For the very first time, a group of private astronauts has executed an impressive orbital maneuver that until now was solely undertaken by government astronauts.

In the early hours of Thursday, the Polaris Dawn mission team donned special SpaceX suits to prepare for the vacuum of space, located 435 miles above the Earth. As billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and SpaceX team member Sarah Gillis exited the SpaceX Dragon capsule, they marked a milestone as the first commercial astronauts to achieve this feat.

Due to the absence of an airlock in the Dragon, the other crew members, Anna Menon and Scott “Kidd” Poteet, were also subjected to space conditions while remaining inside the spacecraft.

This groundbreaking private spacewalk took place on the third day of the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, which Isaacman leads and finances alongside SpaceX. As the inaugural mission of the Polaris Program, this project aims to test technologies that could one day fulfill SpaceX founder Elon Musk’s ambition of crewed journeys to Mars.

Upon launch on Tuesday, the SpaceX Dragon capsule carrying the astronauts traveled farther into space than any spacecraft has in over 50 years since the Apollo missions. The capsule also surpassed the height reached by NASA’s Gemini 11 back in the 1960s, as reported by SpaceX.

“This outstanding achievement is a result of the dedication from the crew and numerous SpaceX teams, all aiming towards the goal of making human life multiplanetary,” stated Stu Keech, SpaceX’s Vice President of Dragon, regarding the spacewalk.

Two Astronauts Exit SpaceX Dragon for Historic Spacewalk

Preparations for the spacewalk commenced shortly after the astronauts achieved orbit on Tuesday.

Following liftoff, the pressure within the Dragon gradually decreased while oxygen levels in the cabin rose, allowing nitrogen to be purged from the crew’s bloodstream. This procedure was designed to get the astronauts ready for the spacewalk while minimizing the risk of decompression sickness, according to SpaceX.

Once the spacecraft reached a peak altitude of approximately 870 miles, the Dragon was set to descend to a stable orbit at around 435 miles above Earth for the spacewalk.

At about 6 a.m. Thursday, when the moment arrived for the spacewalk, Isaacman was the first to venture outside the Dragon. As he stepped out through the forward hatch, the seasoned pilot took in the breathtaking view.

“While there is a lot of work to be done back home, from up here Earth truly looks like a perfect world,” said Isaacman, as SpaceX personnel in Hawthorne, California erupted in applause during the livestream.

Gillis soon followed, emerging from the “Skywalker” ladder at the top of the capsule to witness the vastness of space for the first time. As an engineer responsible for astronaut training at SpaceX, she gained critical experience to help train future astronauts, according to SpaceX officials.

Gillis managed to re-enter the spacecraft and securely close the hatch, allowing the crew to begin repressurizing the cabin.

Spacewalk Timeline

Here’s an overview of how the Polaris Dawn spacewalk unfolded on Thursday morning:

1:35 a.m. SpaceX announces a delay for the spacewalk, which was originally slated to start around 2 a.m., now set to begin at 5:58 a.m. EDT. No reason for the delay was disclosed.

5:14 a.m. Crew members don their spacesuits in preparation for the upcoming spacewalk.

As the cabin pressure decreases to mimic the vacuum of space, Isaacman and Gillis are outside the capsule testing their spacesuits while Poteet and Menon stay secured in their seats, keeping an eye on essential systems.

5:25 a.m. The team conducts checks on their communication devices.

5:55 a.m. The crew prepares to switch their seat positions, creating more room for movement.

6:00 a.m. The SpaceX suits have a heads-up display in the crew members’ visors, showing information such as oxygen levels and temperature. They have approximately one hour and 50 minutes for the spacewalk. Live feeds from the spacecraft will provide real-time visuals for those on Earth, featuring helmet cameras that show the crew’s perspective.

6:09 a.m. SpaceX gives the green light for the spacewalk, and the suits are pressurized.

6:12 a.m. The spacewalk officially starts.

6:22 a.m. The crew completes the final pre-breathing procedures to prevent decompression sickness.

6:30 a.m. The cabin is vented to create a vacuum, with SpaceX stating it will take eight minutes to equal the vacuum of space. This marks a historic moment as all four crew members will be on a spacewalk together.

6:50 a.m. Isaacman opens the hatch to go outside.

7:00 a.m. Isaacman steps back inside to allow Gillis to exit with the Skywalker.

7:04 a.m. Gillis notices part of the hatch seal has popped out, but SpaceX confirms it can be pushed back in easily.

7:06 a.m. Sarah Gillis steps outside to test the spacesuit, prompting cheers from SpaceX staff witnessing the historic spacewalk.

7:14 a.m. Gillis mentions that the seal has bulged again; she adjusts it and prepares to close the hatch.

7:16 a.m. The Dragon hatch is closed and sealed, allowing the spacecraft to pressurize. This procedure typically takes about an hour, according to SpaceX.

7:30 a.m. Oxygen begins to be added to the cabin, with a nitrox mix (oxygen and nitrogen) being incorporated into the suits to transition the crew from pure oxygen.

7:40 a.m. The cabin continues to pressurize, and no leaks have been detected so far. The process is gradual, similar to scuba diving, requiring safety pauses to prevent the body from being overwhelmed by pressure changes.

7:55 a.m. The Dragon has returned to the pressure level the astronauts are familiar with on Earth, allowing the crew to exit their EVA suits and officially conclude the spacewalk.

All 4 Polaris Dawn astronauts exposed to the vacuum of space

Previously, only government astronauts from NASA and Russian space programs have conducted spacewalks, usually from vehicles equipped with airlocks. However, since the Dragon lacks an airlock, the entire spacecraft had to be depressurized when the hatch was opened, exposing the entire crew to the vacuum of space. Consequently, even mission specialist Menon and pilot Poteet had to wear EVA suits equipped by SpaceX that provide oxygen through tethers.

Historically, spacewalks have not been commercial ventures, and participants have always used suits regulated by government space agencies. However, this time SpaceX has taken over the entire process. Gillis and Isaacman each spent about 10 minutes outside the Dragon, moving around to evaluate the suits designed for this mission.

NASA’s involvement in the Polaris Dawn mission is limited to providing a launch site at Kennedy Space Center. Following the landmark spacewalk, NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised SpaceX and the crew in a post on X, stating, “Today’s success represents a giant leap forward for the commercial space industry and NASA’s long-term goal to build a vibrant U.S. space economy.”

What is the Polaris Dawn mission?

Polaris Dawn marks the first of three planned human spaceflights under the Polaris Program, aimed at testing SpaceX technologies necessary for deep space human travel.

Isaacman, the founder of Shift4 Payments, is the only crew member with prior space travel experience. Menon and Gillis not only become the first SpaceX employees in orbit but also the highest-flying women in history.

The crew is also experimenting with a new laser-based satellite communication system utilizing Starlink technology.

Throughout the mission, they are conducting nearly 40 different scientific experiments. Many of these focus on understanding how the human body reacts to long-duration space flights, as NASA and other space agencies expand their sights toward destinations like Mars.

The SpaceX Dragon is scheduled to bring the Polaris Dawn astronauts back to Earth on Sunday, landing off the coast of Florida.