Science & TechnologyUS News

NASA’s Crew-11 Launch Delayed by Weather, Rescheduled for Friday

The next attempt is set for Friday, August 1, at 11:43 a.m. EDT, though weather forecasts predict less favorable conditions.

RWTNews Staff
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40, 24 September 2024
The SpaceX Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft sits atop a Falcon 9 rocket at Space Launch Complex 40, 24 September 2024 -- NASA/Keegan Barber

NASA and SpaceX postponed the Crew-11 mission launch to the International Space Station (ISS) on Thursday, due to thick cloud cover over Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The countdown was halted at T-minus 1 minute, 7 seconds, just before the scheduled 12:09 p.m. EDT liftoff. The next attempt is set for Friday, August 1, at 11:43 a.m. EDT, though weather forecasts predict less favorable conditions.

The mission, carrying NASA astronauts Zena Cardman (commander) and Mike Fincke (pilot), JAXA astronaut Kimiya Yui, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Platonov, will travel aboard the Crew Dragon Endeavour on a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 39A. This marks the 11th crew rotation under NASA’s Commercial Crew Program and the 12th human-rated Dragon flight. The crew, set for a six-month ISS stay, will conduct scientific experiments and technology demonstrations, relieving the Crew-10 team launched in March.

The 39-hour transit to the ISS, docking around 3 a.m. EDT on August 2 or 3, sets a record for Crew Dragon docking time. Cardman and Platonov are on their first spaceflights, while Fincke, a veteran of three prior ISS missions, and Yui, with one previous mission, bring experience. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, acting NASA administrator, observed the scrubbed attempt, which saw conditions deteriorate as winds and clouds rolled in.

Like this article

You May Also Like

Comments

NASA’s Crew-11 Launch Delayed by Weather, Rescheduled for Friday | Red, White and True News