First Private Spacewalk Planned

The next group of SpaceX space tourists hope to include a spacewalk in their Polaris Dawn mission. It would be the first-ever private spacewalk, and some expensive preparations have been made. SpaceX has modified the interior of the Crew Dragon capsule to permit vacuum exposure and built new spacewalk-capable spacesuits for the four private astronauts: Anna Menon, Scott "Kidd" Poteet, Jared Isaacman and Sarah Gillis.

The capsule will enter a high orbit for its five days in space, and the spacewalk is a highlight because it will be a test of the new equipment and will pave the way for future tourist spacewalks. It's the first of three Polaris missions funded by billionaire philanthropist Jared Isaacman and will be a fundraiser for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. No firm date has been set, but the launch is scheduled for no earlier than sometime this summer.