The SpaceX launch was scrubbed Wednesday only 16 minutes away from launch at Cape Canaveral where the U.S. was prepared to launch an American rocket from U.S. soil to the International space Station as part of NASA’s Commercial Crew Program.
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine, the former Republican congressman from Tulsa called the capsule and rocket the safest ever designed for manned flight into space. The Falcon 9 rocket was set to launch at 3:33 p.m. Oklahoma Time from Launch Complex 39A in Florida but storms interfered and resulted in a delay until Saturday afternoon. Astronauts Rob ert Behnken and Douglas Hurley were to fly on the SpaceX’s Crew Dragon.
NASA had described the the mission as the final flight test for SpaceX, one that will validate the company’s crew transportation system including the launch pad, rocket spacecraft and operational capabilities. Saturday’s new launch will be the first time that NASA astronauts will test the spacecraft systems in orbit.
