The countdown has begun for SpaceX's latest daring mission: the Polaris Dawn. A crew of four civilians is preparing for a bold journey that will see them venture into Earth’s Van Allen radiation belts and attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk. This audacious mission will take the crew to record-breaking altitudes and test the limits of commercial spaceflight.
Launch Schedule and Weather Concerns
The Polaris Dawn mission was initially scheduled for a 3:38 a.m. ET launch on Tuesday, but bad weather at the Kennedy Space Center has pushed the launch window to 5:23 a.m. ET, with a final opportunity available at 7:09 a.m. ET. SpaceX is live-streaming the event on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After several delays in August, including technical issues and a brief halt on Falcon 9 launches, SpaceX has now cleared the way for Polaris Dawn to take off. However, there is still a 60% chance of unfavorable conditions for Tuesday's launch, according to the latest forecasts.
The Journey to Orbit
If all goes well, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket will ignite, sending a blinding blaze and a deafening roar across the NASA Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The crew will be strapped inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which will be propelled by the rocket to a speed of over 17,000 miles per hour, enough to achieve "orbital velocity." After 2 ½ minutes of intense ascent, the first stage of the rocket will separate and land on a floating platform, a signature SpaceX move to reduce costs by reusing the rocket.
Record-Breaking Altitudes and Historic Spacewalk
The Polaris Dawn mission aims to set multiple records. The crew plans to reach an altitude of 873 miles (1,405 kilometers), surpassing NASA’s 1966 Gemini 11 mission by 20 miles. This will make Polaris Dawn the highest human spaceflight since NASA’s Apollo program.
On day three of the mission, the crew will attempt a history-making spacewalk at an altitude of 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth. The spacewalk is a significant milestone for commercial space exploration, but it is also extremely hazardous. Crew members will be exposed to the vacuum of space, and there are risks associated with cabin repressurization, but SpaceX has taken measures to minimize these risks.
A New Frontier for Commercial Spaceflight
Polaris Dawn is more than just a thrill ride. It’s the brainchild of SpaceX and billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, who previously flew to space in 2021 on the Inspiration4 mission. Isaacman and his team, which includes former US Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and SpaceX engineers Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, aim to push the boundaries of what’s possible in commercial space exploration.
The Future of Space Exploration
Polaris Dawn could be a pivotal moment in the future of space exploration. If successful, it will pave the way for more ambitious missions, potentially including crewed flights to Mars. Isaacman has set a lofty goal: building a self-sustaining city on Mars within 20 years. SpaceX's reusable rockets and bold ventures into uncharted space regions could bring humanity closer to becoming a multiplanetary species.
SpaceX and Isaacman are betting on the exponential growth of space missions. As Isaacman stated, “Being multiplanetary will vastly increase the probable lifespan of consciousness, as we will no longer have all our eggs on one planet.”
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
