SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn, the first private space mission to include a spacewalk, is scheduled to lift off on Tuesday, August 27 at 3:38 am EDT from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Here’s how to watch.
Polaris Dawn is a multi-day Earth orbital mission aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. Though it’s a private mission rather than a government one, it’s more than just a tourist jaunt. It will not only include the first private spacewalk, it will conduct 38 science experiments to study the effects of spaceflight and space radiation on human health. It will also be the first mission since the Apollo program to penetrate the radioactive Van Allen Belt, though only briefly for safety reasons.
The crew includes Mission Commander Jared Isaacman, Mission Pilot Scott Poteet, Mission Specialist Sarah Gillis, and Mission Specialist and Medical Officer Anna Menon. If the launch is delayed, SpaceX says that there will be two more opportunities on Tuesday at 5:23 am EDT and 7:09 am EDT. There are also three opportunities on August 28.
If you can’t get to Cape Canaveral in time, the live webcast from SpaceX is available here or on X @SpaceX. The stream begins 3.5 hours prior to launch.
Source: SpaceX
