SpaceX Delays Polaris Dawn Mission Due to Weather and Helium Leak

SpaceX has postponed the launch of its Polaris Dawn mission due to unfavorable weather conditions that could impact the planned splashdown of the Dragon spacecraft off the coast of Florida.

The mission, which was originally set to launch on Tuesday, was first delayed to Wednesday following the discovery of a helium leak.

SpaceX has not yet provided a new date for the launch and will continue to monitor weather conditions closely.

The Polaris Dawn mission, part of the Polaris program led by Shift4 Payments CEO Jared Isaacman, aims to achieve significant milestones in commercial spaceflight.

It is set to conduct the first-ever commercial spacewalk and will involve a crew of four, including mission commander Isaacman, Kidd Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon.

This mission marks the furthest human travel from Earth since the Apollo era and represents a major step forward for private space exploration.

SpaceX took to X to share the news related to the delay.

"Due to unfavorable weather forecasted in Dragon’s splashdown areas off the coast of Florida, we are now standing down from tonight and tomorrow’s Falcon 9 launch opportunities of Polaris Dawn.

Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions," read a post on its official X handle.