Jared Isaacman, a tech billionaire and space enthusiast, this morning (Sept. 12) became the first private citizen to walk in space, successfully carrying out one of the most dangerous spaceflight tasks that has been reserved only for professional astronauts.
Isaacman was launched into space on Tuesday (Sept. 10) from Florida aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft for a five-day journey along with three other private astronauts: retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. The all-civilian mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, was commanded and partially funded by Isaacman for an undisclosed sum.
One key objective of the Polaris Dawn mission is to test an advanced spacesuit developed by SpaceX, which could be used in future deep space missions such as the colonization of Mars. All four crew members wore the pressurized spacesuit throughout the mission because the Crew Dragon capsule was depressurized and exposed to vacuum conditions.
The mission also aimed for the highest orbit ever flown, reaching the farthest distance from Earth since the Apollo missions at about 870 miles above Earth. Isaacman’s spacewalk took place at a lower altitude of 460 miles. The historic walk began at 6:12 a.m. ET and ended at 7:58 a.m. ET. A webcast of the mission showed the entrepreneur and SpaceX engineer Gillis exiting the Crew Dragon capsule on a tether, each spending around 10 minutes in the vacuum of space.
The spacewalk was relatively simple compared with those carried out by professional astronauts on the International Space Station, which often involved complex tasks, such as performing experiments and necessary repairs.
“Back at home, we all have a lot of work to do. But from here, it sure looks like a perfect world,” Isaacman said as he soared above the South Pacific, according to the webcast.
Who is Jared Isaacman?
Issacman, 41, who is estimated to be worth $2.3 billion, is the founder and CEO of Shift4 Payments, a publicly traded payment processing company. He made headlines in 2021 for funding and commanding the Inspiration4 mission, the first all-civilian spaceflight launched by SpaceX.
Isaacman is a skilled pilot with a long history in aviation. In 2009, he held the record for the fastest flight around the world. He also invests in the sector, owning a stake in Draken International, a company that trains military pilots.
The entrepreneur is also known for his philanthropic initiatives. In 2021, he purchased all four seats on Inspiration4 as part of an effort to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. He also brought along Haley Arceneaux, a physician assistant at St. Jude, to join him on the spaceflight.
