The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is imminent: What you should know about Polaris Dawn

In the coming days, an unprecedented space mission will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The first mission of its kind, called Polaris Dawn, will use a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch a Crew Dragon capsule carrying four private astronauts into a five-day orbit.

The mission is a follow-up of sorts to a 2021 private mission called Inspiration4, which was also backed by billionaire Jared Isaacman, founder and CEO of data company Shift4. Polaris Dawn has been in the works for several years; there were once talks of sending a crew to extend the life of the Hubble Space Telescope.

That's not the case with this new mission. Instead, the crew will attempt the first spacewalk by private astronauts, using spacesuit technology developed by SpaceX. They will also test laser-based communications with satellite broadband provider Starlink to enable travel to places like Mars. Starlink is a subsidiary of SpaceX, which in turn is owned by Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

The risks are not negligible: the crew will attempt to reach the highest orbit ever recorded on Earth, passing through strong radioactive radiation and potentially risking significant damage from small rocks and space debris.

When does the Polaris Dawn mission begin?

After several launch dates were postponed last week, the Polaris Dawn mission is now scheduled to launch on Friday, September 6, according to the Kennedy Space Center.

The original launch date on Tuesday last week was postponed to “further investigate a helium leak at the bottom of the Quick Disconnect umbilical,” SpaceX said Monday evening on the social network X. The Wednesday date was postponed “due to adverse weather conditions in Dragon's water landing area off the coast of Florida,” the company said late Tuesday.

Isaacman posted on X on Tuesday evening that the launch team would reassess conditions day by day.

Weather conditions were “unfavorable” for a launch off the Florida coast throughout the weekend, SpaceX said Thursday evening.

“Crew safety is our top priority and this mission carries more risks than usual as it will be the farthest humans have flown from Earth since Apollo and the first commercial spacewalk!” Musk posted on Monday on X (formerly Twitter), which he owns. “If any concerns arise, launch will be delayed until those concerns are addressed.”

How can I follow Polaris Dawn's mission?

In addition to news coverage, you can find updates on Polaris Dawn on the mission's website, as well as on X, Instagram, and Flickr, where photos from the mission will also be posted.

Who will participate in the mission?

The crew consists of four members. These are:

Jared Isaacmanthe CEO of Shift4, who is reportedly spending hundreds of millions of dollars on the mission, where he will serve as mission commander. Isaacman was also on the Inspiration4 mission in 2021.

Sarah GillisSpaceX's senior operations engineer who trained NASA astronauts and will serve as a mission specialist for Polaris Dawn. Along with Isaacman, she will be one of two crew members conducting the spacewalk.

Scott Poteetwho served as Inspiration4's mission director, is a former US Air Force fighter pilot. He will be responsible for communications and spacewalk support on the mission.

Anna Menon is a senior aerospace engineer at SpaceX and will be responsible for crew health during Polaris Dawn.

What do you hope to achieve with this mission?

In addition to the spacewalk that Isaacman and Gillis will conduct as the first private astronauts, the mission will also test laser communications with Starlink and conduct a series of biological and human endurance tests, according to the Polaris Dawn website.

According to the New York Times, the spacecraft is expected to reach an orbit of up to 870 miles above Earth, just surpassing the altitude record of 853 miles set by the Gemini XI mission in 1966. For comparison, the International Space Station orbits Earth at an altitude of about 250 miles.

If successful, Polaris Dawn would be the first of three missions, with the next two using SpaceX's new Starship rocket.

Correction, August 28: An earlier version of this article misstated the name of Jared Isaacman's company. He is CEO of Shift4.