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NASA said on Saturday it will delay the Oct. 31 liftoff of a spacecraft developed by the US company SpaceX, which will carry Japan’s Soichi Noguchi and three other astronauts, citing the need for additional checks on the rocket.
The launch of the so-called SpaceX Crew-1 mission “is now scheduled for no earlier than early to mid-November,” the National Aeronautics and Space Administration said in a press release.
(From R) JAXA astronaut Soichi Noguchi and NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, and Shannon Walker are sitting in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft during a training session. (Photo courtesy of SpaceX) (Kyodo)
NASA said it is currently evaluating a malfunction in the gas generators on the first stage engine of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket that was observed during a recent launch attempt from a non-NASA mission.
A Falcon 9 rocket will also be used for the Crew-1 mission with Noguchi from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency and three NASA astronauts, Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover and Shannon Walker. They will remain on the ISS for approximately six months.
The launch delay will provide “additional time for SpaceX to complete hardware testing and data reviews,” NASA said.
Following the announcement, Noguchi tweeted: “We, the crew members, will continue training, thinking that a preparation is necessary to ensure the safety of the rocket.”
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