Private mission aims for first commercial spacewalk and highest orbit in over 50 years.
SpaceX’s Crew Dragon successfully launched on the Polaris Dawn mission from Kennedy Space Center on September 10, 2024. The Falcon 9 rocket lifted off at 5:23 a.m. Eastern, with the Crew Dragon reaching orbit approximately 12 minutes later. The mission, which experienced a weather-related delay, targets an initial orbit of about 190 by 1,200 kilometers, eventually increasing to 1,400 kilometers—higher than any crewed mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.
A highlight of the Polaris Dawn mission will be the first spacewalk by a private crew. Scheduled for September 12, mission commander Jared Isaacman and specialist Sarah Gillis will conduct spacewalks outside the Crew Dragon, marking a significant milestone for commercial spaceflight. The mission also includes testing laser intersatellite links with SpaceX's Starlink constellation and conducting about 40 experiments related to human health.
Delays to the mission were caused by weather conditions and technical issues, pushing the launch from August 26 to September 10. The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three planned in the Polaris program, which aims to eventually launch SpaceX's Starship with a crew.
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