Get ready for a space-bound adventure! SpaceX and NASA are gearing up for the Crew-9 launch, a mission that will send an American astronaut and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station (ISS) aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft.
The launch is scheduled for as early as Thursday, September 26th, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. A Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the capsule and its crew, will be the launch vehicle. However, following a flight readiness review, NASA officials have raised concerns about a gathering storm that could potentially delay the launch.
“NASA, SpaceX, and the U.S. Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron are closely monitoring potential Tropical Cyclone Nine and its approach toward the Gulf of Mexico and Florida’s west coast ahead of launch,” the space agency said.
Despite the potential weather concerns, the Falcon 9 rocket is still scheduled to roll out to Kennedy’s Space Launch Complex-40 on Tuesday. This will be followed by a static fire and final dress rehearsal in preparation for the launch.
Originally, NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov were to be joined by NASA astronauts Zena Cardman and Stephanie Wilson on the flight to the ISS. However, Cardman and Wilson were recently removed from the mission, as their seats are needed to bring home Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore at the end of the Crew-9 mission in February.
Williams and Wilmore were originally scheduled to return home on Boeing Starliner’s spacecraft, but technical issues with the Starliner prompted NASA to bring the vehicle back to Earth empty, leaving Williams and Wilmore stranded.
Crew-9 is the ninth crew rotation mission to the space station under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Hague and Gorbunov will spend approximately five months at the station, conducting experiments, research demonstrations, and spacewalks to maintain the orbital outpost.
How to Watch:
NASA has currently targeted 2:05 p.m. ET on Thursday, September 26th, for the launch of the Crew-9 mission. You can watch the build-up to the launch, the liftoff, and the early stages of the ISS-bound flight on NASA’s YouTube channel. Stay tuned for updates on NASA’s social media channels for the very latest information about the launch.
