From the Dragon capsule, NASA’s Matthew Dominick obtained a stunning perspective of Hurricane Milton approaching the coastline.
On X (formerly Twitter), Dominick showcased a captivating time-lapse video of Hurricane Milton, as viewed from the SpaceX Crew Dragon Endeavor capsule, currently attached to the International Space Station (ISS).
The Endeavor is carrying out SpaceX’s Crew-8 mission for NASA. This vessel transported Dominick, along with fellow NASA personnel Michael Barratt and Jeanette Epps, and Alexander Grebenkin from Roscosmos, to the orbiting research facility in early March.
The Crew-8 mission is nearing its conclusion. The anticipated return to Earth on Monday, October 7th, was delayed due to Hurricane Milton’s path. The powerful storm is moving across the Gulf of Mexico toward Florida, affecting Endeavor’s planned landing site.
In response, NASA and SpaceX modified Crew-8’s undocking schedule, aiming for a new departure no sooner than Sunday, October 13th.
Currently classified as a Category 4 hurricane—the second most intense—Milton is predicted to make landfall along Florida’s Gulf Coast, near Tampa and St. Petersburg, as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday evening, October 9th. The storm’s projected path is then eastward across Florida, potentially affecting the state’s Atlantic coast.
The storm prompted NASA to postpone the launch of the US$5 billion Europa Clipper mission, originally scheduled for Thursday, October 10th, from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center. A new launch date will be declared once the storm eases.
The Endeavor isn’t the only SpaceX capsule currently docked at the ISS. The Crew Dragon Freedom spacecraft, part of the company’s Crew-9 mission for NASA, arrived on September 29th.
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