SpaceX has called off the launch of the highly anticipated Polaris Dawn mission for the second day in a row, but this time it has not set a new schedule.
In a message posted on social media on Tuesday evening about five hours before a Falcon 9 rocket carrying four passengers was due to lift off from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the spaceflight company said it had made the decision due to a weather forecast that suggested there will be unfavourable conditions off the coast of Florida in five days’ time, when the Crew Dragon spacecraft was due to splash down. It added that it will continue to assess the weather situation before deciding on a new launch schedule.
“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,” SpaceX said. “Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions.”
The post made no mention of the ground-based helium leak that forced SpaceX to abandon a launch attempt early on Tuesday, but with the plan to launch Wednesday impacted apparently only by weather concerns, it appears that the helium issue has been resolved.
The mission, described recently by SpaceX chief Elon Musk as “epic,” will see a Crew Dragon fly 435 miles (700 kilometers)from Earth, its furthest distance yet. It will also involve the first commercial spacewalk, and will test a more comfortable and mobile spacesuit design that could be used for missions to the moon and beyond.
The mission is also notable for the fact that all four crew members are non-professional astronauts, although they have undergone extensive training for the historic mission.
Only one of the crew — Jared Isaacman — has been to space before, while the other three members will be heading to orbit for the first time.
