The mission’s launch has been delayed several times due to technical delays, but Polaris Dawn now aims to pave the way for further space exploration.
On Tuesday, September 10, the Crew Dragon spacecraft was launched into orbit with four tourists on board. CNN reported it.
The mission, known as Polaris Dawn, involved the first private spacewalk by non-professional astronauts.
The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket with the Crew Dragon spacecraft took place from the launch complex at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 05:23 US Eastern Time (12:23 Kyiv time). 12 minutes after launch, the ship successfully entered orbit after separation from the second stage of the rocket.
Polaris Dawn aims to set a new flight altitude record of up to 1,400 km, surpassing the 1966 Gemini 11 mission.
This is the first of three missions of the Polaris program, funded by billionaire Jared Isaacman, founder of Shift4 Payments. In addition to Isaacman, the crew included former US Air Force Lt. Col. Col. Scott Poteet and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillies and Anna Menon. The five-day trip to Earth orbit should demonstrate important capabilities for upcoming missions to the Moon and Mars.
It was previously reported that the American astronauts, who went on an eight-day mission to the ISS in June 2024 and still could not return due to a malfunction of the Boeing Starliner, will return in early 2025.
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Source: korrespondent
I am Ben Stock, a passionate and experienced digital journalist working in the news industry. At the Buna Times, I write articles covering technology developments and related topics. I strive to provide reliable information that my readers can trust. My research skills are top-notch, as well as my ability to craft engaging stories on timely topics with clarity and accuracy.