SpaceX Launches First Private Spacewalk Mission

Billionaire Jared Isaacman has launched aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket for the Polaris Dawn mission, aiming to achieve the first privately funded spacewalk. The crew includes retired Air Force pilot Scott 'Kidd' Poteet and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, and they will orbit at altitudes of up to 870 miles, the highest since NASA's Apollo program. During the mission, they will conduct approximately 40 experiments, including tests of new extravehicular activity (EVA) suits, designed for the spacewalk expected on the third day. Although the astronauts will remain tethered to the spacecraft during the spacewalk, it marks a significant milestone as the first spacewalk by private citizens, breaking a longstanding tradition of governmental oversight in such activities. The mission follows a delay due to a helium leak and adverse weather conditions, but is now underway and scheduled to last five days. If successful, this mission will further expand the potential for private sector involvement in space exploration.