Polaris Dawn Mission Set for Launch: A Historic Private Spaceflight to High Earth Orbit for Experiments

The Polaris Dawn mission, an entirely private space endeavor not associated with any country or government, marks a significant milestone in human history. Spearheaded by Elon Musk's SpaceX, it is tasked with both launching and safely returning the spacecraft. Previously, an explosion during the return of the Falcon 9 booster to the drone ship led to a temporary FAA ban on Falcon 9 launches.

Now, with the FAA's ban lifted, the Polaris Dawn mission is back on schedule. SpaceX is slated for a launch at 03:38 AM Eastern Time on September 10th.

Four private astronauts (three of whom have never been to space) have arrived at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA. They are set to undertake commercial spacewalks in High Earth Orbit (HEO), a mission packed with ambitious goals. Notably, the spacecraft will not dock with the International Space Station and will ascend to a maximum orbit height—three times that of the ISS—to conduct radiation level testing.

During their days in orbit, the Dragon spacecraft and crew will engage in the first commercial astronaut spacewalks wearing SpaceX-developed extravehicular spacesuits. They will also collaborate with 31 institutions to conduct 36 research and experimental projects.

A key element of this mission is testing laser communication technology with Starlink, which involves using Starlink satellites' laser communication modules for higher bandwidth transmission.

Should the launch at 03:38 AM be postponed for any reason, SpaceX has scheduled two backup times: 05:23 and 07:09 on the same day. Additional windows will be considered if these times are not viable.

How to Watch Live: Interested viewers can watch the livestream on SpaceX's official X/Twitter account, where the broadcast will commence shortly before launch.