NEW DELHI: SpaceX’s planned launch of a mission to take three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station on Saturday has been postponed due to adverse weather conditions.
SpaceX, the company announced the delay, and NASA has rescheduled it for Sunday at 10:53 pm (0353 GMT Monday).
The mission will transport three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft named Endeavour, which will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch was delayed due to “elevated winds,” according to a statement by SpaceX.
This is not the first time the launch has been postponed, as it was initially scheduled for February 22.
Since 2020, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been providing astronaut launch services for NASA through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. In contrast, Boeing’s rival program is yet to commence.
The upcoming mission, called “Crew-8,” will be the first spaceflight for Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps, both Americans.
Russian astronaut Alexander Grebenkin will also experience his first space journey. Michael Barratt, a physician, will be making his third visit to the ISS, with his previous two trips being aboard space shuttles, which were retired in 2011.
Despite tensions between the United States and Russia following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, space exploration remains an area of cooperation between the two countries.
The US recently imposed sanctions on 500 Russian targets, including a response to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison.
During the mission, the crew will conduct various experiments, including using stem cells to create organoids, which are artificially grown cell masses resembling organs.
These organoids will be used to study degenerative diseases. The microgravity environment of the ISS allows for three-dimensional cell growth, which is not possible on Earth.
Joel Montalbano, NASA’s International Space Station program manager, informed reporters about a “small leak” on the Russian side of the research platform. The hatch is currently closed to isolate the leak from the rest of the ISS. NASA is closely monitoring the situation.
( with input from agency)
SpaceX, the company announced the delay, and NASA has rescheduled it for Sunday at 10:53 pm (0353 GMT Monday).
The mission will transport three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the ISS aboard the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft named Endeavour, which will be carried by a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
The launch was delayed due to “elevated winds,” according to a statement by SpaceX.
This is not the first time the launch has been postponed, as it was initially scheduled for February 22.
Since 2020, Elon Musk’s SpaceX has been providing astronaut launch services for NASA through NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. In contrast, Boeing’s rival program is yet to commence.
The upcoming mission, called “Crew-8,” will be the first spaceflight for Matthew Dominick and Jeanette Epps, both Americans.
Russian astronaut Alexander Grebenkin will also experience his first space journey. Michael Barratt, a physician, will be making his third visit to the ISS, with his previous two trips being aboard space shuttles, which were retired in 2011.
Despite tensions between the United States and Russia following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine, space exploration remains an area of cooperation between the two countries.
The US recently imposed sanctions on 500 Russian targets, including a response to the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in a Siberian prison.
During the mission, the crew will conduct various experiments, including using stem cells to create organoids, which are artificially grown cell masses resembling organs.
These organoids will be used to study degenerative diseases. The microgravity environment of the ISS allows for three-dimensional cell growth, which is not possible on Earth.
Joel Montalbano, NASA’s International Space Station program manager, informed reporters about a “small leak” on the Russian side of the research platform. The hatch is currently closed to isolate the leak from the rest of the ISS. NASA is closely monitoring the situation.
( with input from agency)