Space tourist steps out in space for first ever civilian space walk

Oh, to be a billionaire! Tech magnate* Jared Isaacman became the first ever tourist to “set foot” in space during a historic trip aboard a SpaceX* spacecraft.

Mr Isaacman boldly went where no civilian* has gone before by leading the first ever private space walk – a feat only accomplished by professional astronauts in the past.

The billionaire CEO and founder of credit card processing company Shift4 had already travelled further from Earth than any human being since the Apollo moon missions when he emerged from the spacecraft and looked down at the blue planet.

Footage of the daring stunt showed Mr Isaacman, 41, popping out of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon capsule on a tether* as he came face-to-face with the dark vacuum of space just before 7am on Thursday EDT.

“Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world,” Mr Isaacman said of the incredible view.

After about 15 minutes outside, Mr Isaacman was replaced by the other members of the crew. SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis was next to experience the wonders of space. She was followed by engineer Anna Menon and former air force Thunderbirds pilot, Scott “Kidd” Poteet.

Their manoeuvres* were being streamed live on SpaceX’s website, the New York Post reported.

The space walk was scheduled to last roughly 30 minutes, but the procedures to prepare and finish safely were expected to last about two hours.

Before popping open the hatch and emerging, Mr Isaacman and his three crew members were spotted waiting inside until the capsule was completely depressurised*.

SpaceX had suddenly delayed the planned start of the space walk by a few hours. No explanation was given for the delay, but the company said via X* that “all systems are looking good.”

Mr Isaacman and his three crew members began preparing for the endeavour soon after blasting into orbit on Tuesday for a five-day flight.

They were kept safe during the two-hour mission thanks to the new SpaceX suits that Mr Isaacman helped design.

Mr Isaacman remained tethered and kept at least one hand or foot on the craft to ensure his safety.

A longer, untethered space walk was not possible; currently only NASA suits are equipped with jetpacks that can guide an astronaut back to safety.

Because the Crew Dragon does not have a pressurised airlock*, all crew members needed to wear the new spacesuits to protect them from the vacuum conditions* during the mission.

The space walk took place after Mr Isaacman and the crew reached a distance of just over 1400 km above the Earth, well beyond the International Space Station and further than the Earth-lapping record set during NASA’s Project Gemini* in 1966.

Only the 24 Apollo mission* astronauts who flew to the moon have ventured farther into space.

While the trip would normally be a once-in-a-lifetime experience, it is just the first of three trips Mr Isaacman purchased from SpaceX founder Elon Musk in 2022.

Mr Isaacman, who has not revealed how much his SpaceX trips cost, was among the first group of tourists who flew to space in 2021.

During that trip, Mr Isaacman set a record by being the first space tourist to circle the Earth without having a professional astronaut aboard.

The original version of this article was published by the New York Post and is republished with permission.

POLL

GLOSSARY

• tech magnate: someone who has achieved immense wealth in the technology industry
• SpaceX: an American spacecraft manufacturer, launch service provider and satellite communications company founded by entrepreneur Elon Musk
• civilian: someone not working for the government
• tether: a rope or strap that attaches a person to the spacecraft
• manoeuvres: a series of moves requiring skill
• depressurised: when the pressure of the gas in the cabin is released, causing the vacuum conditions of space so the bodies of the astronauts slowly become used to the conditions before they venture into space
• X: formerly known as Twitter, the social media platform X is now owned by Elon Musk, the man that owns SpaceX
• pressurised airlock: a room or compartment that allows passage between environments of different atmospheric pressure
• vacuum conditions: in space there is no matter and pressure is so low that any particles in the space don’t affect processes being carried on there, known as a vacuum
• Project Gemini: the second US human spaceflight program, which sent two astronaut spacecrafts into Earth’s orbit in order to help NASA prepare for its Apollo mission – to send astronauts to the moon
• Apollo mission: the NASA missions that succeeded in preparing and landing the first men on the moon from 1968 until 1972

EXTRA READING
SpaceX tourists orbit without astronauts
Space tourists hit new heights
Pack your bags for a space holiday

QUICK QUIZ
1. Who is the first space tourist to have done a space walk?
2. Which company made it happen?
3. Why were the astronauts tethered during the space walk?
4. Who was the second crew member to step into space?
5. What is the name of the spacecraft the crew travelled on?

LISTEN TO THIS STORY

CLASSROOM ACTIVITIES
1. Spacesuit essentials
While out on his space walk, Mr Isaacman tested out the SpaceX suit that he helped design.

Brainstorm all of the things that you think a spacesuit must or should be able to do. Then join with a partner to discuss your lists. Agree on a top 10 list of essential capabilities for a spacesuit.

Draw a design concept for your spacesuit.

Time: allow 30 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Science; Design and Technologies; Visual Arts

2. Extension
Write a paragraph to explain what you think Mr Isaacman means by his statement, “Back at home we all have a lot of work to do, but from here, Earth sure looks like a perfect world.”

Do you think private spacewalks contribute positively to the work of which Mr Isaacman speaks? Justify your response.

Time: allow 10 minutes to complete this activity
Curriculum Links: English; Ethical Understanding

VCOP ACTIVITY
Imaginative dialogue
Imagine you were there during the event being discussed in the article, or for the interview.

Create a conversation between two characters from the article – you may need or want to include yourself as one of the characters. Don’t forget to try to use facts and details from the article to help make your dialogue as realistic as possible.

Go through your writing and highlight any punctuation you have used in green. Make sure you carefully check the punctuation used for the dialogue and ensure you have opened and closed the speaking in the correct places.