CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A launch pad downside prompted SpaceX to delay a flight to the Worldwide House Station on Wednesday to interchange NASA’s two caught astronauts.
The brand new crew must get to the Worldwide House Station earlier than Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can head house after 9 months in orbit.
Issues over a essential hydraulic system arose lower than 4 hours earlier than the Falcon rocket’s deliberate night liftoff from NASA’s Kennedy House Middle.
Because the countdown clocks ticked down, engineers evaluated the hydraulics used to launch one of many two arms clamping the rocket to its assist construction. This construction must tilt again proper earlier than liftoff.
Already strapped into their capsule, the 4 astronauts awaited a ultimate resolution, which got here down with lower than an hour remaining within the countdown. SpaceX canceled for the day.
The corporate didn’t instantly announce a brand new launch date, however famous the following attempt may very well be as early as Thursday evening.
As soon as on the house station, the US, Japanese and Russian crew will change Wilmore and Williams, who’ve been up there since June.
The 2 check pilots needed to transfer into the house station for an prolonged keep after Boeing’s new Starliner capsule encountered main breakdowns in transit.
Starliner’s debut crew flight was presupposed to final only a week, however NASA ordered the capsule to return empty and transferred Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX for the return leg.
