A ground system failure prevented NASA and SpaceX from attempting to launch the agency's Crew-6 mission to the International Space Station (ISS) on Monday, Feb. 27.
Mission crews chose to stand down to examine an issue preventing data from confirming a complete load of the ignition source for the Falcon 9 first-stage Merlin engines, triethylaluminum triethylboron (or TEA-TEB).
CAPE CANAVERAL , FLORIDA FEBRUARY 27: The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft Endeavour sits poised on Launch Pad 39A as the countdown was scrubbed on February 27, 2023 due to technical issue at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The crew of four, Mission Specialist Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev, NASA Pilot Woody Hoburg, NASA Commander Stephen Bowen and Mission Specialist United Arab Emirates astronaut Sultan Alneyadi was to begin a six-month expedition to the International Space Station.
Delayed Launch
"I'm proud of the NASA and SpaceX teams' focus and dedication to keeping Crew-6 safe," NASA Administrator Bill Nelson said in a statement, quoted by NASA's latest blog post.
"Human spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavor and, as always, we will fly when we are ready."
The Falcon 9 rocket's propellant has been defueled by SpaceX, and the astronauts have left the Dragon spacecraft to head to the crew quarters. Both the Falcon 9 and Dragon are in a safe configuration, according to NASA.
On Tuesday, Feb. 28, NASA and SpaceX will not attempt a launch because of the adverse weather predictions.
In the event that the technical issue blocking Monday's launch cannot be resolved, the following launch attempt will take place at 12:34 AM EST on Thursday, Mar. 2.
Testing Site for Artemis
The Crew-6 will undertake investigations to advance long-duration off-Earth habitation in the future.
Crew-6 pilot Warren "Woody" Hoburg, a first-time NASA astronaut, said that the space station would become a testing site for Artemis.
He noted that since long-duration astronaut stays there commenced 22 years ago, the ISS has housed several tests of technologies. But for the Crew-6 mission, the studies will focus on how it will aid NASA's future missions to the moon.
According to NASA documents, a few of the moon-related investigations planned include a microscope that would function on the moon's surface, a study of space station microorganisms that might keep personnel healthy on the moon, and an experimental high-speed communications system.
In 2020, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) ratified the Artemis Accords, an international framework for peaceful lunar exploration sponsored by NASA. Hence, for the upcoming journey, Crew-6 will include an astronaut from the United Arab Emirates.
Sultan Al Neyadi, who accepted the eight-day maiden mission in 2019, is the first UAE astronaut in the program to accept a lengthy mission. Al Neyadi was assigned to Crew-6 after a series of astronaut seat transactions among the participating ISS nations.
Related Article: NASA Will Land On The Moon For The First Time in 50 Years l Here's Everything You Need To Know About Artemis 1
