SpaceX, the American aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, carrying a crew of four non-professional astronauts on a groundbreaking commercial space mission. The launch took place at 5:24 AM local time (09:24 GMT) from Florida, marking a significant step in private space exploration.
The mission, named Polaris Dawn, is led by billionaire Jared Isaacman, who previously flew with SpaceX in 2021 and financed this mission. Joining Isaacman on board the Crew Dragon spacecraft are SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, along with former Air Force pilot Scott Poteet, a close friend of Isaacman.
A key highlight of the mission will occur on the third day, when Isaacman and Gillis plan to perform a spacewalk. Exiting through an open hatch of the Crew Dragon, they will each spend 15 to 20 minutes outside the spacecraft, marking one of the first commercial extravehicular activities.
The Polaris Dawn mission is expected to last about five days, after which the crew will return to Earth with a splashdown off the coast of Florida. Originally scheduled for August 27, the mission was delayed due to a technical issue involving a helium leak.
