SpaceX has delayed a flight to the International Space Station (ISS) after a launch pad problem prompted concerns over a critical hydraulic system. The issue arose less than four hours before the planned evening liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. Engineers evaluated the hydraulics used to release one of the two arms clamping the rocket to its support structure, which needs to tilt back right before liftoff.
The four astronauts already strapped into their capsule awaited a final decision, which came down with less than an hour remaining in the countdown. SpaceX canceled for the day, and officials later said the launch was off until at least Friday.
The U.S., Japanese, and Russian crew will replace NASA’s two stuck astronauts, Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams, who have been on the space station since June. The two test pilots had to move into the ISS after Boeing’s Starliner capsule encountered major breakdowns in transit. They were initially set for a one-week stay but are now expected to remain until further notice.
NASA ordered the Starliner capsule to return empty, and Wilmore and Williams will travel on SpaceX’s crew vehicle instead. The ISS launch delay is a setback for NASA’s plans, but the agency is working to resolve the issue as soon as possible.
Source: https://www.wral.com/story/spacex-delays-flight-to-replace-nasas-stuck-astronauts-after-launch-pad-problem/21907005