SpaceX’s upcoming Crew-9 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed due to the arrival of Tropical Storm Helena. Originally scheduled for a September 26 launch from the Cape Canaveral Space Station in Florida, the launch has now been pushed back by at least two days. The tropical storm is expected to escalate into a Category 3 hurricane and reach Florida’s Gulf Coast. As a result, NASA and SpaceX are targeting a new launch on Saturday, September 28, at 1:17 PM EDT (1717 GMT), depending on weather conditions.

Precautions are in place

Although the storm will affect all of Florida, its wide reach has led to warnings of strong winds and heavy rain on the East Coast, where Cape Canaveral is located. NASA’s statement highlighted existing preparations, including a preemptive return of the rocket-capsule combination to the hangar. The hardware was moved to the launch pad on September 24, and mission trials are underway ahead of the rescheduled launch date.

Crew information for the mission

The Crew-9 mission will send NASA astronaut Nick Hague and Russian cosmonaut Alexander Gorbunov to the ISS, where they will remain for approximately five months, returning in February 2025. The Falcon 9 rocket will carry a Crew Dragon capsule, called Freedom, and typically equipped for transport four astronauts. However, two seats on this flight are reserved for Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore, who are scheduled to return from the ISS after arriving in Boeing’s Starliner capsule in June.

The launch, once delayed, will mark SpaceX’s ninth operational astronaut mission as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program. Although Boeing is also part of this program, delays in crewed missions of its Starliner capsule have yet to be resolved.