The First Private Spacewalk: A Historic Mission by Billionaire Spacewalker
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – A billionaire spacewalker returned to Earth with his crew on Sunday, after a groundbreaking five-day trip that set a new record for human travel in space.
The SpaceX capsule splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Florida’s Dry Tortugas, completing their journey in the predawn darkness. On board were tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, two SpaceX engineers, and a former Air Force Thunderbird pilot.
This mission included the first private spacewalk ever conducted, with the crew orbiting at nearly 460 miles above Earth, surpassing the altitudes of the International Space Station and the Hubble Space Telescope. They reached a peak altitude of 875 miles following liftoff.
Isaacman became the 264th person to perform a spacewalk, making history alongside SpaceX’s Sarah Gillis, the 265th person to complete a spacewalk. Previously, all spacewalks had been conducted by professional astronauts.
“We are mission complete,” Isaacman radioed as the capsule floated on the water, awaiting recovery.
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