SpaceX Delays Historic Polaris Dawn Mission Due to Helium Leak
SpaceX has postponed the launch of its historic ‘Polaris Dawn’ mission, which will include the first spacewalk carried out by a civilian crew. The delay is due to a helium leak discovered on the Quick Disconnect umbilical. The mission was initially scheduled for August 27 but is now delayed until at least August 28.
About the Polaris Dawn Mission
Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned missions in the Polaris Program, a human-spaceflight project funded and organized by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman. The mission will be commanded by Isaacman and will include pilot Scott ‘Kidd’ Poteet, a former lieutenant colonel in the US Air Force, and mission specialists Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, both SpaceX engineers.
The mission aims to reach an oval-shaped orbit extending as high as 870 miles (1,400 kilometers) from Earth, making it the farthest crewed mission since Apollo 17 in 1972. The mission is expected to last about five days, during which Isaacman and Gillis will conduct a spacewalk on Day 3.
Anna Menon’s Connection
Anna Menon is married to Anil Menon, a surgeon and Lieutenant Colonel in the US Air Force who previously served as SpaceX’s first flight surgeon. Anil Menon is currently a NASA astronaut in training.
Statements from Key Figures
Following the postponement, Elon Musk wrote on social media, ‘An incredible amount of work has gone into this historic mission by an amazing team. We are triple-checking everything to make sure there is nothing more we can do to improve crew safety.’
Jared Isaacman also expressed gratitude to supporters and assured that the best aerospace engineers are working on the issue. Anna Menon appreciated SpaceX’s diligence and commitment to safety, stating, ‘We will try again tomorrow!’
Future Missions
The third Polaris flight will be the first-ever crewed mission of Starship, the vehicle that SpaceX is developing to help humanity settle on the moon and Mars. Since 2020, SpaceX has been ferrying NASA astronauts to and from the International Space Station.
Doubts Revealed
SpaceX -: SpaceX is a company that makes rockets and spacecraft. It was started by Elon Musk and aims to make space travel cheaper and more accessible.
Polaris Dawn mission -: The Polaris Dawn mission is a special space trip planned by SpaceX. It will include the first spacewalk done by people who are not astronauts from a government space agency.
Helium leak -: A helium leak means that helium gas, which is used in rockets, is escaping from where it is supposed to be. This can be dangerous and needs to be fixed before the rocket can launch.
Jared Isaacman -: Jared Isaacman is a businessman and pilot who is leading the Polaris Dawn mission. He is also known for funding and flying in other space missions.
NASA’s Kennedy Space Center -: NASA’s Kennedy Space Center is a place in the United States where rockets are launched into space. It is named after President John F. Kennedy.
Commercial spacewalk -: A commercial spacewalk is when people who are not government astronauts go outside their spacecraft in space. This is different from traditional spacewalks done by astronauts from space agencies like NASA.
Scott Poteet -: Scott Poteet is a pilot who will be part of the Polaris Dawn mission. He will help fly the spacecraft.
Sarah Gillis -: Sarah Gillis is an engineer who works for SpaceX. She will be part of the crew on the Polaris Dawn mission.
Anna Menon -: Anna Menon is another engineer from SpaceX who will be on the Polaris Dawn mission. She helps design and test spacecraft.
Apollo 17 -: Apollo 17 was a mission by NASA in 1972 that sent astronauts to the Moon. It was the last time humans traveled so far from Earth.