NASA delays new launch of Crew-3; The astronauts of the second crew may return sooner

The Crew-3 mission, which will carry a new quartet of astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), was initially scheduled to launch on October 31. However, it had to be postponed twice due to weather conditions and the health of one of the crew members. The last scheduled date was next Sunday (7), the date that was NASA I had to postpone it again. There is no definite new release date yet, while NASA and SpaceX Continue to evaluate new opportunities, and also consider prioritizing the return of the Crew-2 mission.

The team continues to monitor the astronaut, who has had health problems, and who must recover before another attempt to launch Crew-3, which may only happen next week. Meanwhile, the The return of the second crew Perhaps it takes priority, with the Crew Dragon leaving the International Space Station on Sunday (7) and landing in the ocean on Monday (8), with the crew on board. This, however, has not yet been confirmed.

along with Tweet embedWe are continuing to review launch and return opportunities for upcoming crew rotation flights to and from @space station.

The teams are now considering whether to bring back Crew-2 before launching the next crew cycle: https://t.co/474jXj9eCq pic.twitter.com/CbaN3hJxqu

– NASA Commercial Crew (@Commercial_Crew) November 4, 2021

In any case, the delay in launching the new crew of astronauts is certain, but it remains to be seen whether NASA will decide to return Crew 2 before sending Crew 3, or whether it will keep the current astronauts on board. ISS for more time. This choice depends on a variety of factors, such as favorable weather conditions, for example – which is why the agency continues to monitor conditions for a possible attempt to launch Crew-3 next week, as well as to receive Crew-2 in the same period.

There are major concerns about high winds on the Falcon 9 rocket platform, along with other conditions. “These are dynamic, complex decisions that change every day,” explained Steve Stitch, Director of Commercial Crew. “The weather in November can be particularly challenging, so our goal is to follow the plan that is most likely to ensure the mission and safety of the crew,” he said.

According to NASA, a decision will be made soon. Mission officials are also considering the maximum length of time SpaceX capsules can remain in orbit before their systems deteriorate. A day on the International Space Station is up to 195 days in space, and this one and another in the Dragon family were created to spend 210 days away from Earth.

If officials decide to prioritize the return of Crew-2 before launching Crew-3, only one astronaut from the United States and one from Russia will operate the station, until the Crew-3 crew lands there.

Source: NASAAnd space flight now