SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket ready ahead of Polaris Dawn mission

On Monday, SpaceX pushed back the historic launch of an all-civilian crew on an orbital expedition set to mark a new chapter in space exploration with the first spacewalk by private citizens. The Polaris Dawn mission was set to lift off early Tuesday from NASA's Kennedy Space Center, but is now targeting early Wednesday after a late technical hitch.

Riding atop a Falcon 9 rocket, the SpaceX Dragon capsule is set to reach a peak altitude of 870 miles higher than any crewed mission in over half a century, since the Apollo era. Mission commander Isaacman will guide his four-member team through the mission's centerpiece: the first-ever commercial spacewalk, equipped with sleek, newly developed SpaceX extravehicular activity suits.