SpaceX fails historic Polaris Dawn launch with amateur astronauts as dangerous leak occurs on board

Polaris Dawn, which is the first-ever private mission to outer space, was scheduled to launch on August 27, but a helium leak caused a delay of at least 24 hours.

The launch of the capsule atop a Falcon 9 rocket ws scheduled for the morning of August 28. The historic event will launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and will be available to watch via SpaceX's webcast, Space.com reports.

"Teams are taking a closer look at the helium leak on the ground side of the Quick Disconnect umbilical. Falcon and Dragon remain healthy and the crew continues to be prepared for their multi-day mission in low Earth orbit. The next launch is expected to take place no earlier than Wednesday, August 28," SpaceX representatives announced.

According to SpaceX, Polaris Dawn is the first of three planned missions in the Polaris program, which is funded by billionaire entrepreneur Jared Isaacson. Isaacman, former US Air Force lieutenant colonel and mission pilot Scott "Kidd" Poteet, and SpaceX engineers Sarah Gillis and Anna Menon will take a five-day trip to Earth's orbit.

Isaacson and Gillis will perform a spacewalk on the third day of the mission. This will be the first off-vehicle activity ever performed during a commercial space voyage.

Polaris Dawn also aims to reach a maximum distance of approximately 1,400 kilometers from Earth. This will be further than any crewed mission since Apollo 17 in 1972.

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