T-minus few hours to go… Nasa and SpaceX will launch the Crew-9 mission tonight, September 28, at 10:47 PM IST from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida to bring up the astronauts Sunita Williams and Butch Wilmore from the International Space Station (ISS).
LIVE: Managers from NASA and @SpaceX discuss the targeted Sept. 28 launch of our #Crew9 mission to the @Space_Station, and the @SLDelta45 provides an update on the weather forecast. https://t.co/TZ2V5MTG1M
— NASA (@NASA) September 27, 2024
NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov are slated to take off inside a SpaceX Crew Dragon.
The mission was initially scheduled for September 26 but was delayed by a couple of days due to weather caused by Hurricane Helene.
Sunset at pad 40 pic.twitter.com/dHP77CkAJF
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) September 28, 2024
The Crew-9 flight was originally to have a four-person crew but NASA removed two crew members to make room for the Starliner duo after technical failures with Boeing’s spacecraft.
The spacecraft will carry Hague and Gorbunov to the ISS for a five-month mission, during which they will conduct over 200 scientific experiments and technology demonstrations.
Wilmore and Williams have been on the ISS since June 6, when they arrived on Starliner. During their docking, the spacecraft experienced several helium leaks and thruster failures—tiny engines the vehicle uses to manoeuvre through space. After months of analysis and testing, NASA decided it was too risky to bring them home on the Boeing capsule.
Where To Watch:
“Live coverage of the launch will begin at 9:00 am EDT (6:30 pm IST) on Nasa”s official website, NASA+, YouTube.
The spacecraft is scheduled to launch at 1:17 pm EDT (10:47 pm IST) from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
