Two astronauts, a billionaire and an engineer, completed the world’s first private spacewalk on Thursday outside a SpaceX capsule, marking a significant achievement in commercial spaceflight. Wearing newly designed spacesuits, they ventured outside the Crew Dragon capsule, a task previously reserved for astronauts from national space agencies, Reuters reports.

The spacewalk took place during the Polaris Dawn mission, with Jared Isaacman, a pilot and founder of Shift4, exiting first, followed by SpaceX engineer Sarah Gillis. The two were tethered to the capsule and spent about 10 minutes each outside, as their crewmates Scott Poteet and Anna Menon monitored from inside. The entire spacewalk lasted nearly two hours, with the crew orbiting Earth at an altitude of 730 km after launching from Florida on Tuesday.

Isaacman, who financed the mission as he did with his 2021 Inspiration4 flight, and Gillis tested the spacesuit designs and a depressurization process for the capsule. Their stiff postures and limited movement highlighted areas for future improvement. The mission aimed to advance technology that could support future private ventures to Mars, a key goal for Elon Musk's company.

After the spacewalk, Isaacman reflected on the view of Earth from space, noting its beauty despite the challenges waiting back on the ground. The mission, which involved a fully depressurized cabin, was one of SpaceX’s most complex yet, with the astronauts relying solely on their spacesuits for oxygen.

The mission streamed live on SpaceX’s website, demonstrating groundbreaking capabilities that push the boundaries of private space exploration. NASA Administrator Bill Nelson praised the achievement as a major step forward for the commercial space industry and NASA’s goal of fostering a thriving space economy.

Isaacman’s missions, though privately funded, have significantly advanced commercial spaceflight. The exact cost of the Polaris mission remains undisclosed, though SpaceX’s Crew Dragon seats are typically priced at 55 million dollars each. The Polaris crew trained extensively over two and a half years, preparing for the rigors of spacewalks and mission operations.

As the capsule orbited Earth multiple times, the mission set a new benchmark for private space exploration. Historically, spacewalks were conducted only by highly trained government astronauts. The Polaris mission builds on SpaceX’s growing list of accomplishments, adding to its history of successfully launching and returning astronauts in partnership with NASA.

Crew Dragon, the only US vehicle currently capable of transporting astronauts to and from space, has completed over a dozen missions. Developed alongside Boeing’s Starliner, which encountered issues on its most recent test mission, Crew Dragon remains the cornerstone of NASA’s efforts to promote commercial space travel.