NASA announced on Wednesday that its long-awaited launch of the SpaceX Crew-2 to the International Space Station (ISS) is delayed.
NASA, SPACEX CREW-2 PREPARES FOR ANOTHER HISTORICAL FLIGHT THURSDAY MORNING
Originally scheduled to leave Thursday morning at 6:11 AM ET from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the agency’s leaders confirmed on Wednesday that the event is now targeted for 5:49 AM ET on Friday.
The delay, NASA explained in a statement, is due to unfavorable weather conditions that were forecast along the flight path for Thursday.
The spacecraft is expected to dock at the space station on Saturday around 5:10 am ET.
At a news conference on Tuesday, the president of the US Space Force, 45 Meteorological Squadron, launched weather officer Brian Cizek, who said that weather and winds from a shorter distance are the agency’s biggest concern.
From left to right, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, NASA astronauts Megan McArthur and Shane Kimbrough, and Akihiko Hoshide (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) (JAXA) astronaut wearing SpaceX space suits are seen as they prepare. to leave Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a rehearsal before the launch of the Crew-2 mission on Sunday, April 18, 2021, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Photo credit: (NASA / Aubrey Gemignani)
(NASA / Aubrey Gemignani)
On Wednesday, at the NASA SpaceX Crew-2 board meeting, Kennedy Space Center director Bob Cabana explained that they are “worried” about downwinds and wave heights in an “abortion” mission.
“It will be absolutely beautiful on Friday morning and we will go out and do it again,” he said.
Also present were Steve Jurczyk, interim administrator of NASA, the Japanese Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), SS manager Junichi Sakai and the European Space Agency’s (ESA) ISS program director Frank de Winne.
Crew Dragon Endeavor – the second crew rotation on a spacecraft trade mission and the first with two international partner astronauts – includes NASA’s Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
Their journey aboard the ISS is set to last six months.
“As Bob mentioned, we have some unfavorable weather off the country. Unlike a robotic mission where you just have to focus on the weather here, at the launch site, for a manned mission we have to look into the distance and make sure our weather is good for a potential launch escape and recovery crew, “Jurczyk remarked.” And so, we’ll be scheduled to go on Friday.
Jurczyk said he met with crew members on Tuesday night and that they were “ready to leave.”
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“I couldn’t be more proud of the Commerical Crew program and the SpaceX team and the NASA team. And what they managed to do to allow a reliable, safe, efficient transport to and from [the] the third launch in less than a year. Demo-2, Crew-1 and now Crew-2 and I look forward to an excellent launch on Friday and bringing Crew-1 home next week. “
Coverage of pre-launch, launch and docking activities will be broadcast live on NASA Television and on the agency’s application and website.