Polaris Dawn is the first private mission with astronauts to go out into the vacuum of space. With a launch scheduled for this Friday from Florida, the SpaceX crew, led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, is embarking on an unprecedented adventure at an altitude of 1,400 kilometers.
This mission is expected: including the first private spacewalk in history. Polaris Dawn is scheduled for Friday, September 6, 2024, with the takeoff of the SpaceX rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. It was supposed to take place last week but had been postponed.
Read alsoPolaris Dawn: SpaceX mission to conduct first private spacewalk delayed by 24 hours
Helium leak
A four-hour launch window will open at 03:33 (0733 GMT), with further launch options on Saturday and Sunday, according to the FAA, the US aviation regulator.
The mission, which included a billionaire, a pilot and two SpaceX employees, was delayed due to a helium leak and poor weather conditions.
All crew exposed to space vacuum
Jared Isaacman, the American billionaire and commander of the mission, has been working for several years with Elon Musk’s company to make Polaris Dawn a reality. This five-day mission will test SpaceX’s first spacesuits that can travel in the vacuum of space and perform a spacewalk that will be broadcast live.
Since the Dragon capsule used for this trip does not have an airlock, the entire crew will be exposed to the vacuum of space when the hatch is opened.
Another special feature: Polaris Dawn’s goal is to reach an altitude of 1,400 kilometers: this would be a record for a crew since the Apollo missions to the Moon. As a reminder, the International Space Station (ISS) orbits at an altitude of approximately 400 kilometers.
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