(News Nation) — SpaceX is still preparing Polaris Dawn MissionHe was set to make history with the first private spacewalk, but it was postponed again due to “bad weather forecast.”
The mission, a risky endeavor previously only undertaken by government astronauts, was scheduled to take off at 3:38 a.m. Wednesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but will not launch until at least Friday, weather permitting, SpaceX said. Announced.
“Our launch criteria are heavily constrained by the predicted weather conditions at splashdown,” mission commander Jared Isaacman wrote in a post on X. “With no rendezvous with the ISS and limited life support consumables, we absolutely must be certain of the re-entry weather conditions before launch.”
He added, “As Elon stated, Polaris Dawn is a challenging mission with important objectives, so we will wait for the best opportunity to ensure its success.”
Wednesday's launch was originally scheduled for Tuesday, but SpaceX said The launch was delayed to allow inspection for a “ground-side helium leak” in a device designed to separate from the rocket during takeoff.
Who is the astronaut doing the spacewalk?
Isaacman, who previously flew into orbit with SpaceX in 2021, will lead the crew and will be joined by former Air Force pilot Scott Kidd-Poteet and two SpaceX engineers, Sara Gillis and Anna Menon.
The Polaris Dawn crew aims to complete the world's first private spacewalk, set a new record for the highest spaceflight by a female astronaut and reach the highest Earth orbit since the Apollo program.
Additionally, during this historic mission, the crew will spend five days in orbit, demonstrating new on-orbit Starlink laser communications and new SpaceX's extravehicular activity suit It is located in the Earth's radiation belt.
