WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 28th September, 2022) NASA and SpaceX are delaying the planned launch date to send astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) next week due to Hurricane Ian, the US space agency said in a press release.
"NASA and SpaceX are targeting no earlier than 12:23 p.m. EDT Tuesday, Oct. 4, for the launch of the agency's Crew-5 mission to the International Space Station with a backup opportunity on Wednesday, Oct. 5," the release said on Tuesday. "Mission teams will continue to monitor the impacts of (Hurricane) Ian on the Space Coast and NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida and could adjust the launch date again, as necessary."
The original launch date set on Monday has been scrapped due to Hurricane Ian, a Category 3 storm that is expected to hit the Florida's west coast in the coming days.
The Crew-5 flight will carry NASA astronauts Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, who will serve as mission commander and pilot, respectively, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Koichi Wakata, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Anna Kikina, who will serve as mission specialists, the release said.
SpaceX's Dragon Endurance spacecraft is currently attached to a Falcon 9 rocket and safely secured inside SpaceX's hangar at Kennedy Space Center, the release added.
After the Hurricane passes, teams from NASA and SpaceX will evaluate the potential impacts to the space center and determine whether to push back the launch date again, according to the release.
