The much-anticipated mission was halted just minutes before launch because poor weather conditions meant the launch itself could have caused a lightning strike.
NASA chief Jim Bridenstine has said that it had no choice to abort the SpaceX launch in Florida on Wednesday as the launch itself could’ve triggered lightning, endangering the safety of the Falcon 9 rocket and two crew members as it headed toward space.
The highly anticipated mission, which, when it happens, will be the first time for astronauts to travel in SpaceX’s Crew Dragon spacecraft as well as the first astronaut launch from U. S. soil since the Space Shuttle program ended in 2011, was called off just minutes before launch after unsettled weather in the rocket’s flight path failed to clear.
Despite the obvious frustration at having to delay the launch, which is now set for Saturday, May 30, the NASA boss remained upbeat, praising those involved.
“I know there’s a lot of disappointment today, the weather got us, but I also want to say this was really a great day for NASA, it was a great day for SpaceX,” Bridenstine said in an interview shortly after Mission Control halted the countdown clock.
