Crew-7 Launch Delayed by 2 Days as SpaceX Completes Launch Pad Work

Crew-7 Launch Delayed by 2 Days as SpaceX Completes Launch Pad Work

August 5, 2023

The launch of SpaceX's Crew-7 mission to the International Space Station has been delayed by two days, NASA officials announced Thursday. The new launch date is now August 25.

The delay is due to the need for additional time to complete launch pad readiness work at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. SpaceX recently launched a Falcon Heavy rocket from the same launch pad, and NASA officials said that some additional work was needed to ensure that the pad is safe for Crew-7's launch.

The Crew-7 mission will be the seventh crewed mission to the ISS under NASA's Commercial Crew Program. The crew for the mission includes three NASA astronauts: Kjell Lindgren, Bob Hines, and Jessica Watkins. They will be joined by European Space Agency astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti.

The Crew-7 mission is scheduled to spend six months on the ISS. During their time on the station, the crew will conduct a variety of scientific experiments and maintenance tasks. They will also welcome a new crew to the station, which is expected to arrive in October.

NASA officials said that they are confident that the Crew-7 mission will be a success. "We are working closely with SpaceX to ensure that the launch pad is ready for Crew-7's launch," said Kathy Lueders, NASA's associate administrator for human exploration and operations. "We are confident that this delay will not impact the overall success of the mission."

The Crew-7 launch is one of several upcoming crewed missions to the ISS. SpaceX is also scheduled to launch the Crew-8 mission in October, and Boeing is scheduled to launch the CST-100 Starliner in December.

These upcoming missions are part of a broader effort to increase the number of crewed flights to the ISS. NASA is hoping to eventually have a continuous presence on the station, with a rotating crew of astronauts.