Weather Delays: Crew-8 Astronauts' Return Home Postponed

Hurricane Milton has put a wrench in NASA and SpaceX's plans to bring four astronauts back to Earth. The powerful storm forced the agencies to reschedule the Crew-8 mission's undocking from the International Space Station (ISS) from Monday, October 7, to Sunday, October 13. The astronauts—Matthew Dominick, Michael Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin—were supposed to splash down off the coast of Florida. But with the hurricane threatening the area, it's just not safe.

The Crew-8 mission, launched in March, was meant to prepare for the arrival of the Crew-9 mission on September 29. That mission was also delayed because of Hurricane Helene. Now, even the launch of NASA's Europa Clipper mission, set for October 10, has been postponed due to the hurricane. NASA and SpaceX are keeping a close eye on the weather. They’ll have a new weather briefing on Friday, October 11. Meanwhile, the astronauts and the spacecraft are both safe, just waiting for the storm to pass.

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