Polaris Dawn was planned to ascend to 1,400 km, the highest orbit with humans since the Apollo 17 mission.
Polaris Dawn experienced multiple delays from November and 2022-12-01, 2023-03-01, 2024-04-01, 2024-06-05, 2024-08-26 and 27, and 2024-08-28 before scheduling new September launch windows.
The Dragon spacecraft supporting Polaris Dawn previously flew Crew-1 to and from the International Space Station and previously flew Inspiration4.
Polaris Dawn plans to ascend to approximately 1,400 km, the highest orbit with humans since the Apollo 17 mission.
SpaceX identified launch windows for Polaris Dawn on Saturday, 2024-09-07; Monday, 2024-09-09; and Tuesday, 2024-09-10, each from 12:38 AM to 4:09 AM PDT.
Polaris Dawn has experienced multiple delays from November and 2022-12-01, 2023-03-01, 2024-04-01, 2024-06-05, 2024-08-26–28, and additional dates thereafter.
Polaris Dawn will conduct 36 research studies and experiments provided by 31 partner institutions.
Polaris Dawn is a commercial mission that will launch from LC-39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
SpaceX scheduled Polaris Dawn to launch on a Falcon 9 rocket from LC-39A, Kennedy Space Center, Florida at 3:38 a.m. EDT (0738 UTC) on 2024-09-01.
The 2024-08-28 Polaris Dawn delay was attributed to poor recovery weather at the end of the planned mission timeline.
The crew of Polaris Dawn will travel further from Earth than any humans since the Apollo 17 mission to the Moon in December 1972.
The Polaris Dawn private astronaut mission crew arrived at Kennedy Space Center on August 19 for final preparations ahead of launch.
Polaris Dawn will lower its apogee to 700 kilometers after about ten hours of flight.
Polaris Dawn experienced launch delays on 2024-08-26 and 2024-08-27, and a subsequent delay on 2024-08-28 due to poor recovery weather at the end of the planned mission timeline.
Polaris Dawn experienced launch delays in 2024-04-01 and in 2024-06-05.
Polaris Dawn is scheduled to launch on 2024-09-01 at 3:38 a.m. EDT (0738 UTC).
Polaris Dawn will launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center, Florida.
The 2024-08-28 delay for Polaris Dawn was caused by poor recovery weather at the end of the planned mission timeline.
SpaceX stood down and delayed launch opportunities for Polaris Dawn on Wednesday, 2024-08-28 and Thursday, 2024-08-29 due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon’s splashdown areas off the coast of Florida.
The Dragon spacecraft supporting Polaris Dawn previously flew NASA Crew-1 to and from the International Space Station.