NASA and SpaceX have postponed the launch of their Crew-9 mission, now scheduled for September 28 at 1:17 PM EDT, due to weather concerns from Tropical Storm Helene. The launch will take place from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
The decision was made as high winds and heavy rain are expected to affect the Cape Canaveral area. The delay also allows for additional rehearsal of launch activities with the SpaceX Dragon and Falcon 9 rocket.
The Crew-9 mission is part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program, featuring NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Roscosmos cosmonaut Aleksandr Gorbunov, who will launch to the International Space Station (ISS). This mission will see the return of astronauts Butch Wilmore and Sunita Williams, who initially launched aboard Boeing's Starliner on June 5.
The Crew-9 mission's timeline was adjusted due to technical issues with the Starliner, leading to the decision to use the Dragon spacecraft for the return of Wilmore and Williams, reducing the crew size from four to two.