This photo taken on Feb. 27, 2023 shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Thursday, March 2, for next available Crew-6 launch attempt after the original launch attempt was scrubbed early Monday. The launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station was originally scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Monday Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the launch was called off due to a ground systems issue. (NASA/Handout via Xinhua)
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Thursday, March 2, for next available Crew-6 launch attempt after the original launch attempt was scrubbed early Monday.
The launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station was originally scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Monday Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the launch was called off due to a ground systems issue.
Mission teams decided to stand down to investigate an issue preventing data from confirming a full load of the ignition source for the Falcon 9 first stage Merlin engines, triethylaluminum triethylboron (or TEA-TEB), according to NASA.
SpaceX has removed propellant from the Falcon 9 rocket and the astronauts have exited the Dragon spacecraft for astronaut crew quarters. Both the Falcon 9 and Dragon are in a safe configuration, said NASA.
Whether NASA and SpaceX could go for the next available launch attempt on Thursday will depend on resolution of the technical issue preventing Monday's launch.
The Crew-6 launch will carry NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren "Woody" Hoburg, as well as United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi and Roscosmos cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev to the space station for a science expedition mission. ■
This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2023 shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Thursday, March 2, for next available Crew-6 launch attempt after the original launch attempt was scrubbed early Monday. The launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station was originally scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Monday Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the launch was called off due to a ground systems issue. (NASA/Handout via Xinhua)
This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2023 shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Thursday, March 2, for next available Crew-6 launch attempt after the original launch attempt was scrubbed early Monday. The launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station was originally scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Monday Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the launch was called off due to a ground systems issue. (NASA/Handout via Xinhua)
This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2023 shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Thursday, March 2, for next available Crew-6 launch attempt after the original launch attempt was scrubbed early Monday. The launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station was originally scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Monday Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the launch was called off due to a ground systems issue. (NASA/Handout via Xinhua)
This photo taken on Feb. 25, 2023 shows a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and the Dragon spacecraft at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, the United States. NASA and SpaceX are now targeting Thursday, March 2, for next available Crew-6 launch attempt after the original launch attempt was scrubbed early Monday. The launch of the Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station was originally scheduled at 1:45 a.m. Monday Eastern Time from Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. But the launch was called off due to a ground systems issue. (NASA/Handout via Xinhua)