Florida: NASA's SpaceX Crew-9 mission, aimed at returning Starliner astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the space station on Tuesday, September 24, faced a postponement. The launch of the mission was planned for September 26. The launch of Crew-9 was rescheduled for September 28 due to weather worries linked to Tropical Storm Helene.
NASA stated in their recent post, "NASA and SpaceX teams have adjusted the next launch opportunity for NASA’s SpaceX #Crew9 mission to @Space_Station for no earlier than 1:17pm ET, Saturday, Sept. 28, from Space Launch Complex 40 due to tropical storm conditions in the area."
NASA and SpaceX teams have adjusted the next launch opportunity for NASA’s SpaceX #Crew9 mission to @Space_Station for no earlier than 1:17pm ET, Saturday, Sept. 28, from Space Launch Complex 40 due to tropical storm conditions in the area.
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) September 24, 2024
More: https://t.co/wekEncArQL pic.twitter.com/TP2I1rtZB7
Space X, in their statement, reassured about the bettering weather conditions and the launch will soon be ready as the vital preparations have ended.
Where To Watch The Launch?
A live broadcast of this mission will start approximately one hour before launch and can be viewed on SpaceX's official account. Additionally, viewers have the option to stream the live on NASA's YouTube channel as well.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete. Targeting Saturday, September 28 for launch of Crew-9 to the @space_station → https://t.co/3NmG8U1Cx9
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 25, 2024
Teams will lower and roll Falcon 9 and Dragon back to the hangar at pad 40 tonight due to Tropical Storm Helene’s unfavorable impact on…
Why Was Crew-9 Launch Delayed?
The choice was made due to the expected tropical storm conditions in the area. NASA reported that Tropical Storm Helene is currently located in the Gulf of Mexico and is expected to impact the Florida panhandle, while also posing a threat of strong winds and heavy rainfall to Cape Canaveral and Merritt Island on Florida's eastern coast because of its large size.
The alteration permits teams to practice launch day activities with the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket, stated the US space agency on Tuesday night.
At the same time, SpaceX shared footage and photos of the complete practice run for launch day procedures before liftoff on Saturday.
NASA stated that after rehearsal activities, the integrated system will be relocated back to the hangar before any possible storm activity.
Crew 9: NASA, Space X Mission To Bring Astronauts Back
Nick Hague and Aleksandr Gorbunov will be flying to the ISS on a SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 as part of NASA's Crew 9 mission. Originally intended for four crew members, the plan was revised to include Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore returning from the ISS on Dragon instead of Boeing's Starliner due to issues. Starliner experienced setbacks on its journey back, causing NASA to prioritise the well-being of Williams and Wilmore, choosing to utilise SpaceX for their journey home. As a result, Crew 9 was reduced to only two members, who were Hague and Gorbunov sent into space. The launch date was delayed past August 18 because the mission needed more analysis of Starliner issues and was also delayed due to weather concerns.