The SpaceX capsule was launched early Tuesday morning with four civilians on board. The mission, named Polaris Dawn, was scheduled to launch at 5:24 AM EST from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
This five-day mission is set to include the first all-civilian spacewalk and aims to carry a crew to the highest orbital altitude reached by humans since 1972, 870 miles above Earth’s surface. The crew will test new spacesuits and technologies that could be used for future missions to the Moon and Mars.
The original launch of Polaris Dawn was postponed due to a helium leak on the launch pad and bad weather off the coast of Florida. The crew consists of billionaire Jared Isaacman, Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Kidd Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. Isaacman funded the mission in partnership with SpaceX.
The spacewalk is planned for the third day of the mission, where Isaacman and Gillis will test new spacesuit designs outside the spacecraft. This mission aims to study the effects of space radiation on astronauts and spacecraft, which will be valuable for future missions beyond Earth’s orbit.
Isaacman’s partnership with SpaceX for the Polaris mission is an effort to test technology and operations for exploring beyond Earth’s orbit. Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned space flights funded by Isaacman.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
