SpaceX Crew-6 mission scrubbed less than three minutes before lift-off due to a technical problem.
The launch of NASA’s SpaceX Crew-6 mission that will carry Emirati astronaut Sultan Al Neyadi and three crewmates to the International Space Station (ISS) has been moved to Thursday after it was earlier called off due to a technical problem.
The new launch attempt is scheduled at 9:34am UAE time, although that depends on how fast engineers can resolve the technical issue that prevented Monday’s 10:45am launch of the SpaceX Dragon spacecraft Endeavour, which is powered by SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket. The mission was called off less than two minutes and 30 seconds before lift-off.
According to Nasa, the mission teams decided to stand down after an issue prevented data from confirming a full load of the ignition source for the Falcon 9 first stage Merlin engines, triethylaluminum triethylboron (or TEA-TEB).
“I’m proud of the NASA and SpaceX teams’ focus and dedication to keeping Crew-6 safe,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. “Human spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavor and, as always, we will fly when we are ready.”
The live video feed of the launch showed the four crew members inside the spacecraft waiting to be off-loaded. A 50-minute fuel off-load commenced after the mission was called off. Nasa has revealed that SpaceX has removed the propellant from the Falcon 9 rocket and the astronauts have exited the Dragon spacecraft and are now at the astronaut crew quarters. Both the Falcon 9 and Dragon are in a safe configuration.
A new attempt for a launch was earlier set for Tuesday, but unfavorable weather forecast conditions forced NASA and SpaceX to forgo the launch opportunity.
You might also like: Here’s what Abu Dhabi looks like from space
The other members of Crew-6 mission are NASA astronauts Stephen Bowen and Warren “Woody” Hoburg, and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev.
On this mission, Al Neyadi will spend the next six months on the ISS where he will conduct various science experiments in collaboration with different UAE universities. Al Neyadi’s journey to space will make him the first Arab astronaut to carry out a long-duration space mission.
Al Neyadi will also be the first UAE astronaut to fly on a commercial spacecraft. Hazza Al Mansouri, the first Emirati in space, had boarded a Soyuz spacecraft operated by Roscosmos, the Russian space agency, on the way to the ISS where he spent eight days in orbit conducting various experiments in 2019. Al Neyadi had served as the back-up astronaut on that mission.
Follow Yalla – Abu Dhabi Life for all the latest news across the capital and beyond
Image source Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
