NASA and SpaceX have postponed the launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS) until Saturday morning. The launch was originally scheduled for 5:03 a.m. ET on Friday, but was halted late Thursday night due to a technical issue.
The four astronauts, Kjell Lindgren of NASA, Bob Hines of NASA, Matthias Maurer of the European Space Agency (ESA), and Samantha Cristoforetti of the Italian Space Agency (ASI), are now scheduled to launch at 3:27 a.m. ET on Saturday.
The launch will take place from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The astronauts will be riding aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
The astronauts are expected to spend six months on the ISS. They will be replacing four astronauts who have been living on the station since December.
The launch delay is a minor setback, but it is not expected to have any major impact on the astronauts' mission. The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is a reliable vehicle, and the Dragon spacecraft has a long history of success.
The astronauts are excited to get to the ISS and start their mission. They are looking forward to conducting scientific research, performing maintenance on the station, and interacting with the other crew members.
The launch of the four astronauts is a major milestone in the ongoing cooperation between NASA and SpaceX. It is the 25th crewed mission to the ISS that SpaceX has launched, and it is the first time that the company has launched a crew of four astronauts.
The launch of the four astronauts is also a sign of the growing importance of commercial spaceflight. SpaceX is one of several companies that are developing commercial crew transportation systems to the ISS. These systems are expected to play a major role in the future of human spaceflight.