Billionaire Jared Issacman Returns To Earth After Historic First Private Spacewalk

After five days orbiting higher than the International Space Station, Isaacman and his crew safely splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico near Dry Tortugas National Park on Sunday, September 15, 2024, at 3:37 AM EST.

This billionaire, who previously set the record for circumnavigating the Earth, spent a significant amount of money to travel into Earth's orbit.

Space tourism generally refers to the commercial industry of taking passengers into space for leisure. The first mission of this kind was successfully completed on Thursday.

Media outlets reported the cost of the trip at $200 million, though SpaceX, the agency responsible for the mission, has not confirmed the figure.

Isaacman commented on the view of Earth from space, saying,“There is so much work to be done at home, but from here, Earth looks like a flawless and incredible world.”

During the space trip, Isaacman exited the spacecraft upon reaching orbit and slowly floated into the vacuum of space. His spacewalk lasted 15 minutes.

Space tourism has garnered significant attention in recent years, with several companies conducting test flights, but Thursday marked the first successful trip.

While these space tourism ventures bring us closer to popular space travel, experts note that, for now, such journeys will remain accessible only to multi-millionaires willing to take on the associated risks.

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