You’ll have to get up early or stay up late, but SpaceX’s historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission should be a success any day now. You can track the mission’s status here. 

Space | SpaceX delays Polaris Dawn astronaut launch until at least Aug. 30 due to bad weather

SpaceX’s historic Polaris Dawn astronaut mission has been delayed again.  Polaris Dawn was originally scheduled to launch early Monday morning (Aug. 26) from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, but SpaceX pushed things back a day to perform more preflight checkouts. The company then called the planned Tuesday (Aug. 27) attempt off after detecting a helium leak, targeting Wednesday (Aug. 28) instead. But now Mother Nature has foiled that plan.

“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. Teams will continue to monitor weather for favorable launch and return conditions,” SpaceX announced Tuesday evening via X.

Space |SpaceX launching private Polaris Dawn astronaut mission Aug. 27: How to watch online

Update for 11 p.m. ET on Aug. 27: SpaceX has now delayed the Polaris Dawn launch until no earlier than Aug. 30 due to a helium leak and bad weather. Read our delay stories here and here.

SpaceX is targeting Tuesday (Aug. 27) for the launch of its Polaris Dawn mission, which will take a Crew Dragon spacecraft to its highest orbit and feature the first-ever private spacewalk. Here’s how you can watch the historic action live.  Polaris Dawn will send four people to Earth orbit aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which will lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida atop a Falcon 9 rocket on Tuesday, during a four-hour window that opens at 3:38 a.m. ET (0738 GMT). Launch was originally targeted for Monday (Aug. 26), but SpaceX pushed it back a day to perform additional checkouts.

Both the launch and the spacewalk, which is scheduled for Flight Day 3 of the mission (about Aug. 29 or so), will be livestreamed on Polaris Dawn’s and SpaceX’s feed on X. The launch webcast will begin about one hour before liftoff. Cameras will capture the launch from the ground, from the exterior of the rocket and from inside the Crew Dragon capsule. You can also watch along with a live webcast hosted on Space.com.

https://oodaloop.com/archive/2024/08/20/tanager-1-planet-launches-its-first-hyperspectral-satellite/

Additional OODA Loop Resources

OODA Loop | Space

OODAcon 2023 – Event Summary and Imperatives For Action

Download a summary of OODAcon including useful observations to inform your strategic planning, product roadmap and drive informed customer conversations.  This summary, based on the dialog during and after the event, also invites your continued input on these many dynamic trends.  See:  OODAcon 2023: Event Summary and Imperatives For Action.

Space – Session Summaries

The Space Economy: Opportunities and Risks

After decades of stagnation, space innovation keeps pushing the boundaries of the possible with new firsts emerging on a monthly basis. This topic was explored at length OODAcon 2023,  with a deep dive into the emerging opportunities, economies, and risks associated with the rapid development of space-based technologies, resource acquisition, and shift from the public to private sector.  

The following captures insights from a discussion between Ryan Westerdahl, CEO Turion Space and Sita Sonty, CEO Space Tango.

Space and National Security

All indications are that we are entering a new age of exploration and human expansion into space.  Explore the new national security and economic realities of this new space rush in this OODAcon 2023 Closing Keynote conversation between OODA CTO Bob Gourley and the Chief Technology and Innovation Officer of the US Space Force, Lisa Costa.