BELOW SUPERNAV drop zone ⇩

SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission delayed due to helium leak

  • The mission was set to lift off Tuesday from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center
  • Mission set to make history as first privately managed spacewalk
  • The crew will conduct research studies during five-day trek in Earth's orbit

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

MAIN AREA TOP drop zone ⇩

maylen

https://digital-stage.newsnationnow.com/

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241114185800

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241115200405

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118165728

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241118184948

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (NewsNation) — SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn mission, poised to make history with the first private spacewalk, was delayed by at least 24 hours.

The mission, a risky endeavor previously undertaken only by government astronauts, originally set to take place Tuesday at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, will now occur Wednesday between 3:38 and 7:09 a.m. ET.

If needed, backup opportunities are available Thursday at the same time, SpaceX said.

Why was the mission rescheduled?

SpaceX said the launch was delayed to inspect “a ground-side helium leak” in equipment designed to detach from the rocket during takeoff.

“Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit,” Space X wrote in a social media post.

Who are the astronauts doing the spacewalk?

Billionaire Jared 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.

Space

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed

Site Settings Survey

 

MAIN AREA MIDDLE drop zone ⇩

Trending on NewsNation

AUTO TEST CUSTOM HTML 20241119133138

MAIN AREA BOTTOM drop zone ⇩

tt

KC Chiefs parade shooting: 1 dead, 21 shot including 9 kids | Morning in America

Witness of Chiefs parade shooting describes suspect | Banfield

Kansas City Chiefs parade shooting: Mom of 2 dead, over 20 shot | Banfield

WWE star Ashley Massaro 'threatened' by board to keep quiet about alleged rape: Friend | Banfield

Friend of WWE star: Ashley Massaro 'spent hours' sobbing after alleged rape | Banfield

Sunny

la

51°F Sunny Feels like 51°
Wind
2 mph E
Humidity
48%
Sunrise
Sunset

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
47°F Partly cloudy skies. Low 47F. Winds light and variable.
Wind
2 mph NNE
Precip
7%
Sunset
Moon Phase
Waning Gibbous