Launch pad issues prompted SpaceX to delay a flight to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday (March 12) to replace two NASA astronauts stranded there.
The new crew must arrive at the International Space Station before Butch Wilmore and Suni Williams can return home after nine months in orbit.
Concerns over a critical hydraulic system emerged less than four hours before the Falcon rocket was due to lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center at night. As the countdown clock ticked down, engineers were evaluating the hydraulics used to release one of the two arms that hold the rocket to its support structure. That structure needs to be tilted back just before liftoff.
While strapped into their capsule, the four astronauts awaited the final decision, which came less than an hour before the countdown ended. SpaceX then canceled the launch for the day. The company did not immediately announce a new launch date, but noted that the next attempt could be as early as Thursday (March 13) evening.
Once they arrive at the space station, the crew of Americans, Japanese and Russians will replace Wilmore and Williams, who have been there since June. The two astronauts were forced to stay aboard the space station longer after Boeing’s new Starliner capsule suffered major damage during transit.
The Starliner crew's maiden flight was only supposed to last a week, but NASA ordered the capsule to return empty and transferred Wilmore and Williams to SpaceX for the return trip.
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