’t we gone back?”

Isaacman, who funded the mission, also expressed his gratitude to SpaceX founder Elon Musk and all those involved in the mission, highlighting the historic significance of the journey.