For the third time, officials postponed the launch of NASA and SpaceX's planned mission for the flight of Crew-3. The mission, which was supposed to take place on Halloween, October 31, has been pushed back until Wednesday, November 10. This is to make room for the Crew-2 crew and the splashdown of Crew Dragon from the International Space Station.
On Monday, November 8, the astronauts of SpaceX's Crew-2 mission are set to leave the International Space Station. Splashdown has been rescheduled for Monday at 10:33 p.m. EST.
CAPE CANAVERAL, FLORIDA - APRIL 23: In this handout image provided by NASA, a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with the company's Crew Dragon spacecraft onboard is illuminated by spotlights on the launch pad at Launch Complex 39A as preparations continue for the SpaceX Crew-2 mission at NASA's Kennedy Space Center on April 23, 2021, in Cape Canaveral, Florida. This is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station as part of the agency's Commercial Crew Program. NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, ESA (European Space Agency) astronaut Thomas Pesquet, and Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) astronaut Akihiko Hoshide are scheduled to launch at 5:49 a.m. EDT.
NASA, SpaceX Crew-3 Delayed For The Third Time
After two prior delays to the mission, SpaceX has stated through Twitter that there would be another delay to the alleged Crew Dragon launch that the crew has been prepping for weeks. The space corporation and agency put it off for today, about an hour before its scheduled launch on Monday, November 8, to ensure that both sides are ready by Wednesday.
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Both sides agree that the hand-off or their first crew shift should take place on Earth rather than in orbit onboard the space station. When the original Crew-1 and Crew-2 arrived in space, they performed the same thing as the previous crew who had served their sentence and stayed on the ISS.
Initially, SpaceX's announcement for Crew-3's November 8 launch was made a little over five hours before the postponement, and it appears that there was an abrupt change of plans. However, different factors confronted the organization, which resulted in the mission's frequent delays. One astronaut had a minor medical issue, Science Times reported. Bad weather also caused the other delays.
How to See Crew-2 Splashdown Live
NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur and Japanese astronaut Akihiko Hoshide and European Space Agency's (ESA) Thomas Pesquet will bid their crewmates farewell aboard the orbiting outpost Sunday. They will board their Crew Dragon spacecraft, called Endeavour, for the journey down to Earth. Digital Trends said NASA would air the splashdown live at 10:33 p.m. EST on Monday.
Fans can watch it all unfold live here at Science Times. NASA TV provided the footage that is embedded below. Monday's coverage will begin at 11:45 a.m. EST, drop off once the hatch closes, and then resume at 1:45 p.m. EST for departure. According to NASA officials, coverage will continue until splashdown.
On Sunday, the hatches between Endeavour and the station will close at 12:40 p.m. EST, followed by undocking at 2:05 p.m. EST. If all goes according to schedule, Space.com said the capsule would splash down off the coast of Florida early Monday evening (November 8).
However, this timetable is currently a work in progress. Weather still plays a key role when the crew may return home, with the final "go/no go" call coming only a few hours before Endeavour is set to undock. If the weather at any of the seven potential splashdown sites is too bad, the mission crew will aim for a Monday backup window for both undocking and splashdown.
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