The mission, dubbed Polaris Dawn, lifted off at 5:23 a.m. ET.
A four-person crew of civilians who will also aim to conduct the first commercial spacewalk just took flight in SpaceX's latest mission.'s latest mission - a bold and risky trek into Earth's Van Allen radiation belts by a four-person crew of civilians who will also aim to conduct the first commercial spacewalk - just took flight.SpaceX livestreamed the event on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter that SpaceX CEO Elon Musk purchased in 2022.
Further complicating launch prospects was the fact that SpaceX didn't just need clear weather for the mission to take off - it needed to ensure there are calm waters and winds as the crew will return from space after a five-day excursion. Timing their return could be critical. Because carrying out a spacewalk will create a drain on oxygen supplies, the Polaris Dawn mission will have only enough life support for five or six days in space.
Meanwhile, the first stage of the Falcon 9 guided itself back to Earth to land on a seafaring platform so it could be refurbished and used again on future missions. That's a signature SpaceX move that the company said helps reduce the cost of rocket launches.
Polaris Dawn Launch Space Launch Spacex Spacex Launch 15285341
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