A SpaceX spacecraft set to carry four civilians on a mission into space is facing a delay due to a helium leak, pushing the launch to later this week.
The crew includes billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, retired Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Kidd, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon. They were all geared up for a mission that would mark the first spacewalk by a civilian crew.
The mission, known as Polaris Dawn, was initially slated for an early Tuesday launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. However, SpaceX published a statement on X indicating that the helium leak discovery will likely push the launch to Wednesday at the earliest.
“Teams are currently investigating a ground-side helium leak in the quick-disconnect umbilical in detail,” the company reported. “Falcon and Dragon remain in good condition, with crews ready for their multi-day journey to low Earth orbit.”
The helium leak setback comes as a disappointment for SpaceX, which has been responsible for transporting NASA astronauts to the International Space Station since 2020. In 2021, SpaceX launched its first private citizen into orbit – a mission that was also funded and participated in by Isaacman to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
The highlight of the upcoming mission, the spacewalk, is expected to occur on the third day. Two crew members will be tethered out of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, with all astronauts equipped in newly designed space suits as the capsule undergoes depressurization to create a vacuum.
Traditionally, only astronauts from government space agencies have ventured into space for tasks such as building or upgrading orbital space stations, satellite repairs, or scientific experiments.
The Crew Dragon capsule is set to reach an altitude of 870 miles above Earth’s surface – surpassing the orbital altitude of the International Space Station by three times. This height will allow the capsule to navigate through the inner region of the Van Allen radiation belts, a zone with high-energy radiation particles trapped in Earth’s magnetosphere.
The Polaris Dawn flight aims to study the effects of space radiation on astronauts and spacecraft, valuable research that could assist SpaceX in planning future missions to the Moon and Mars where astronauts will need to navigate both inside and outside of the Van Allen radiation belts.
Polaris Dawn is just one of three spaceflights that Isaacman is co-sponsoring and organizing with SpaceX. Details regarding the cost of the mission and the objectives of the other upcoming missions remain undisclosed for now.
Source: www.nbcnews.com
