SpaceX Delays Historic Private Spacewalk Mission Due to Helium Leak; Launch Rescheduled

SpaceX has delayed the launch of its pioneering private spacewalk mission due to a ground-side helium leak. Originally set for August 27, the mission will now launch on August 28, marking a significant milestone in commercial space exploration.

SpaceX Postpones Launch of Historic Private Spacewalk Mission Due to Helium Leak; Rescheduled for August 28

SpaceX has postponed the rocket launch intended to convey four private astronauts to space. According to Bloomberg, this mission, designed to perform the world's first commercial spacewalk, is a groundbreaking endeavor.

Sarah Gillis, one of SpaceX's two chief engineers, stated that the launch, initially scheduled for early August 27, was scrubbed to investigate a ground-side helium leak. SpaceX announced that the subsequent launch window will only occur on August 28.

Jared Isaacman, an entrepreneur, is aboard the Polaris Dawn mission. Isaacman previously launched into orbit with SpaceX in 2021 and provided funding for the flight and its development. Scott "Kidd" Poteet, Isaacman's friend and former Air Force pilot, accompanies him on the flight. The two chief SpaceX engineers, Gillis and Anna Menon, are

The mission's signature moment is scheduled for the third day of the flight. Isaacman and Gillis intend to exit an open port on their Crew Dragon spacecraft and conduct individual spacewalks. The two will be tethered to the vehicle and venture out for approximately 15 to 20 minutes each.

SpaceX is enthusiastic about testing the new capability, but it is still being determined how it intends to integrate spacewalking into future missions.

“I think we will be really interested to see where the company takes it,” Gillis said in an interview before launch. “Obviously, this is the first step, and this is a really important step.”

Polaris Dawn Crew to Test SpaceX’s New Suits During Record-Breaking Mission Beyond 1,400 km Altitude

The entire crew will don SpaceX's new space suits, as the whole interior of the Crew Dragon will be exposed to the vacuum of space during the maneuver, despite only Gillis and Isaacman exiting the spacecraft. The process, which includes discharging the spacecraft's atmosphere and resealing the vehicle, is expected to last approximately two hours.

Polaris Dawn intends to perform several secondary objectives and set several spaceflight records in addition to the mission's primary focus, the spacewalk. During the initial flight segment, the Crew Dragon spacecraft will ascend to a height of 1,400 kilometers above Earth, marking the most significant distance humans have traveled into space since the Apollo astronauts landed on the moon. If the mission succeeds, Menon and Gillis will hold the record for the women who have traveled the furthest from Earth.

Due to their distance, the personnel will be subjected to a significantly higher radiation environment than the average astronaut encounters while traveling to the International Space Station in low-Earth orbit. This will enable SpaceX to gather essential research regarding the human body's response to the space environment.