SpaceX again delays launch of Polaris Dawn mission

(NewsNation) — SpaceX is still preparing for its Polaris Dawn mission, poised to make history with the first private spacewalk, after it was again delayed due to “unfavorable weather forecasted.”

The mission, a risky endeavor previously undertaken only by government astronauts, was set to take off as soon as 3:38 a.m. ET Wednesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but now won’t launch until at least Friday, weather permitting, SpaceX announced.

“Our launch criteria are heavily constrained by forecasted splashdown weather conditions,” Jared Isaacman, the mission commander wrote in a post on X. “With no ISS rendezvous and limited life support consumables, we must be absolutely sure of reentry weather before launching.”

He added: “As Elon (Musk) mentioned, Polaris Dawn is a challenging mission with critical objectives, so we’ll wait for the best opportunity to ensure success.”

Wednesday’s launch was originally set to take place Tuesday, but SpaceX said the launch was delayed to inspect “a ground-side helium leak” in equipment designed to detach from the rocket during takeoff.

Who are the astronauts doing the spacewalk?

Isaacman, who previously flew to orbit with SpaceX in 2021, will be leading the crew, joined by former Air Force pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet and two SpaceX engineers, Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon.

The Polaris Dawn crew will mark the world’s first-ever civilian spacewalk, set new records for the highest spaceflight by female astronauts and endeavor to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown since the Apollo program.

Additionally, during the historic mission, the crew will spend five days in orbit, conducting nearly 40 research studies and experiments, including testing new orbital Starlink laser-based communications and new SpaceX-developed EVA suits in Earth’s radiation belts.