Kennedy Space Center Launch Delayed
A planned launch on Saturday of a mission to take three American astronauts and a Russian cosmonaut to the International Space Station was postponed due to poor weather. SpaceX announced that the launch was delayed, and NASA said the agency would now target Sunday at 10:53 p.m. (0353 GMT Monday) for liftoff.
Launch Details
- The SpaceX Crew Dragon named Endeavour is to carry the four atop a Falcon 9 rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida.
- Hours before Saturday night’s scheduled launch, SpaceX posted on X that “elevated winds” forced the delay.
About the Crew
Matthew Dominick, who leads the “Crew-8” mission, is making his first spaceflight, as is fellow American Jeanette Epps. It will also be the first time for Russian Alexander Grebenkin. Michael Barratt, a physician, is making his third visit to the ISS. His first two were aboard space shuttles, which were discontinued in 2011.
Space Cooperation
SpaceX has been providing astronaut launch services for NASA since 2020 under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. The crew will carry out experiments including using stem cells to create organoids to study degenerative diseases.
International Relations
Space remains a rare area of cooperation between the United States and Russia, despite recent tensions. Joel Montalbano, NASA’s International Space Station program manager, mentioned a “small leak” on the Russian side of the research platform, which is being closely monitored.
