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Billionaire's spacewalk delayed by a few hours

By AAP Newswire

Sep 12, 2024

SpaceX illustration depicts a spacewalk from the Dragon capsule — An illustration provided by SpaceX in 2024 depicts a spacewalk from the Dragon capsule. -AP

A billionaire will have to wait a little longer to perform the first private spacewalk after SpaceX delayed a spacewalk by a few hours.

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Tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman and his crew began preparing for the endeavour soon after blasting into orbit on Tuesday for a five-day flight.

SpaceX announced the postponement an hour before the planned start of the spacewalk on Thursday.

All systems are looking good for the Polaris Dawn crew to perform the first spacewalk from Dragon today. The EVA webcast begins at 4:55 a.m. ET → — SpaceX (@SpaceX) https://t.co/WpSw0gzeT0 pic.twitter.com/aRDJYaruTO September 12, 2024

No explanation was immediately given, but the company said via X "all systems are looking good" for the walk, now scheduled for at 5.58am (7.58pm AEST).

Isaacman and a SpaceX engineer will take turns emerging from their Crew Dragon capsule hundreds of kilometres above earth, sticking close to the hatch.

Two other crew members will remain strapped in their seats.

Isaacman teamed up with SpaceX for the first commercial spacewalk to test new spacesuits.

By AAP Newswire

Australian Associated Press