An engine ignition problem forced Monday's launch of the joint NASA-SpaceX mission to the International Space Station to be canceled. With just two minutes left on the countdown clock for liftoff from the Kennedy Space Center (Cape Canaveral, Florida), the launch team decided to call it off.
Technicians detected a problem related to the liquid used to ignite the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket engines at liftoff. The space mission was scheduled send two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut and a United Arab Emirates astronaut on the SpaceX Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station. They were going to replace the four residents who have been there since October.
Launch Update: Today's #Crew6 launch has been scrubbed due to an issue with ground systems. Stand by for details on a new launch date and time. https://t.co/149FPqMrnu pic.twitter.com/1PSYsjCGpL
— NASA (@NASA) February 27, 2023
Upcoming launch scheduled for March 2
NASA reported that it will forgo a launch opportunity on Tuesday, February 28 due to unfavorable forecasted weather conditions. The launch is scheduled to resume next Thursday, March 2.
Bill Nelson, a NASA administrator, stated that "human spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavor and, as always, we will fly when we are ready." He said that he is "proud of the NASA and SpaceX teams’ focus and dedication to keeping Crew-6 safe."
