SpaceX has delayed its ambitious Polaris Dawn mission, which aimed to achieve the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens. Originally set to launch from NASA’s space center in Florida early Wednesday, the mission was postponed due to an “unfavorable weather forecast” in the planned splashdown areas. The delay follows a previous cancellation on Tuesday caused by a helium leak affecting the rocket’s connection line.
Polaris Dawn, spearheaded by fintech billionaire Jared Isaacman, was intended to feature an all-civilian crew, including Isaacman, retired US Air Force pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis. Isaacman, who previously financed SpaceX’s Inspiration4 mission in 2021, has not disclosed the total investment for this venture.
The mission will use a SpaceX Dragon capsule launched by a Falcon 9 rocket, targeting altitudes up to 1,400 km (870 miles) — the highest ever for a crewed mission since NASA’s Apollo program. The crew is scheduled to spend six days in space, with a planned spacewalk on the third day, involving Isaacman and Gillis exiting the spacecraft in upgraded SpaceX spacesuits.
During the mission, they plan to conduct experiments, including testing communications with Starlink satellites and observing the Van Allen radiation belt. The exact timing of the rescheduled launch remains unclear.