SpaceX shows off double Dragon spacecraft for Polaris and Crew-9 missions

SpaceX has shared images of the double Dragon spacecraft that will be used for the upcoming Polaris Dawn and NASA’s Crew-9 human spaceflight missions.

Visuals show that the company has put the Polaris pod on a hanger and made it ready to liftoff. Also, the Polaris Dawn capsule looks taller and wider than the Crew-9.

The rocket maker also shared an update that the Polaris Dawn pod has been transported to pad 39A, where it will liftoff next week.

Polaris Dawn mission will fly with a Falcon 9 rocket and carry four passengers to Earth’s orbit. These astronauts will perform the first-ever commercial spacewalk at the highest altitude from Earth.

SpaceX has specially designed EVA suits for these astronauts and tested its stability through this mission. There will be other scientific experiments that will help to understand the impact of such travel on human health.

Furthermore, SpaceX and Polaris will conduct Starlink-sponsored communication to test its technology.

SpaceX Dragon Spacecraft for Polaris Dawn and Crew-9 missions (Source – SpaceX

Crew-9 mission

Earlier this month, NASA rescheduled the Crew-9 human crew mission to the International Space Station due to ongoing issues with the Boeing Starliner spacecraft. This vehicle is currently attached to the space station, keeping NASA astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sumi Williams stranded there for about two months.

The Crew-9 mission was originally planned to launch in mid-August but the situation with Starliner has forced the space agency to change the liftoff date. This is related to the fact that NASA could onboard two of these strained astronauts to a Dragon capsule when it returns to Earth in February 2025.

Currently, NASA is looking to launch the Crew-9 mission no earlier than September 24 but it can adjust this date based on Starliner’s return scenario.