NASA has delayed Crew-12’s return from the ISS until at least October 7 because of unfavourable weather near the California splashdown zone.
WASHINGTON: NASA and SpaceX have postponed the return of the Crew-12 mission from the International Space Station after weather and sea conditions were reviewed off the coast of California.
The four-member crew is now scheduled to undock no earlier than 1:05am EDT on Wednesday, October 7, with splashdown targeted for around 11:25am on Thursday, October 8. The exact return time may still change depending on the final landing site selected.
Weather forces delay
Crew-12 had initially been preparing to begin its journey home as early as October 5.
NASA said mission managers are continuing to monitor weather, sea conditions, spacecraft readiness and recovery-team availability before approving Dragon’s departure from the station. Another weather assessment is planned roughly 48 hours before undocking.
The Crew Dragon spacecraft will splash down in waters off the California coast, where recovery teams will be positioned to retrieve the astronauts.
Who is returning?
Crew-12 includes NASA astronauts Jessica Meir and Jack Hathaway, European Space Agency astronaut Sophie Adenot, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
The team has been aboard the ISS supporting Expedition 74 and Expedition 75, carrying out research focused on human health, spaceflight conditions and technologies that could support future missions to the Moon and Mars.
Crew-13 takes over
The delay comes after Crew-13 arrived at the International Space Station on October 1, bringing four new astronauts aboard.
Crew-12 is handing over station responsibilities to the incoming team before returning to Earth. NASA astronaut Jessica Meir is also transferring command of the station to Roscosmos cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov.
Impact to expect
The delay is precautionary and does not indicate a problem with the spacecraft. NASA routinely adjusts Dragon return schedules when weather or sea conditions could complicate splashdown and recovery operations.
