HOUSTON — The countdown is on to another historic SpaceX launch. The Polaris Dawn mission is now set to blast into space from the Kennedy Space Center at 2:38 a.m. Wednesday after crews spotted a helium leak.
The all-civilian crew will attempt the first-ever commercial spacewalk. Former International Space Station Commander Dr. LeRoy Chiao told KHOU 11 News this is a higher-risk mission that could make history.
Chiao will be watching the Polaris Dawn crew as a Falcon 9 blasts the Dragon capsule into space.
"It's a lot of firsts and it's going to be exciting to watch," Chiao said. "It does raise my eyebrows a little bit."
The all-civilian crew hopes to do something that's never been done before -- a first commercial spacewalk and testing new spacesuits. Years of training are about to be put to the test.
Chiao, who did many spacewalks of his own, knows the challenge they're about to tackle.
"Very much a different level of risk, a much higher level of risk," Chiao said.
The historic launch coming days after NASA announced its stranded Starliner astronauts will be coming home in a SpaceX Crew Dragon instead.
"It's a huge black eye for Boeing," Chiao said.
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That means Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore will be staying on the ISS until February. An 8-day mission will now last 8 months.
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"This is part of what you sign up for," Chiao said. "When you do a flight test in particular. As an Astronaut things can change."
Chiao, who trained with Williams in Russia, said both astronauts know what it's like to spend months at a time in space. He believes NASA made the right call here.
"I don't think they're suffering, they're enjoying the mission thrust upon them," Chiao said. "They'll make the most of it and everything will work out just fine."
Once SpaceX's Polaris Dawn mission wraps up, SpaceX plans to launch Crew 9 on Sept. 24. That will be the spacecraft Williams and Wilmore will return on in February.