Polaris Dawn Launch Pushed to Wednesday
A helium leak has delayed the launch of the Polaris Dawn private space mission.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 booster that will launch Polaris Dawn. [Courtesy: SpaceX]
SpaceX has pushed back to Wednesday the launch of a private mission that is planned to include the first civilian spacewalk.
The Polaris Dawn mission will take four private citizens to a maximum altitude of 870 miles and see two of the crewmembers exit the Crew Dragon capsule while they're more than 400 miles from Earth. The delay was caused by a leak in the umbilical that loads liquids aboard the rocket. The next launch opportunity is Wednesday at 3:38 a.m. EDT.
The mission is led by billionaire Jared Isaacman and includes former Air Force pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet and two SpaceX engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Since the capsule doesn't have an air lock, all four astronauts will have to wear new specially designed spacesuits that will sustain them in the vacuum of space.
The Dragon has been extensively modified to accommodate the mission.
It's Isaacman's second trip to space. His 2021 flight raised $250 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.
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