Watch SpaceX launch 4 people for the first commercial spacewalk

SpaceX is about to send its human spacecraft farther than ever before in space, and it will do it with a crew of four civilians. 

During the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, the Crew Dragon capsule is expected to reach its highest-ever orbit of 435 miles above Earth. That’s about 185 miles beyond the International Space Station, where the company’s spacecraft regularly ferry NASA astronauts. 

The journey will also attempt to make history with the first commercial spacewalk. The purpose of having the crew exit the spacecraft is to test the company’s new spacesuits, designed to adjust to different body types. The mission will also involve 36 research studies and experiments.

UPDATE: Aug. 27, 2024, 10:15 a.m. EDT SpaceX canceled a launch attempt on Tuesday, Aug. 27, 2024, due to a helium leak in a fuel line from the rocket to the launch tower. The space company is now targeting a new launch date on Aug. 28.

UPDATE: Aug. 28, 2024, 5:32 a.m. EDT SpaceX postponed its second launch attempt on Wednesday, Aug. 28, 2024, “due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon’s splashdown areas off the coast of Florida,” the company posted on X. A new launch date hasn’t yet been announced, but SpaceX said, “Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions.”

During the five-day Polaris Dawn mission, the Crew Dragon capsule is expected to reach its highest-ever orbit of 435 miles above Earth.
Credit: SpaceX

The crew is composed of regular people — that is, if you consider a billionaire, two SpaceX engineers, and a retired U.S. Air Force combat pilot to be “regular.” They include Jared Isaacman, who funded the mission and will serve as its commander. The others on board are pilot Scott “Kidd” Poteet, mission specialist Sarah Gillis, and medical officer Anna Menon.

If all goes according to plan, Menon will beat her husband, Dr. Anil Menon, to space. Prior to his recruitment for NASA astronaut training in 2021, Dr. Menon was SpaceX’s medical director. 

How to watch the Polaris Dawn launch

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Polaris Dawn is now awaiting a rescheduled launch date on a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, following two delays on Tuesday, Aug. 27, and Wednesday, Aug. 28. SpaceX hasn’t yet announced a new launch date.

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When it happens, a live broadcast will begin about 3.5 hours before the launch on X, the social platform owned by SpaceX founder Elon Musk, through the space company’s account. It will also stream on SpaceX’s website. 

The Polaris Dawn crew will be the first to test SpaceX’s Starlink satellite communications in space.