1st-Ever Civilian Spacewalk: SpaceX's Polaris Dawn Mission Launches Today | How to Watch Live

New Delhi: After several delays, the SpaceX is all set to launch its much-awaited Polaris Dawn mission on Friday, September 6, 2024. The space mission is scheduled to lift off from Kennedy Space Center's Launch Complex 39A during a four-hour window beginning at 3:33 a.m. EDT. 

The day coincides with the day of undocking the uncrewed-Starliner from the ISS For its return to Earth. The SpaceX's historic mission stands out not only for its ambitious goal of flying higher in Earth’s orbit than anyone since the Apollo program, but also for featuring the first-ever spacewalk by private citizens. 

Beginning of New Era in Space Exploration 

Spearheaded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacman, Polaris Dawn is more than just a spaceflight as it will bring civilians at the centre of space exploration mission. Marking the beginning of a new era in space exploration, the mission aims to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles (1,400 kilometres) — the highest achieved by a crewed mission in over 50 years since NASA’s Apollo programme. The mission also aims to conduct research to help provide insight on human health during long-duration spaceflight missions.

Where to watch it Live: 

It features a crew of found including the mission’s commander Jared Isaacman, Scott Poteet (a 20-year Air Force veteran pilot) and SpaceX employees Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis.

The crew will launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at 1:03 pm IST, and the event will be live-streamed on SpaceX’s page on X.

With the launch, the crew will embark on five-day orbital mission. The crew will perform 36 scientific experiments centered on advancing human health research both on Earth and during long-duration spaceflight. Further, they will test Starlink's laser-based communication system in space.

This latest space mission represents a major leap forward in private space exploration.