KEY POINTS
- An attempt to launch last month was postponed hours before liftoff due to a small helium leak in ground equipment on SpaceX's launchpad.
- As soon as Isaacman emerged from Crew Dragon, viewers began responding to the livestream, saying that the footage had to be fake.
Yesterday, billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman made history by becoming the first person to complete a private spacewalk. The spaceflight, part of SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission, saw Isaacman venture into the vacuum of space alongside other crew members in a groundbreaking mission for privately funded space exploration.
The Polaris Dawn Crew
The crew on this momentous mission included Isaacman, a retired military fighter pilot, and two SpaceX employees. They launched from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at approximately 5:23 am EST (0923 GMT). In just under ten minutes, the Crew Dragon capsule reached orbit, marking the start of a successful journey.
As the capsule reached zero gravity, the crew playfully batted around a small plush astronaut toy dog, symbolising the transition into free-fall. Shortly after, Crew Dragon separated from its support trunk, providing the crew and viewers on Earth with a breathtaking view of the capsule over the sunlit planet.
SpaceX Launch Director Frank Messina, speaking to the crew via radio, said, "As you gaze toward the North Star, remember that your courage lights the map for future explorers. We trust your skills, bravery and teamwork to carry out the mission ahead. ... We are sending you hugs from the ground."
A Major Milestone for Private Spaceflight
This mission represents a significant achievement for privately funded space ventures. While government astronauts have conducted spacewalks for decades, this marks the first time a privately funded crew has done so. Previous spacewalks have focused on tasks such as building or upgrading space stations, repairing satellites, or conducting scientific experiments.
During Thursday's historic outing, Isaacman and SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis exited the Crew Dragon capsule, tethered securely as they ventured into space for around 10 minutes each. Although Isaacman and Gillis were the only two crew members to leave the spacecraft, all four participants tested newly designed spacesuits during the event.
Due to the Crew Dragon's lack of a pressurised airlock, the entire capsule had to be depressurised, exposing it to the vacuum of space. The mission's primary objective was to test technologies and procedures that could be used in future long-duration space missions, potentially paving the way for more ambitious space exploration efforts.
Overcoming Challenges
The mission wasn't without its hurdles. Originally scheduled to launch last month, the Polaris Dawn mission faced delays when a helium leak in ground equipment at SpaceX's launchpad forced a postponement. Although the issue was fixed, the mission was further delayed after a separate Falcon 9 booster recovery failure prompted U.S. regulators to ground the rocket.
Ultimately, the launch was pushed to Tuesday, with weather conditions delaying the liftoff by two hours. Despite these setbacks, the mission successfully launched, and the Falcon 9 booster landed safely on a seaborne pad, marking another victory for SpaceX's reusable rocket technology.
Battling Conspiracy Theories
While Isaacman and the Polaris Dawn crew made history, conspiracy theories surrounding the mission began to circulate online shortly after their spacewalk. Some sceptics claimed the spacewalk footage was staged, echoing long-standing conspiracy theories about the Apollo moon landings.
Viewers on X, formerly known as Twitter, were quick to accuse SpaceX of faking the event. "That looks just as fake as when NASA faked it," wrote one user, while another sceptically commented, "Until I fly to Space, I'm convinced this s*** is faked. Anyone with a brain can f****** tell."
These claims, however, have no evidence to support them. SpaceX live-streamed the entire spacewalk, showing Isaacman as he became the first to exit the capsule around 6:50 am ET. He used a scaffold-like framework for stability while conducting planned movements to test his pressurised spacesuit. Sarah Gillis followed a similar protocol, but the conspiracy theories persisted.
A Long History of Space Conspiracies
This isn't the first time conspiracy theorists have cried "hoax" over space missions, and it likely won't be the last. The Apollo moon landings have been a frequent target of such theories, with sceptics pointing to supposed anomalies in photos—such as the direction of shadows, the absence of stars, and the flag's movement—as "proof" that the landings were staged.
Despite overwhelming evidence and decades of scientific proof confirming the legitimacy of space missions, conspiracy theories continue to gain traction. As with the Apollo landings, every claim against the Polaris Dawn mission has been debunked.
