SpaceX has revised the launch timeline for the trailblazing Polaris Dawn mission, postponing it by 24 hours to allow teams additional time to conduct meticulous pre-flight checks.

The visionary spaceflight company, helmed by Elon Musk, had initially set its sights on Monday, August 26, for the launch of this unprecedented all-civilian venture, which will feature the first-ever commercial spacewalk. However, on Wednesday, it announced a revised target launch date of Tuesday, August 27.

Jared Isaacman, the billionaire entrepreneur who is funding the private mission and is also part of the crew, responded to the new launch schedule, saying: “We’re more than happy to take an extra day to ensure we’re fully prepared.”

The mission, which SpaceX previewed in a captivating video shared on Wednesday, will see the four crew members soar to unprecedented heights aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft, reaching an altitude of approximately 435 miles (700 kilometers) above Earth.

Elon Musk, never one to downplay the excitement, exclaimed in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “This will mark the first spacewalk by a commercial entity and the farthest distance traveled from Earth in over half a century!”

The mission will blast off from the Kennedy Space Center, propelled by a Falcon 9 rocket, which will power the Crew Dragon and its occupants into orbit. They will spend around five days in space before returning to Earth via a parachute-assisted splashdown landing, mirroring the Crew Dragon’s return journeys from the International Space Station.

Isaacman, who has already ventured into space once before, leading a crew of non-professional astronauts on the Earth-orbiting Inspiration4 mission three years ago, will be joined by three spaceflight novices: Scott Poteet, Sarah Gillis, and Anna Menon. All four are currently in quarantine at the Kennedy Space Center.

In a social media post on Wednesday, Isaacman revealed that their daily routine includes jogging around LC-39A, the historic launch site where many iconic missions have taken off. The 1.7-mile route is a familiar one, and Isaacman added that they aim to complete several laps during each run.

With the mission delayed, they’ll likely be logging a few more miles than initially planned, but a spot of exercise will be a great way to channel their excitement ahead of launch.

Addressing the challenges of the upcoming voyage, Isaacman told CNN recently: “While there is indeed more risk involved in a development program than a routine trip to and from the International Space Station, it’s not significantly more perilous … and some risks are simply unavoidable.”

For more information on this groundbreaking mission, visit https://t8tech.com/science/spacex-resets-sights-on-ambitious-polaris-dawn-venture-aiming-for-celestial-milestone/.