The Polaris Dawn mission is lifting off today. It is targeted for launch with four astronauts by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket at 1:08 pm IST with backup opportunities available at 2:53 pm and 4:39 pm.
According to SpaceX, the weather is currently 40 percent favourable for launch. If the mission is scrubbed today, launch opportunities are available at the same time on September 11.
Watch live as Falcon 9 launches the @PolarisProgram’s Polaris Dawn crew on a multi-day mission orbiting Earth https://t.co/u1KqQx5AFr
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 10, 2024
The Polaris Dawn crew includes mission commander Jared Isaacman, retired US Navy pilot Scott Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.
All four astronauts have been strapped inside the Dragon spacecraft resilience which will take them to the highest Earth orbit since the Apollo missions. The launch is being streamed live on SpaceX’s X profile and on YouTube by popular channels like Everyday Astronaut and NASA Spaceflight Now.
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The Polaris Dawn crew is departing the suit up room on their way to the pad at 39A! pic.twitter.com/TyQDB07NvF
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 10, 2024
The crew will ascend to an altitude of 1,400 km during the mission which will last five days. Isaacman and Gillis will also script history by conducting the world’s first spacewalk in a commercial mission.
The Dragon spacecraft has been outfitted with a ‘Skywalker’ which is designed to help the crew perform a series of suit tests during their spacewalk. Notably, the spacewalk will take place at an altitude of 700 km on the third day of the mission. SpaceX has even designed special suits for the job.
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They are also carrying a Starlink router to test the satellite-based laser communication system in space for the first time. Another objective is carrying out experiments to monitor changes in human physiology in microgravity and high-radiation environment.
SpaceX says it is the third mission this Dragon spacecraft is supporting. It has previously been used for NASA’s Crew-1 and the world’s first all-civilian mission to space Inspiration4. Isaacman’s first trip to space was with Inspiration4 which raised $200 million for St. Jude’s children’s hospital. He is financing the Polaris Program which includes two more missions after Polaris Dawn.
(Image: X/@JaredIsaacman)