The first private spacewalk is still a long time coming. Elon Musk’s space company “SpaceX” has cancelled the manned rocket launch planned for today from Cape Canaveral in Florida (USA) – and postponed it until tomorrow, Saturday.
The launch with four astronauts on board was originally planned for 2022, and the rocket was last scheduled to launch in August. Now the “Polaris Dawn” mission has had to be stopped again at short notice. The weather is not cooperating and there are safety concerns.
Astronauts test Starlink technology in space
What’s special: The four astronauts will undertake the first spacewalk that can be purchased privately. Space suits and technology have been newly developed for the mission.
The team is also conducting experiments in zero gravity and researching communication with Starlink, the columns of satellites that further illuminate the night sky.
Who are the four astronauts on the SpaceX flight into space?
The brave astronauts from left to right: Anna Menon, Scott Poteet, Jared Isaacman, Sarah Gillis
Photo: John Raoux/AP/dpa
The astronauts of SpaceX’s “Polaris Dawn” are scheduled to spend five days in space. The mission is part of a series of further space flights.
These four men and women are set to fly into space:
- Jared Isaacman (41, multi-billionaire) – he is the head of the mission
- Scott “Kid” Poteet (50, US fighter pilot) – he is the pilot of the mission
- Sarah Gillis (30, engineer) – she is a technical expert for the mission
- Anna Menon (38, engineer) – she is also an engineer and works at SpaceX
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Why is the mission dangerous?
The crew ventures into the highest Earth orbit, reaching an altitude of 1,400 kilometers above the Earth – higher than ever before since Apollo.
The target is significantly higher than the typical orbit of the International Space Station (ISS), which is about 400 kilometers above Earth. This will allow the astronauts to explore parts of space that are not normally reached by manned missions.
The risk is high: there is a risk of radiation and problems caused by space debris.
