Polaris Dawn mission remains delayed due to weather conditions, SpaceX says
Embarking on a new chapter of private space exploration, the Polaris Dawn mission is poised to make history by launching four private citizens into ultrahigh orbit and attempting the first civilian spacewalk.
The mission, however, has faced a series of delays due to a ground-side helium leak and weather conditions, according to SpaceX.
Led by billionaire Jared Isaacman and in collaboration with SpaceX, the crew aims to reach as far as 870 miles above Earth, the highest altitude of any human spaceflight mission in more than a half-century since the Apollo program.
On Thursday, SpaceX announced the mission will remain on pause due to "unfavorable weather conditions in the areas along Florida’s coast where Dragon would splash down upon returning from space."
"Once teams identify the next best opportunity for launch and return of the Polaris Dawn mission, we’ll provide an update. Falcon 9 and Dragon remain healthy and vertical on the pad at 39A," the company said.
This marks the latest in a series of weather and technical delays that have kept the mission grounded this week.
The mission was previously delayed due to a ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical, SpaceX said Monday.
Umbilical systems employ fluid connectors known as quick disconnects to transfer fluids into a vehicle, according to NASA.
"Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit," the company added.
Isaacman, the CEO of the payment-processing company Shift4, will be joined by former Air Force pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet and two SpaceX engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.
During the historic mission, which is set to span five days under normal conditions, two of the crew members will exit the spacecraft in the first commercial spacewalk at an altitude of 435 miles above Earth.
During a press briefing last week, Isaacman shared details on the ambitious mission, which will see all four crew members exposed to the vacuum of space due to the absence of an airlock on the SpaceX Dragon capsule.
The spacewalk will also serve as a critical test for SpaceX's new Extravehicular Activity spacesuits, an evolution of the intravehicular activity suit.
This new design includes a heads-up display, helmet camera and enhanced joint mobility. It also features thermal insulation, solar protection and a suspension system that allows you to pressurize the suit, put on a harness and actually go through operations as if you are weightless.
The Dragon spacecraft has undergone significant modifications, including upgrades to the life support systems to supply more oxygen during spacewalks, according to the Polaris Program. Environmental sensing has been improved, and a new nitrogen repressurization system has been installed.
The Polaris Dawn mission will be Isaacman's second journey to space.
In 2021, he funded his first mission to orbit Earth. The project was billed as a childhood cancer fundraiser, garnering $250 million for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, and marked the first all-civilian mission to orbit.
Looking to the future, Isaacman believes the SpaceX vehicles could unlock a new frontier in commercial space travel.
"It could very well be the 737 for human space flight someday," he said of the company's Starship vehicle. "But it'll certainly be the vehicle that will return humans to the moon and then on to Mars and beyond," he added.
ABC News' Ayesha Ali contributed to this report.
