Our PE Investment: SpaceX Sets New Milestone with Humanity's First Commercial Spacewalk

Our investment philosophy has always been focused on exploring the most cutting-edge technological advances and promoting innovation and exploration. As early as the early stages of the SpaceX project, we made a decisive investment to explore the infinite possibilities of the future of mankind with this pioneer. Today, with its outstanding technical strength, SpaceX has grown into a unicorn in the global commercial aerospace field, with a latest valuation of up to US$210 billion. It has actually formed a monopoly in the global commercial rocket market, and its layout covers launch infrastructure, advanced spacecraft and efficient back-end operation services, demonstrating strong comprehensive strength.

Through continuous innovation and breaking technological barriers, SpaceX is dedicated to creating a future where hundreds, thousands, and even millions of people can embark from Earth to explore space. Our vision aligns closely with that of SpaceX, as we work together to embrace a new era of exploration into the unknown future.

“Polaris Dawn” Successfully Launched, Marking Humanity's First Commercial Spacewalk

On September 10, SpaceX, the aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, announced the successful launch of the Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Dragon spacecraft. Shortly after launch, the first and second stages of the rocket successfully separated, with the first stage landing on an autonomous recovery ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Twelve minutes after the launch, the spacecraft and rocket successfully separated, continuing its journey into space.

On September 12, the hatch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft opened, and the mission crew began their spacewalk, marking the world's first commercial spacewalk performed by private astronauts.

This mission will also conduct scientific research aimed at promoting human health on Earth and enhancing our understanding of human health during long-term spaceflight in the future. The crew will be among the first to test Starlink laser communications in space, providing valuable data for the space communication systems needed for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.

In August, Elon Musk stated that the "Polaris Dawn" mission would be an epic achievement. He described this mission as "the early pioneers of the interstellar age," suggesting that if the project progresses smoothly, it could rely on related technologies to send hundreds of people to Earth orbit, the Moon, and even Mars in the future.

Polaris Program

In the past four years, SpaceX has conducted 13 human spaceflight missions, safely transporting 50 crew members to and from Earth orbit, creating new opportunities for humanity to live, work, and explore the infinite possibilities of space. The Dragon spacecraft has completed a total of 46 orbital flights, delivering critical supplies, scientific research, and astronauts to the International Space Station, while also enabling the exploration of Earth orbit by commercial astronauts.

The "Polaris Dawn" mission is SpaceX's 14th human mission to date and its fifth private human spaceflight.

Polaris Dawn is the first of three human space missions under the Polaris program, which was announced in February 2022 by American billionaire Jared Isaacman and SpaceX. The program aims to rapidly advance human spaceflight capabilities, push the technological limits of SpaceX, and pave the way for humanity's long-term presence in space.

In August, SpaceX also disclosed plans for its sixth commercial spaceflight. SpaceX expects to conduct the first human polar orbit mission around Earth by the end of the year. This mission, named "Fram2," will last three to five days. Notably, previous human flights have mostly focused on orbits near the equator, while Fram2 will achieve the first polar orbit flight around Earth. This orbit will have a 90-degree inclination relative to the equator, making it the highest inclination ever flown in human spaceflight history.

Billionaire Donors Step Up

The Polaris Dawn mission has several groundbreaking objectives, leading the Polaris program to form a trusted team of experts. The crew includes billionaire Jared Isaacman, pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, with Isaacman co-funding the mission alongside SpaceX.

Isaacman has a passionate interest in aerospace. In 2009, at the age of 36, he completed a global flight in a MiG-jet in 61 hours, 51 minutes, and 15 seconds. Poteet is a retired Air Force fighter pilot. Menon and Gillis will serve as mission specialists. Menon previously worked as a biomedical flight controller for the International Space Station, while Gillis helped train astronauts to pilot the Dragon spacecraft at SpaceX.

After the Dragon spacecraft entered orbit, Jared Isaacman, the mission commander, sent a message of gratitude to the SpaceX mission control center from within the Dragon. He said, "Without all of you—14,000 people and everyone else’s encouragement—we wouldn’t be on this journey. We are grateful and ready to get to work now."

Polaris Dawn Set a New Record for Human Spaceflight Altitude in Earth Orbit

In this mission, the Falcon 9 rocket will deliver the Dragon spacecraft into a transition orbit, then rely on its own thrust to ascend to a record altitude of 1,400 kilometers above Earth. This height is three times that of the International Space Station and represents the highest altitude achieved by humans since the last Apollo mission in 1972. Previously, the record for the farthest human flight was held by the Gemini 11 mission, during which two NASA astronauts reached an altitude of 1,373 kilometers.

The "Polaris Dawn" will traverse the South Atlantic Anomaly, an area with high concentrations of electrons and high-energy protons, where the Van Allen radiation belts dip to just 200 kilometers above the Earth's surface. The radiation exposure over five days in this region will be equivalent to three months of radiation exposure on the International Space Station.

During this process, the crew will use radiation monitors and badges to track their radiation exposure, focusing on analyzing the effects of deep-space radiation on the human body. With this data and biological samples, scientists hope to test tools aimed at reducing bone and muscle loss during spaceflight. Additionally, the crew will conduct a series of other health studies, including measuring bubbles in the blood to investigate decompression sickness. Before returning to Earth, the four crew members will concentrate on approximately 40 scientific experiments.

Spotlight on the First Commercial Spacewalk

During the five-day mission, the third-day spacewalk is the core task of "Polaris Dawn," marking the first commercial spacewalk in history. According to CNBC, while extravehicular activities have been routine for NASA astronauts at the International Space Station, no private company has attempted such a spacewalk before.

On September 12, 41-year-old billionaire Jared Isaacman and an engineer from the company conducted the spacewalk. Using the "Skywalker" ladder and a 12-foot tether, Isaacman was the first to exit the spacecraft, spending over ten minutes outside. He was followed by Gillis, who also spent more than ten minutes in the vacuum of space.

The primary purpose of this spacewalk was to test the new extravehicular activity (EVA) suits developed by SpaceX. The newly designed EVA suits prioritize mobility, utilizing advanced materials, manufacturing processes, and innovative joint designs to provide astronauts with greater flexibility in pressurized conditions while maintaining comfort in unpressurized settings. The 3D-printed helmets feature a new heads-up display (HUD) and cameras that provide information on suit pressure, temperature, and relative humidity, along with sunshades to reduce glare during the spacewalk. Enhanced features were also incorporated to improve reliability and redundancy during the spacewalk, including additional seals and pressure valves to ensure the suits remain pressurized and the crew members stay safe.

On the fourth day of the mission, the crew will conduct a laser communication experiment between the Dragon spacecraft and SpaceX's Starlink, which will serve as a technological validation for future spaceflight missions. In addition to these tasks, the crew is expected to perform approximately 40 scientific experiments during the flight. On the fifth day, the Dragon spacecraft will prepare for its return to Earth.

To Make Life Multiplanetary

Musk stated that SpaceX plans to launch an uncrewed Starship to Mars within two years. If successful, SpaceX aims to send a human spacecraft to Mars within four years. His goal is to establish a self-sustaining city on Mars in about 20 years.

All of SpaceX's current projects—including Falcon, Dragon spacecraft, Starlink, and Starship—are essential for developing the technology needed for Mars missions. Recent updates include prioritizing Starship's capabilities, which will unlock its fully reusable potential. This capability is a key driver for enabling humanity to deliver large payloads into orbit and beyond.

Starship Selected by NASA to Support Sustained Lunar Exploration

NASA announced it has modified its contract with SpaceX to further develop the Starship human landing system. Initially selected to develop a lunar lander capable of carrying astronauts between lunar orbit and the surface of the Moon as part of NASA’s Artemis III mission—marking humanity's first return to the Moon since the Apollo program’s final mission in 1972—SpaceX will now support a second human landing demonstration as part of NASA's Artemis IV mission. Additionally, SpaceX will demonstrate Starship’s capability to dock with Gateway, a small space station that will orbit the Moon in efforts to support both lunar and deep-space exploration, accommodate four crew members, and deliver more supplies, equipment, and science payloads that are needed for extensive surface exploration.

SpaceX's Starship and Super Heavy rocket represent an integrated and fully reusable launch, propellant delivery, rendezvous, and planetary landing system designed with robust capabilities and safety features, aimed at delivering these essential components to help humanity return to the Moon and usher in a new era of space exploration.

Because life will be multiplanetary, and will be made possible by the farsighted strides we take today.

Resources:

Space X, WSJ, CNBC, NBC News