[Source: BBC News]
A Nasa-SpaceX mission that aimed to clear the way for two stranded astronauts to get back to Earth has been postponed.
The Falcon 9 launch from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station was put back due to a hydraulic ground issue. There is another possible launch opportunity tomorrow.
The rocket aimed to fly four new crew members to the International Space Station (ISS) and pave the way for the return of Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.
The two Nasa astronauts flew to space in June but were not able to return on a Boeing spacecraft after it was deemed unsafe. The pair would be able to return to Earth within days of the SpaceX mission reaching the ISS.
Today’s launch would have made it possible for them to return to Earth as early as Sunday.
SpaceX said the issue that forced the launch to scrub related to the hydraulics on one of the clamp arms, which engineers were trying to fix. There were concerns the arm would not have been able to open fully during launch.
There is another possible launch window tomorrow but SpaceX has yet to announce whether the equipment will be fixed by that time.
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