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NASA and SpaceX Called Off Demo-2 Launch

Sep, 2020

Now, the launch of Demo-2 has been rescheduled on May 30 from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 3:22 p.m. EDT.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA’s) and SpaceX, a private American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation services company have called off the launch of Demo-2 17 minutes before its scheduled takeoff due to bad weather conditions. Previously, the Demo-2 mission was scheduled to be launched on May 27, from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 4:32 pm EDT with two astronauts Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken aboard. In 9 years, for the first time, it will be the first manned mission that will be launched into space from American soil.

Crew Dragon will launch the astronauts on a Falcon 9 rocket to visit the International Space Station for some months and then it will return to Earth. According to NASA, it will be a self-sufficient mission even though the operation will be controlled by the International Space Station (ISS) and the crew of the Dragon. Moreover, NASA has confirmed that both Douglas Hurley and Robert Behnken have flown on many Space missions and are experienced test pilots. The Crew Dragon can stay in orbit for more than 210 days.

In early 2020, NASA and SpaceX completed inflight abort tests, clearing the way for the first manned flight of the Crew Dragon. After completing its slated duration, the rocket will return to Earth and splashdown off the coast of Florida, where two astronauts and capsule will be repatriated to Cape Canaveral by Go Navigator recovery vessel of the SpaceX. Space Adventures has also declared that it has signed a deal with SpaceX to launch up to 4 individuals into Earth orbit on a Crew Dragon spacecraft. It will be the first time that space tourists will be launched into space from the United States. There were no major technical issues in the launch attempt, however, there was not enough time for the weather to improve before the immediate launch window.