After several delays, SpaceX has finally launched the groundbreaking Polaris Dawn mission, propelling four non-professional astronauts into orbit aboard a Crew Dragon spacecraft. The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the crew, blasted off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 5:23 a.m. ET on Tuesday, illuminating the early morning sky with its fiery ascent. The live-stream of the launch captured the breathtaking spectacle of the Falcon 9 propelling the Crew Dragon and its crew skyward. Shortly after, the Falcon 9 first-stage booster successfully landed, ensuring its reusability for future launches.
The five-day Polaris Dawn mission is a landmark achievement in space exploration. This mission will witness the first spacewalk performed from a SpaceX Dragon capsule, marking a significant step towards the future of commercial space travel. Two crew members will venture outside the capsule to test cutting-edge spacesuits, designed to offer enhanced mobility and potentially used for lunar spacewalks in the years to come.
Furthermore, the mission will propel humans higher into Earth’s orbit than any mission since the Apollo program, reaching an altitude of approximately 870 miles (1,400 kilometers). This extraordinary journey will also test the capabilities of laser-based Starlink communications, a technology destined to play a vital role in future space missions. The crew will also engage in crucial research aimed at understanding the effects of long-duration spaceflight on human health.
Leading the Polaris Dawn mission is billionaire businessman and mission commander, Jared Isaacman, joined by a diverse team of astronauts: Scott Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel with extensive experience; Sarah Gillis, a skilled lead space operations engineer at SpaceX; and Anna Menon, another accomplished lead space operations engineer at SpaceX.
Digital Trends will be closely monitoring the progress of this historic mission, providing updates on the crew’s endeavors as they continue their journey.
Initially scheduled for August 27, the launch was delayed due to a technical issue on the ground. A subsequent attempt on the following day was also canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions in the designated splashdown zone. Despite these hurdles, the Polaris Dawn mission is now successfully underway, marking a pivotal moment in the ongoing quest to push the boundaries of human space exploration.
