NASA, SpaceX targets Sunday for Crew-8 astronaut launch after weather delays
The Crew-8 mission marks the eighth operation mission part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the ninth SpaceX launch carrying NASA astronauts since 2020. After two weather delays, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is now scheduled to launch the Crew-8 mission astronauts on Sunday at 10:53 p.m. EST from NASA's Kennedy Space Center.
Crew-8 mission faces another delay, SpaceX targets Sunday night for liftoff
After another weather delay, SpaceX is targeting Sunday night to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station.
KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla. – NASA and Russian astronauts spent the weekend in Florida waiting for the weather to clear to begin their journey in a SpaceX spacecraft to the International Space Station.
After two weather delays, the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch the Crew Dragon spacecraft named Endeavour with the Crew-8 mission astronauts on Sunday at 10:53 p.m. EST from NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) launchpad 39A.
NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin arrived at KSC in Florida a week ago in preparation for their launch to the space station.
The international astronaut mission has faced multiple delays due to poor weather off the Eastern Seaboard. Weather officers have been monitoring strong winds and high waves along the launch abort zone. The Crew-8 mission was initially scheduled to blast off on Friday and was delayed for a second time on Saturday.
The Dragon Endeavour capsule awaits liftoff from Kennedy Space Center, Florida with three NASA astronauts and one Russian cosmonaut beginning the Crew-8 mission to the International Space Station. (Image: SpaceX)
(SpaceX)
For Sunday night's launch window, Space Force weather officers with the 45th Weather Squadron predict a 75% chance of favorable launch conditions.
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While the weather near KSC launchpad 39A has been mostly good throughout the weekend, the conditions at sea have been the main concern for SpaceX and NASA.
When the Falcon 9 launches the Dragon spacecraft, there is a massive abort zone that runs from Florida across the Atlantic to coastal Ireland. A launch abort would send the Dragon away from the Falcon 9 rocket and land in the Atlantic. For a safe launch abort, there are weather safety limits for wind, waves and rain, and the area must be clear of lightning.
NASA said both launch delays have been due to wave and wind limits along the Dragon flight path.
Astronaut, cosmonaut crew spend more time on Earth awaiting liftoff
The Crew-8 mission marks the eighth operation mission part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program and the ninth SpaceX launch carrying NASA astronauts since 2020.
This will be the fifth human spaceflight for Dragon Endeavour. Teams have taken additional time to ensure the capsule is safe to fly.
From left to right, Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin, and NASA astronauts Michael Barratt, Matthew Dominick, and Jeanette Epps, wearing SpaceX spacesuits, are seen as they prepare to depart the Neil A. Armstrong Operations and Checkout Building for Launch Complex 39A during a dress rehearsal prior to the Crew-8 mission launch, Monday, Feb. 26, 2024, at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
(NASA/Aubrey Gemignani)
"We've taken a lot of extra time, it's our fleet leader, to go through all the systems and in particular the prop system just to make sure we're really ready to go fly," NASA Commercial Crew Program manager Steve Stich told reporters on Wednesday.
Sunday night's launch will begin a six-month mission to the International Space Station (ISS). With the new launch date, the astronauts will dock at the ISS on Tuesday around 3 a.m. EST.
The incoming astronauts will be greeted by an international crew from Russia, Europe, Japan and the U.S., who are currently living at the station.
Epps, Barratt and Grebenkin are first-time space flyers. The mission will be Barratt's third.
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The visit to the low-Earth orbiting laboratory has been coming for a long time for Epps.
She was assigned to a 2018 Soyuz launch to the space station but ultimately did not launch on that mission. Epps was later assigned to fly on Boeing's Starliner spacecraft and then reassigned to Crew Dragon last year. Six years after she was first set to fly, Epps will launch on an American spacecraft.
Traffic to the space station is picking up this spring with multiple astronaut missions scheduled.
While Crew-8 prepares for launch to the ISS this week, a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is undergoing testing downrange at Cape Canaveral to launch the Boeing Starliner and two NASA astronauts in April.
"On the heels of Crew-8 for us and Crew-7 in return, we have the CFT, the crewed flight test mission, the flight test with Butch and Suni," Stich said of Boeing's first astronaut launch with Suni Williams and Barry "Butch" Wilmore.
The Crew-7 astronauts will prepare to return to Earth shortly after the new astronauts arrive. After six months on the ISS, the Crew-8 astronauts will return to Earth in the fall.