Polaris dawn mission faces delay amid weather setbacks

SpaceX is having a tough week. Announcements have confirmed that the Polaris Dawn mission, along with the first commercial spacewalk, has been postponed. It's uncertain when the launch will be possible in the near future.

Due to unfavourable weather conditions at the planned landing site for the Crew Dragon capsule, SpaceX announced on Wednesday, August 28, that the launch date for the Polaris Dawn mission had been rescheduled. The mission’s main highlight is the planned first-ever commercial spacewalk.

Both on Wednesday and Thursday, launching the mission will not be possible. This delay was reported on platform X by mission participant Jared Isaacman. At this stage, no new launch date has been indicated.

The mission was originally scheduled to launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Monday, August 26. However, due to a technical failure, the launch had to be postponed.

The key feature of the five-day mission is a 20-minute spacewalk by a single participant in outer space. Until now, such walks have been reserved exclusively for NASA astronauts, a practice that dates back to 1965 with the Gemini capsule mission. During that mission, an astronaut, secured by a spacesuit and tethered to the vessel, first stepped into open space.

The Polaris Dawn mission team includes Jared Isaacman as the mission commander and financier, who has previously experienced space travel, retired U.S. Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Scott Poteet, and two representatives from SpaceX – engineer Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, serving as the medical officer. This historic commercial spacewalk marks groundbreaking changes in space travel, with hopes of further opening space for future explorers.

SpaceX, owned by Elon Musk, focuses on numerous projects in space exploration. Its main goal is to reduce the costs of space travel and commercialize it. Its well-known rockets include Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy. Additionally, SpaceX is developing the Starlink program to provide satellite internet connectivity worldwide.