Private Astronauts Set for Historic Spacewalk in SpaceX Mission

A team of private astronauts, including a billionaire entrepreneur and two SpaceX employees, is gearing up for the first private spacewalk from SpaceX's Crew Dragon. The mission, Polaris Dawn, aims to push the limits of commercial spaceflight and will involve scientific research on human health in space.

In a groundbreaking move, a group of private astronauts is preparing for the first private spacewalk from a SpaceX capsule this Thursday. Led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, the crew includes a retired military pilot and two SpaceX employees. The mission is set to explore new frontiers in commercial space travel.

The spacewalk, part of the Polaris Dawn mission, will see Isaacman and SpaceX's Sarah Gillis venturing outside the Crew Dragon capsule. As they navigate space tethered by oxygen lines, their colleagues Scott Poteet and Anna Menon will monitor from inside. The crew departed from Florida and has been orbiting Earth since Tuesday, setting a new precedent for private space endeavors.

This mission is a significant milestone for commercial space travel, highlighting Crew Dragon's reliability. Since 2021, it has flown numerous missions, largely for NASA. This effort will simultaneously contribute to scientific research on human responses to space conditions, expanding upon decades of astronaut studies.

(With inputs from agencies.)