Clouds force last-minute delay for astronaut launch to the International Space Station
by Marcia Dunn
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Astronauts, front row from left, Mike Fincke, of NASA, and Zena Cardman, of NASA, back row from left, Oleg Platonov, of Russia and Kimiya Yui, of Japan waves as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building for a trip the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A and a planned liftoff on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Cape Canaveral , Fla. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux
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Astronauts, front row from left, Mike Fincke, of NASA, and Zena Cardman, of NASA, back row from left, Oleg Platonov, of Russia and Kimiya Yui, of Japan waves as they leave the Operations and Checkout Building for a trip the Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A and a planned liftoff on a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Cape Canaveral , Fla. Credit: AP Photo/John Raoux
Thick clouds prompted SpaceX to call off Thursday's planned launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station for NASA.
The countdown was halted at the one-minute, 7-second mark.
SpaceX's next launch attempt from Kennedy Space Center is Friday, although the weather forecast is less favorable.
The U.S., Japanese and Russian crew will spend at least six months at the space station, replacing colleagues launched in March as the fill-ins for NASA's two stuck astronauts.
Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, who's temporarily leading NASA, was at Kennedy Space Center for the launch attempt. The morning started out with ideal weather, but the wind picked up and the clouds rolled in.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the crew Dragon capsule attached, vents fuel while sitting on Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Cape Canaveral , Fla. Credit: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, with the crew Dragon capsule attached, vents fuel while sitting on Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39-A Thursday, July 31, 2025, in Cape Canaveral , Fla. Credit: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara
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Thick clouds caused SpaceX to abort the planned launch of four astronauts to the International Space Station less than two minutes before liftoff. The next attempt is scheduled for Friday, though weather conditions are expected to worsen. The crew, representing the U.S., Japan, and Russia, will spend at least six months on the station, replacing previous occupants.
This summary was automatically generated using LLM.