China, the only other country to launch its own citizens into space, joined the spacewalking club in 2008. Europe, Japan, Canada and the United Arab Emirates also have seen their astronauts float outside, but always in NASA or Russian garb and under NASA or Russian control. First came space tourism. Now comes an even bigger thrill for the monied masses. SpaceX is the first private company to attempt a spacewalk, until now the domain of just 12 countries. There’s a reason why it’s such a niche and elite group: Spacewalking is considered the most dangerous part of any flight after launch and reentry, and demands extensive training. Is the spacewalk only for the rich ?
