NASA, SpaceX delay Crew-2 mission launch to space station

WASHINGTON, April 21 (Xinhua) -- NASA and SpaceX have rescheduled the launch of the agency's Crew-2 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) to Friday due to unfavorable weather conditions.

The launch was originally scheduled for early Thursday. Although conditions around the launch site were expected to be favorable for liftoff, mission teams also must consider conditions along the flight path and recovery area in the unlikely event of a launch escape, NASA said on Wednesday.

The new launch window is set for 5:49 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) Friday. The Crew Dragon carrying NASA astronauts Shane Kimbrough and Megan McArthur, along with Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency astronaut Akihiko Hoshide, and European Space Agency astronaut Thomas Pesquet is scheduled to dock to the ISS at about 5:10 a.m. EDT Saturday.

The Crew-2 mission is the second crew rotation mission of the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft and Falcon 9 rocket to the ISS as part of NASA's Commercial Crew Program.

With arrival of Crew-2 on Saturday, NASA and SpaceX will continue to target the undocking and return to Earth of Crew-1 for next Wednesday, after an approximate four-day shift change.