The launch of four civilians on a privately chartered spaceflight — the Polaris Dawn, featuring the first commercial spacewalk — is on track for early Wednesday after a 24-hour delay to resolve a helium leak in a launch pad umbilical system.

Jared Isaacman, the flight’s billionaire commander, former F-16 pilot Scott Poteet and two SpaceX engineers, Anna Menon and Sarah Gillis, plan to blast off Wednesday at 3:38 a.m. EDT, kicking off a 12-minute climb to an elliptical orbit that will carry them higher than any astronauts have flown since the Apollo moon program.

The launch was originally planned for Monday, but the flight was delayed 24 hours to complete normal pre-flight processing. Another 24-hour slip then was ordered after engineers discovered a leak in a launch pad umbilical that delivers helium to the booster to push propellants to the rocket’s engines.

SpaceX does not normally provide details about such problems, but the company said Tuesday afternoon the Falcon 9 was on track for a pre-dawn Wednesday launch, with forecasters predicting an 85% chance of good weather along Florida’s Space Coast.

Downrange from the launch site, however, the company was keeping tabs on weather along the Falcon 9’s northeasterly trajectory, where the first stage booster will attempt to land on an offshore droneship after propelling the vehicle out of the lower atmosphere.

The flight is the second SpaceX trip to low-Earth orbit chartered by Isaacman, who at 16 founded what became one of the nation’s leading credit card transaction processors. In 2021, he financed and commanded the Inspiration4 mission, the first all-civilian commercial flight to orbit.

The Polaris Dawn mission launching Wednesday is the first of three more SpaceX flights Isaacman is funding in cooperation with company founder Elon Musk, and the first ever featuring non-government, civilian spacewalks.

Using a scaffold known as the “Skywalker,” Isaacman and Gillis will take turns floating up through the Crew Dragon’s forward hatch to reach open space early Friday, connected at all times by 12-foot-long tethers.

Because the ship does not have an airlock, its cabin will be vented to vacuum before the hatch is opened. Poteet and Menon will also be wearing SpaceX-designed pressure suits, and even though they will not get to stick their helmeted heads outside, they will be counted among the world’s spacewalkers.

The primary goals of the demonstration is to test the new suit’s joints, mobility and comfort to help SpaceX engineers develop lower-cost, easier-to-produce spacesuits for large numbers of people who SpaceX says will one day be venturing to the moon and Mars.

The crew also plans to test a high-speed laser communications system and will carry out a battery of bio-medical experiments throughout the five-day flight to help researchers from more than 30 institutions learn more about the effects of weightlessness.

The Polaris Dawn astronauts are expected to splash down off the coast of Florida on Labor Day.

Labor Day weekend is just a few days away, so retailers have already kick started their Labor Day sales. For those who don’t know, Labor Day weekend is one of the biggest sales events of the year. It’s a great time to save on home, tech and travel essentials, especially high-priced products such as TVs, appliances, furniture and more. 

For those who are itching to start their Labor Day weekend shopping now, we rounded up all the best early Labor Day sales available right now. The savings so far are impressive, with shoppers able to save up to 50% on indoor and outdoor furniture, kitchen essentials and premium mattresses. Shop some of our favorite retailers’ Labor Day sales and be sure to check back as we update this article with more Labor Day sales as they happen.

When is Labor Day 2024?

This year, Labor Day is on Monday, September 2, 2024. 

When do Labor Day sales start?

Many brands have already started their Labor Day sales. It’s not uncommon for retailers to start their Labor Day sales ahead of the holiday to generate excitement (and additional sales) from shoppers. 

Where (and on what) can we expect the best Labor Day sales?

The best Labor Day deals can usually be found on high-priced products, such as home appliances, outdoor furniture, TVs and computers. It’s also a great time for shopping mattress deals. 

Labor Day is also a great time to score major discounts on home decor. That’s because retailers’ fall and Halloween inventory has already arrived, so stores are marking down prices on tons of products to clear their stores’ shelves and warehouses of summer products.

Best Labor Day 2024 deals to shop now

Here’s a roundup of the best Labor Day deals you can shop now, in advance of the holiday weekend.

• Away: The luggage brand that doesn’t do sales all that often is offering up to 50% off backpacks, carryalls, duffles, sling bags and more Away luggage. 
• Amazon: The Amazon Labor Day sale is already live, with discounts across various shopping categories, including tech, kitchen, home, furniture and plenty of Weber grills. (You can find more of our Amazon Labor Day deal picks below.)
• Article: This premium furniture brand has put more than 450 of its products on sale for Labor Day. You could save up to $1,000 on side tables, armchairs, couches, beds, lighting, patio furniture and more. 
• Avocado Mattress: The brand famous for its organic mattresses is offering 20% off their mattresses as well as 10% off on pillows, furniture, bath and body products, and robes and pajamas. You can also save 50% on the brand’s loungewear and Suvin and Hemp bedding. 
• Casterly: This splurge-worthy furniture brand is offering shoppers up to $450 off purchases site-wide. You can also get up to 40% off on-sale items during Labor Day. 
• EyeBuyDirect: The EyeBuyDirect Labor Day sale is on now. Right now you can buy one pair of eyeglasses at their already low price, plus save a whopping 65% off the second pair when you use promo code HOT65 at checkout. Check out more information about this sale on popular prescription eyewear.
• Eyeglasses.com – Save up to 50% on prescription eyeglasses and sunglasses. Use promo code CBSNEWS50 at check.out.
• Frontgate: The brand that bills itself as having “the world’s best outdoor furniture” is discounting its outdoor sets up to $2,200 off (you’ll also get free shipping with that purchase). Shopping for indoor furniture and decor? Don’t worry, there’s a discount for that (25% off site-wide, to be exact). 
• Home Depot: The home improvement retailer’s Labor Day sale is happening now, with big savings on appliances, tools, outdoor power equipment, grills and patio furniture. Some of Home Depot’s best Halloween decorations are also on sale. 
• Leesa: Save 30% on Leesa mattresses for Labor Day. You can score a free sleep bundle with the purchase of select mattresses, which includes a free pillow set and microfiber sheet set. You can also save 25% off bases and bedding as well as 15% off kids mattresses. 
• LG: Save big on appliances this Labor Day with LG. The brand is offering discounts of up to 30% off on dishwashers, washers, dryers, washer towers, microwaves and more. 
• Nolah Mattress: Nolah’s Labor Day mattress sale is one of the earliest we’ve seen, gifting shoppers with a site-wide discount of 35% off. But the deal gets even sweeter for CBS Essentials readers. Enter our exclusive Nolah promo code CBSNEWS50 at checkout and you’ll save an additional $50 off your already discounted mattress purchase. 
• Pottery Barn: Shoppers will appreciate Pottery Barn’s Labor Day sale, which includes up to 60% off hundreds of the brand’s items, ranging from patio furniture to decorative accent pillows. (While you’re there, check out the new Pottery Barn Halloween collection.)
• Purple: Purple’s Labor Day sale is the biggest the brand has had so far this year. You can save up to $700 on mattresses and up to $300 on bases.
• Walmart: Don’t miss Walmart’s Labor Day sale, with deep discounts on TVs and more tech, home essentials and more. One of our favorite deals: The retailer’s bestselling 4-piece patio furniture set is clearance priced at $185, the lowest price we’ve ever seen.
• Wayfair: Save up to 70% ahead of Labor Day across Wayfair’s many home departments including furniture, outdoor, rugs, kitchen, lighting and more. 
• West Elm: Labor Day is a great time to save on outdoor furniture from West Elm. The brand is offering up to 30% off all types of patio furniture, ranging from chairs to an outdoor kitchen. You can also shop their general sale section, which features up to 50% off on goods. 
• Sam’s Club: If you’re not a Sam’s Club member yet, today is the perfect opportunity to join. New Club memberships are just $25, reduced from $50 (with auto-renew). There’s a $40 off discount on Sam’s Club Plus memberships too.
• Samsonite: Level up your luggage for fall travel by taking advantage of Samsonite’s The Perfect Getaway Sale. Save up to 40% off (when you add the code EXTRA10 at checkout) on suitcases, travel backpacks and travel accessories. 
• Samsung: During Samsung’s Labor Day sale, you can save up to $1,300 on eligible refrigerators, up to $1,300 on laundry combos, up to $500 on dishwashers, and up to $900 on the company’s most popular induction ranges.
• Traeger: One of the best grill brands on the market is discounting select grills, including pellet grills, up to $300 for Labor Day. 
• Tumi: Tumi, one of our favorite luxury travel brands is offering shoppers up to 40% off on luggage, travel backpacks, cosmetic bags, purses and even some of the brand’s phone cases. 

Does Amazon have a Labor Day sale? 

Yes. Amazon has already put loads of products on sale for Labor Day, including furniture, travel, kitchen, home and tech products. Scroll the brand’s deals page to find all of their Labor Day discounts. As Labor Day approaches though, we expect there to be plenty of limited-time and lightning deals, which could last anywhere from a few days (limited-time deals) to a couple of hours (lightning deals). 

Apple iPad (9th generation): $199 (Save 40%)

Amazon is a great place to score deals on a variety of Apple products. Case in point: You can get a new iPad for $199 at Amazon’s early Labor Day sale.

The ninth-generation Apple iPad offers 64 or 256 GB of space (price varies by size) and comes with all of Apple’s standard apps and features, including a front and back camera, perfect for pictures and FaceTime. The 10.2-inch Retina display will reveal a brilliant, crystal clear picture that will make watching your favorite TV shows or movies a near-immersive experience. 

The Apple iPad (9th generation) has a 4.8-star rating out of more than 66,800 ratings on Amazon. One reviewer wrote, “I bought this for nursing school and it does everything I need it to! So far no issues with it and I’ve had it for six months.”

Another customer said, “This is my second iPad, and it works great. I can’t imagine using any other tablet brand, especially for internet browsing, gaming and work. Highly recommended.” 

More early Labor Day deals at Amazon:

Best deals at Walmart’s Labor Day sale

Walmart has a ton of deals available right now across all its major categories. Tap the button below to shop Amazon’s current selection of deals, or read on for some of our top Walmart sale picks.

Costway four-piece patio rattan conversation set: Save 45%

This is one of our bestselling products on CBS Essentials. Readers truly can’t stop buying it and we’re sure with this steeper discount, that won’t stop. This four-piece patio conversation set is popular for its affordability as well as its weather-resistant materials and modest size. You don’t need a big backyard to accommodate this patio furniture. It can seat between four to five people and comes in multiple cushion color options, including red and navy (price varies by color). 

The Costway four-piece patio rattan conversation set has a 4.3-star rating on Walmart. One reviewer wrote, “I’m glad we purchased this patio furniture. It’s sturdy and holds up well to the weather and the many guests we’ve entertained this summer. We got many compliments on it. You cannot beat the price.” 

Another customer wrote, “Looks exactly as pictured. Easy to assemble. Comfortable to just sit outside and relax. Love the color too!” 

More early Labor Day deals at Walmart: 

The best Labor Day deals at Wayfair

Furniture tends to go on deep discount during Labor Day, and Wayfair is one of our go-to places to shop for furniture online. Take a look at our top Wayfair sale picks this Labor Day.

Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse queen black Kawamoto bed: Save 68%

This is one of Wayfair’s most impressive markdowns ahead of Labor Day. The Kawamoto bed from Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse is vintage-inspired and designed to be able to blend in well with a variety of decor styles, not just rustic, farmhouse decor. The frame has a weight capacity of 800 pounds and features ample under-bed storage, perfect for storing extra bed linens and other home essentials. 

This metal bed has a 4.7-star rating on Wayfair. One reviewer wrote, “The bed is super cute, and matches the decor I was looking for. Easy to assemble and very comfortable.” 

Another customer said, “Beautiful bed. It fits perfectly in our old farmhouse, but would be just as beautiful in a more modern designed room too.” 

More early Labor Day deals at Wayfair:

Best deals to shop at Target this Labor Day

Score deals on home goods and more at Target this Labor Day. Here are some of our top picks to shop there now.

Henckels Modernist 13-piece knife set with block: Save 69%

Every home cook needs a great set of knives. The problem with knife sets though is that a quality one usually costs an arm and a leg. This Henckels knife set is on sale and comparatively, quite affordable, with shoppers able to save a whopping $372 on their purchase. 

The set comes with every knife you’ll ever need, including 3- and 4-inch paring knives, a 5-inch serrated utility knife, a 7-inch hollow-edge santoku, an 8-inch chef’s knife, an 8-inch bread knife, four 4.5-inch steak knives, kitchen shears as well as sharpening steel, which will come in great handy when your knives need a tune-up. What’s more, they can be put in the dishwasher. 

The Henckels Modernist 13-piece knife set with block has a 4.8-star rating on Target. One reviewer wrote, “Enjoy the balance and fine sharpness of these knives. I have never used a better set of knives. The stainless steel look also matches my kitchen decor perfectly.” 

Grand Theft Auto V (PlayStation 5): $20 (50% off)

This mega-popular racing, action and shooting game for the PS5 is currently on sale for 50% off at Target, so you’ll ay just $20. The game offers enhanced levels of performance with new graphics modes that feature up to 4K resolution (60 frames per second)

Beyond the high action of this rated-M (for mature) game, we love that it offers HDR support and showcases the best of what the PS5 can do when it comes to ray tracing, displaying texture quality, and offering quick loading. As a result, the world of Los Santos and Blaine County offer far more intense action than ever before.

Be sure to visit Hao’s Special Works at the Los Santos Car Meet. It’s here you’ll discover elite new vehicle upgrades and exclusive modifications. You can then take your high-performance vehicle to participate in HSW races, new time trials, and more.

More early Labor Day deals at Target:

Best Labor Day deals at Best Buy

If you’re looking for some great deals on popular tech and major appliances, head over to Best Buy, where you can currently save up to 50% on some bestselling major appliances. Plus, when you purchase select appliances at the Best Buy Labor Day sale, you get a bonus Best Buy gift card worth up to $500, too.

Samsung 3-door French door smart refrigerator: $1,700 (save $640) + $200 gift card

Many major appliances are on sale for Labor Day at Best Buy, including this popular Samsung 3-door, French door refrigerator. It offers 312 cubit feet of space and can create four types of ice. It features a flat-front french door refrigerator design with recessed drawer handle that will blend beautifully into your kitchen.

And like most of Samsung’s newest appliances, this fridge can be monitored and controlled using the SmartThings mobile app. Meanwhile, the adjustable slide-in shelf offers a flexible design, so you can slide it back to create more room for tall and bulky items.

For a limited time, not only is this refrigerator on sale for a whopping $640 off, but with you get a $200 Best Buy gift card as a bonus with your purchase. 

GE 4.5 cubic foot high-efficiency top load washer: $560 (Save $240) + $50 gift card

If you’re seeking an affordable, 4.5 cubit foot capacity, top-loading washer, this GE appliance is not on sale for just $560, which is a savings of $240. Plus, you get a $50 Best Buy gift card as a bonus. The agitator-driven washer comes in white, with a matte-black control panel.

One notable feature is the durable, built-in, dual action agitator that provides better circulation and turnover of clothes. This results in a deep clean, while being gentle on your clothes. You can manually add up to 26 gallons of water to the washer, or let the washer optimize the water level with its auto-fill feature.

And if you’re looking for a matching dryer, Best Buy has the GE 7.2 cubic foot gas dryer on sale for $660, which is $200 off. You also get a $50 Best Buy gift card with the purchase of this appliance. The matching electric version of the dryer is on sale for $560, with a $50 Best Buy gift card included.

Samsung 14″ Galaxy Book Edge4 Copilot+ PC: $1,000 (save $350)

Here’s a chance to save $350 on one of the latest Windows laptops that offers the latest Microsoft CoPilot+ PC artificial intelligence integration built in. The laptop is powered using a Snapdragon X Elite processor and comes configured with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD for storage.

Beyond the advanced AI features, we love that this laptop offers a lovely 14-inch AMOLED touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Battery life is up to 18 hours. Another notable feature is the laptop’s sound system, which includes four AKG speakers with a built in subwoofer.

This computer weighs in at just 2.62 pounds and is a mere 0.43 inches think when shut. It’s a great general purpose laptop that’s chock full of features offered at a very competitive price.

More early Labor Day deals at Best Buy:

Labor Day 2024 is almost here, which means Labor Day sales are live now. The shopping experts at CBS Essentials have scoured the best Labor Day sales at all your favorite retailers to bring you the best mattress deals, the best luggage deals, the best deals on major appliances, best patio furniture clearance deals and even the best tire deals to shop this Labor Day.