SpaceX and NASA postpone the return of Crew-6 Dragon astronauts to Earth due to bad weather

Four astronauts on the International Space Station now have to wait at least another day to return to Earth after bad weather delayed the return of their SpaceX capsule.

SpaceX and NASA announced on Friday (September 1) that the Crew Dragon capsule carrying Crew-6 astronauts will now depart the International Space Station (ISS) early Sunday (September 3), a 24-hour delay that pushes the crew landing past Just after midnight on Monday morning. The Crew-6 astronauts were originally scheduled to separate on Saturday and land the next day.

NASA officials: “NASA and SpaceX are halting departure opportunities on Saturday, September 2, for the agency’s Crew-6 mission from the International Space Station due to unfavorable weather conditions near landing sites off the coast of Florida.” Written in the update Friday morning (September 1).

Related: SpaceX Crew-6 astronaut mission: Live updates

The Crew-6 Dragon capsule is now scheduled to detach from the International Space Station on Sunday at 7:05 a.m. EDT (1105 GMT), with landing to follow on Monday at 12:07 a.m. EDT (0407 GMT). ). But that timeline depends on local weather conditions at the Crew-6 Dragon landing sites, NASA officials said.

“Mission teams will meet Friday evening to determine the viability of Crew-6’s next landing target,” he wrote in the update. “The Dragon spacecraft, named Endeavour, remains in good condition while currently docked at the space station as Crew-6 prepares for its return trip to Earth to complete a nearly six-month science mission in orbit.”

We started the mission as crewmates, but now we’re brothers. 🤍 Over the past six months, I have gained a new family – with whom I have shared experiences, traditions and cultures, and enjoyed beautiful and challenging moments while creating unforgettable memories together. pic.twitter.com/Y31GcfIvtrAugust 31, 2023

The four astronauts returning to Earth aboard Crew-6 are NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, Sultan Al Neyadi from the United Arab Emirates, and Andrei Fedyev from the Russian space agency Roscosmos. They blasted off to the space station on March 3 and complete a six-month journey to the International Space Station.

“We started the mission as crewmates, but now we are brothers,” said Al Neyadi, the first long-term Emirati astronaut on the International Space Station. He said on X (formerly known as Twitter) on August 31). “Over the past six months, I have gained a new family – with whom I have shared experiences, traditions and cultures, and enjoyed beautiful and challenging moments while creating unforgettable memories together.”