The Crew-8 astronauts are currently awaiting clearance to return home as inclement weather off the Florida coast has postponed their scheduled departure. Originally planned for Monday night, the undocking of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-8 mission has been delayed to no earlier than 9:05 PM EDT, with mission officials closely monitoring weather conditions prior to choosing the timing in the end.

Crew-8 consists of NASA astronauts Matthew Dominick, Mike Barratt, Jeanette Epps, and Roscosmos cosmonaut Alexander Grebenkin. The team has adjusted their sleep patterns in preparation for the departure but now faces further delays due to the unfavorable weather. Despite the hold-up, the crew spent the day adhering to their regular exercise routines and completing assigned tasks aboard the space station, staying ready for the eventual departure. Their sleep schedules will continue to be adjusted as they await updated weather briefings and confirmation of a safe window for undocking and return.

Meanwhile, the remaining crew aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has also adapted their schedules in anticipation of Crew-8’s departure. Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams, alongside Flight Engineers Butch Wilmore, Nick Hague, and Don Pettit, adjusted their own routines to assist with the undocking procedure. With the delay, they experienced a lighter workload on Monday and prepared for the possibility of a Tuesday departure.

The station’s cosmonauts, Alexey Ovchinin, Ivan Vagner, and Aleksandr Gorbunov, continued their respective tasks without major disruption. Ovchinin worked on replacing components of the life support system within the Zvezda service module, while Vagner focused on packing old equipment into the Progress 88 spacecraft ahead of its upcoming departure. Gorbunov spent his day downloading radiation data and cleaning laptops in the Nauka science module.

As the weather remains unpredictable, both Crew-8 and the rest of the ISS crew are awaiting the next update to determine when conditions will be suitable for a safe undocking and return home for the Crew-8 team.