Launch Delayed for Private Spacewalk Mission
In a setback for SpaceX, the highly anticipated Polaris Dawn mission, which was scheduled to launch four private citizens into space, has been postponed due to a helium leak. The launch, initially slated for early Tuesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, has now been delayed until at least Wednesday.
The crew and mission goals
The mission’s crew includes billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott “Kidd” Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. This mission is not just another journey into space; it is poised to feature the first spacewalk carried out by a civilian crew.
Technical hiccup
SpaceX announced the delay on X, stating, “Teams are taking a closer look at a ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical.” Despite this setback, the company assured that “Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit.”
This delay marks a rare hiccup for SpaceX, which has been successfully ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station since 2020. SpaceX’s first mission carrying private citizens into orbit occurred in 2021, also funded by Isaacman, to raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The spacewalk and scientific objectives
The mission will include a pioneering spacewalk on its third day. Two crew members are expected to exit the Crew Dragon spacecraft tethered, while all four astronauts will don newly designed spacesuits due to the absence of a pressurized airlock. This will result in the entire capsule being depressurized and exposed to vacuum conditions.
Historically, only astronauts from government space agencies have ventured into the vacuum of space for tasks such as building or upgrading space stations, repairing satellites, and conducting scientific experiments.
The Crew Dragon capsule aims to reach an altitude of 870 miles above Earth’s surface, surpassing the orbital altitude of the International Space Station by more than threefold. This altitude is significant as it will pass through the inner regions of the Van Allen radiation belt, an area filled with high-energy radiation particles trapped by Earth’s magnetosphere.
Research and future missions
The Polaris Dawn mission will record the effects of space radiation on both the astronauts and the spacecraft, providing valuable data that could aid SpaceX in planning future missions to the moon and Mars, which would require traversing through both the inner and outer Van Allen radiation belts.
Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned spaceflights funded and organized by Isaacman in collaboration with SpaceX. While the cost of the program and the specific objectives and timelines of the subsequent missions remain undisclosed, this mission marks a significant step toward the future of private space exploration.
As the space community awaits the rescheduled launch, the excitement and anticipation for this groundbreaking mission continue to build.