SpaceX’s Polaris Dawn Mission Delayed Due to Helium Leak

The much-anticipated SpaceX Polaris Dawn mission has hit a roadblock with a delay of at least 24 hours. The aerospace company announced the postponement on Monday night after discovering a helium leak.

Launch Delayed Due to Ground-Side Helium Leak

A ground-side helium leak on the Quick Disconnect umbilical has forced SpaceX to postpone the launch until no earlier than Wednesday. Despite this setback, the company assured that the Falcon and Dragon remain healthy, with the crew ready for their multi-day mission to low-Earth orbit.

Crew Aboard Polaris Dawn

The Polaris Dawn capsule is carrying four citizens, including retired Air Force Lt. Col Scott “Kidd” Poteet, SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon, and Jared Isaacman, a billionaire adventurer who chartered the first commercial flight to orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon in 2021.

Mission Objectives

The Polaris Dawn mission is the first of three planned missions in the Polaris Program, a human spaceflight project funded by Isaacman. The primary goal of this mission is to reach the highest Earth orbit ever flown and conduct a spacewalk on the third day, with two crew members exiting the Crew Dragon spacecraft…