SpaceX and NASA’s Crew-2 launch originally planned for Thursday has officially been pushed back, according to a press release from NASA.
NASA said Thursday’s SpaceX Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) would be rescheduled for Friday, April 23 at 5:49 a.m. Eastern Time (ET). The launch will take place at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida using SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The Crew-2 mission will carry NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency (ESA) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, as they travel through space to the ISS.
Launch Update 🚀 @NASA and @SpaceX now are targeting Friday, April 23 at 5:49 a.m. ET for the launch of the Crew-2 mission to the @Space_Station due to unfavorable weather conditions along the flight path on Thursday.
Learn more: https://t.co/GSBum6JjfN pic.twitter.com/ylfQx0u2qT
— NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) April 21, 2021
Upon the arrival of Crew-2 to the ISS, SpaceX and NASA’s Crew-1 mission, which originally launched to the ISS in October, will return to the Earth following a four-day shift change procedure.
The crew will splash down off the coast of Florida around 12:35 p.m. on April 28, following 164 days in space, though the return will also depend on favorable weather and spacecraft health. Astronauts returning will include Crew-1 NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker, as well as JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi.
Fans can follow along with Friday’s Crew-2 launch and mission on NASA’s Crew-2 page, as NASA sends its next round of astronauts to the ISS.
