03:36USA: SpaceX's 'historic mission' postponed to Saturday due to weather conditions
The Demo-2 mission by Space X, which was set to become the first NASA space mission departing from the US territory in the last nine years, has been postponed to Saturday due to weather conditions.
The launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida was called off less than 20 minutes before the scheduled departure on Wednesday evening.
The well-awaited mission would end almost a decade of dependence from Russia in the space industry, with US astronauts departing from the US soil instead of Russian-owned Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The mission would also make Elon Musk's Space X the first private company to launch humans on the Earth's orbit if the mission succeeds.
Two astronauts on the mission, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, were seen completing preparations for the launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, owned by SpaceX.
Commenting on the ground-breaking mission in a morning TV show on Wednesday, Musk could not hide his excitement about an upcoming event, saying "This is the culmination of my dream. This is a dream come true."
NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, commented on the postponement, saying that the mission had to be delayed due to a high amount of the electricity in the atmosphere, adding that the launch could trigger a lightening.
The alternative timeslots for the launch attempt are set on Saturday at 15:22 (19:22 GMT) and Sunday at 15:00 (19:00 GMT) Eastern time.
Mandatory credit: NASA TV
03:36Mandatory credit: NASA TV
The Demo-2 mission by Space X, which was set to become the first NASA space mission departing from the US territory in the last nine years, has been postponed to Saturday due to weather conditions.
The launch from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida was called off less than 20 minutes before the scheduled departure on Wednesday evening.
The well-awaited mission would end almost a decade of dependence from Russia in the space industry, with US astronauts departing from the US soil instead of Russian-owned Baikonur Cosmodrome.
The mission would also make Elon Musk's Space X the first private company to launch humans on the Earth's orbit if the mission succeeds.
Two astronauts on the mission, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, were seen completing preparations for the launch of the Crew Dragon spacecraft, owned by SpaceX.
Commenting on the ground-breaking mission in a morning TV show on Wednesday, Musk could not hide his excitement about an upcoming event, saying "This is the culmination of my dream. This is a dream come true."
NASA administrator, Jim Bridenstine, commented on the postponement, saying that the mission had to be delayed due to a high amount of the electricity in the atmosphere, adding that the launch could trigger a lightening.
The alternative timeslots for the launch attempt are set on Saturday at 15:22 (19:22 GMT) and Sunday at 15:00 (19:00 GMT) Eastern time.
Mandatory credit: NASA TV