NASA Sets Coverage for Crew Launch from Kazakhstan and Delays EscaPADE Mission

Sep 6, 2024, 07:42 PM

NASA has set coverage for the upcoming crew launch, where a trio will join Expedition 71 aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The Roscosmos Soyuz MS-26 spacecraft will launch from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. The crew members are expected to spend about six months aboard the ISS as part of Expedition 71 and 72, before returning to Earth in the spring of 2025. Additionally, NASA has announced a delay in the EscaPADE mission launch until no earlier than spring 2025. The delay was based on a review of launch preparations and discussions with Blue Origin, the Federal Aviation Administration, and Space Launch Delta 45 Range. The decision was made to avoid cost, schedule, and technical challenges that could arise from a launch delay.