After multiple postponements, SpaceX has officially launched the momentous Polaris Dawn mission, carrying a crew of four non-professional astronauts aboard the Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The Falcon 9 rocket successfully lifted the crew into orbit shortly after taking off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:23 a.m. ET on Tuesday morning.
A live broadcast of the launch captured the impressive sight of the Falcon 9 igniting the darkened sky as it propelled the Crew Dragon and its four passengers upward.
Liftoff of Polaris Dawn! pic.twitter.com/hAti2arueX
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 10, 2024
Shortly after liftoff, the Falcon 9’s first-stage booster made a successful return landing, paving the way for its reuse in future missions.
The Polaris Dawn mission, spanning five days, is significant in multiple ways. It will mark the first time astronauts conduct a spacewalk from a SpaceX Dragon capsule, as well as the first-ever commercial spacewalk. The two astronauts undertaking the spacewalk will also test advanced spacesuits designed to enhance mobility, potentially for lunar missions in the future.
Furthermore, this mission will take crew members to a higher altitude in Earth’s orbit—approximately 870 miles (1,400 kilometers)—than any human has traveled since the Apollo missions over 50 years ago. The mission will also experiment with laser-based Starlink communications systems planned for future expeditions and gather data on human health during extended spaceflights.
Leading the mission is Commander Jared Isaacman, joined by retired U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Scott Poteet, who served in various capacities for 20 years, alongside Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both leading space operations engineers at SpaceX.
Stay tuned for further updates as we follow along with the crew’s progress throughout this groundbreaking mission.
SpaceX had initially aimed for a launch on August 27; however, it was postponed due to a technical glitch detected prior to the launch. A subsequent attempt the next day was also canceled because of unfavorable weather conditions in the designated splashdown area.