New York: The highly anticipated Polaris Dawn mission, marking the first commercial spacewalk, has been postponed by one day. Initially scheduled for August 26, the launch is now set for August 27 at 3:38 am EDT (0738 GMT) aboard a Falcon 9 rocket from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. If needed, backup launch opportunities are available on August 28.
SpaceX announced the revised schedule on X (formerly Twitter), stating, “Targeting Tuesday, August 27 for launch of Polaris Dawn, the first of the @PolarisProgram’s three human spaceflight missions designed to advance the future of spaceflight.”
The delay provides additional time for final preflight checks to ensure the mission’s readiness. SpaceX elaborated in a follow-up post, “The new date allows additional time for teams to complete preflight checkouts ahead of next week’s launch.”
Mission Commander Jared Isaacman commented, “We will happily take an extra day to ensure readiness.”
Polaris Dawn Mission Goals
The Polaris Dawn mission aims to reach approximately 700 kilometers above Earth, surpassing previous records since the Apollo program. This two-day mission will feature the first-ever extravehicular activity (EVA) by commercial astronauts, utilizing SpaceX-developed EVA suits. The crew will conduct 36 research studies and experiments from 31 partners, focusing on advancing human health both on Earth and during long-duration spaceflights. The mission will also test Starlink’s laser-based communication system, providing valuable data for future space communication technologies. Research will explore the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health, furthering human space exploration. Additionally, the program aims to raise funds for Saint Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
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Live Stream
The launch will be broadcasted starting about 3.5 hours before liftoff. Viewers can watch the webcast on SpaceX’s X account (@SpaceX) and other platforms.
Meet the Crew
The Polaris Dawn crew includes Mission Pilot Kidd Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon. This mission marks their first spaceflight, while Jared Isaacman, the mission commander, previously led the Inspiration4 mission. Notably, this mission features two SpaceX employees, Gillis and Menon, as part of the crew.
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Spacewalk Preview
SpaceX has also released a new computer animation depicting the Polaris Dawn spacewalk. Isaacman shared on X, “The rendering gives a solid sense of what it’ll be like. Dragon’s forward hatch should generally point towards Earth. The Dracos near the forward bulkhead will be disabled & as we cycle crew members between EV1/EV2, we’ll have opportunities to correct attitude or null rotation during the operation.”
