NASA and SpaceX eye weather for Friday’s Crew-7 launch

NASA eyes weather for Friday’s Crew-7 launch. Here’s how it’s looking

By Trevor Mogg August 22, 2023

NASA and SpaceX are about to launch four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) in the Crew-7 mission.

The crew comprises American Jasmin Moghbeli of NASA, Andreas Mogensen of ESA (European Space Agency), Satoshi Furukawa of JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency), and Konstantin Borisov of Russia’s Roscosmos space agency. They’ll spend six months living and working aboard the station orbiting about 250 miles above Earth.

NASA and SpaceX are targeting launch for 3:49 a.m. ET on Friday, August 25, from Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

With everything now pretty much set in place, the mission team is currently keeping a close eye on the weather conditions for launch day around the launch site and also along the Falcon 9 rocket’s flight path.

According to the latest weather report from the 45th Weather Squadron, which offers detailed assessments for air and space operations in the U.S., the chances of weather-related factors impacting Friday’s targeted launch time is rated at just 15%, meaning there’s a very high chance that the Falcon 9 rocket and Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying the four astronauts will get away on time.

The 45th Weather Squadron described the possibility of rain and storms around the launch site prior to launch as “low,” with lift-off winds forecast at a maximum of 15 mph (24 kph).

Drifting cumulus clouds are the only factor cited as a potential concern, but at this stage, they seem unlikely to impact the current launch schedule.

Digital Trends has all the information you need to watch the mission get underway in the early hours of Friday. If technical problems — or any last-minute weather issues — delay the Crew-7 launch, backup opportunities are available on Saturday and Sunday. For the very latest updates on the mission, check out SpaceX’s social feeds.

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