NASA and SpaceX again postpone today’s scheduled launch due to “a ground system issue.”
The International Space Station will soon welcome four new astronauts, but will still have to wait a little longer than expected. The professionals were to travel on board the spacecraft Space X’s Dragon Endeavour (Crew-6).which was originally scheduled to launch today from the company’s Falcon 9 rocket.
The launch was to take place yesterday, Sunday, February 26, from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. However, the teams of the U.S. space agency and Elon Musk’s aerospace firm decided to delay the liftoff by 24 hours to better prepare for the mission. after a lengthy flight preparation review they conducted last Tuesday. The new scheduled date was today, but it looks like it will take longer.
“Withdrawn from launch (…) due to a problem with the TEA-TEB ground system” -they have reported in a communiqué-. Both Crew-6 and the vehicles are in good condition and the propulsion unloading has begun before the crew disembarks”.
Standing down from tonight’s launch of Crew-6 due to a TEA-TEB ground system issue. Both Crew-6 and the vehicles are healthy and propellant offload has begun ahead of the crew disembarking Dragon
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) February 27, 2023
On the initial delay, Bendi Reed, senior director of SpaceX’s Manned Spaceflight Program, clarified that they would not fly until they were ready: “We’ve performed multiple reviews and will continue to analyze the data and hardware. and we will make sure we are ready to fly these fine people and get them home to their families when the time is right.” This further delay underwrites his words, as it shows that they will take as long as it takes to make sure everything goes as expected.
The astronauts who will travel inside will be. Stephen Bowen and Warren ‘Woody’ Hoburg.of NASA; Sultan Al Neyadiof the United Arab Emirates; and Andrey Fedyaevfrom Roscosmos. Once they arrive at their destination (the ISS), the space travelers will conduct various research, including the study of heart muscle tissue in microgravity, a test of a bioprinter that prints human cells and tissues, and the manufacture of pharmaceuticals in a laboratory on the orbital platform.
“I think we are physically, mentally and technically ready,” Al Neyadi commented at a press conference early last week. And we are anxious to launch into space and carry out the mission.” Astronauts to live together in the ISS for six months and it should be noted that, in the case of the Arab professional, it will be the first long-term space stay.
Al Neyadi will personally perform at least 20 experiments. It is his fourth space trip and his stay will coincide with the holy month of Ramadan. Initially, he would not be obliged to fast as he is in space, but he assured that he would try to do so for a few days.
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