Watch SpaceX launch 4 people for the first commercial spacewalk (Image Credit: Mashable)
The journey will also attempt to make history with the first commercial spacewalk. The purpose of having the crew exit the spacecraft is to test the company’s new spacesuits, designed to adjust to different body types. The mission will also involve 36 research studies and experiments.
UPDATE: Aug. 27, 2024, 10:15 a.m. EDT SpaceX canceled a launch attempt on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, due to a helium leak in a fuel line from the rocket to the launch tower. The space company is now targeting a new launch date on Aug. 28.
UPDATE: Aug. 28, 2024, 5:32 a.m. EDT SpaceX postponed its second launch attempt on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, “due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon’s splashdown areas off the coast of Florida,” the company posted on X. A new launch date hasn’t yet been announced, but SpaceX said, “Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions.”
Credit: SpaceX
The crew is composed of regular people — that is, if you consider a billionaire, two SpaceX engineers, and a retired U.S. Air Force combat pilot to be “regular.” They include Jared Isaacman, who funded the mission and will serve as its commander. The others on board are pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, mission specialist Sarah Gillis, and medical officer Anna Menon.
If all goes according to plan, Menon will beat her husband, Dr. Anil Menon, to space. Prior to his recruitment for NASA astronaut training in 2021, Dr. Menon was SpaceX’s medical director.
How to watch the Polaris Dawn launch
A little preview of what to expect during our spacewalk from Dragon. Hopefully, we’ll make it look as good as this @SpaceX rendering. https://t.co/fFKp4zZuVk
— Jared Isaacman (@rookisaacman) August 22, 2024
Polaris Dawn is now awaiting a rescheduled launch date on a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, following two delays on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and Wednesday, Aug. 28. SpaceX hasn’t yet announced a new launch date.
Due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon’s splashdown areas off the coast of Florida, we are now standing down from tonight and tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch opportunities of Polaris Dawn. Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 28, 2024
When it happens, a live broadcast will begin about 3.5 hours before the launch on X, the social platform owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, through the space company’s account. It will also stream on SpaceX’s website.
The Polaris Dawn crew will be the first to test SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications in space.
