Crewed SpaceX flight postponed due to ground equipment leak
Crewed SpaceX mission postponed due to a leak in ground equipment.
TroibNews 
The planned launch of the Polaris Dawn mission by SpaceX has been postponed by at least one day due to a helium leak in the ground equipment at Kennedy Space Center, the company announced on Tuesday, just hours before the Crew Dragon capsule was originally scheduled to take off.
Two days following the launch, the four-person crew is set to perform the first-ever private spacewalk at an altitude of 700 kilometers above Earth, which serves as a major highlight of the five-day mission.
SpaceX is now targeting a new launch time of 3:38 a.m. local time (0738 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a message posted on X.
"Teams are taking a closer look at a ground-side helium leak," SpaceX reported in a post on Tuesday. "Falcon and Dragon remain healthy, and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit."
Historically, only government-employed astronauts have conducted spacewalks, such as those from the International Space Station, who regular engage in extravehicular activities to maintain and inspect their space habitat.
The upcoming spacewalk by Polaris Dawn follows a tradition started in 1965 during the U.S Gemini program, where the procedure involved depressurizing the capsule, opening the hatch, and having a spacesuited astronaut exit while tethered.
During their forthcoming outing, two members of the Polaris Dawn crew will test SpaceX's newly designed slimline spacesuits. The participants confirmed for the spacewalk are billionaire Jared Isaacman and Scott Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, while senior engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon will remain inside the spacecraft.
Isaacman, founder of the electronic payment firm Shift4, financed the mission himself. Although he has not disclosed the exact cost, estimates suggest he may have spent upwards of $100 million.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
Two days following the launch, the four-person crew is set to perform the first-ever private spacewalk at an altitude of 700 kilometers above Earth, which serves as a major highlight of the five-day mission.
SpaceX is now targeting a new launch time of 3:38 a.m. local time (0738 GMT) on Wednesday, according to a message posted on X.
"Teams are taking a closer look at a ground-side helium leak," SpaceX reported in a post on Tuesday. "Falcon and Dragon remain healthy, and the crew continues to be ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit."
Historically, only government-employed astronauts have conducted spacewalks, such as those from the International Space Station, who regular engage in extravehicular activities to maintain and inspect their space habitat.
The upcoming spacewalk by Polaris Dawn follows a tradition started in 1965 during the U.S Gemini program, where the procedure involved depressurizing the capsule, opening the hatch, and having a spacesuited astronaut exit while tethered.
During their forthcoming outing, two members of the Polaris Dawn crew will test SpaceX's newly designed slimline spacesuits. The participants confirmed for the spacewalk are billionaire Jared Isaacman and Scott Poteet, a retired U.S. Air Force lieutenant colonel, while senior engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon will remain inside the spacecraft.
Isaacman, founder of the electronic payment firm Shift4, financed the mission himself. Although he has not disclosed the exact cost, estimates suggest he may have spent upwards of $100 million.
Emily Johnson for TROIB News
