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On May 27th, SpaceX and NASA’s historical space launch was scrubbed due to poor weather conditions.
With approximately 20 minutes until liftoff, the launch was called off for the day due to inclement weather.
There were three weather constraints that prevented liftoff today, including natural lightning, NASA officials said in a broadcast. Unfortunately, they expected all the inclement weather conditions to clear up just 10 minutes after the scheduled launch time.
Tune in for remarks on today's scrubbed launch after @AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug have exited the @SpaceX Crew Dragon. No earlier than 5:20pm ET.
Watch live: https://t.co/Djy13o0Bty
— Jim Bridenstine (@JimBridenstine) May 27, 2020
NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine said that there was “too much electricity in the air.”
“I know there’s a lot of disappointment today, the weather got us,” Jim Bridenstine said. Still, he called it “a great day” for NASA and SpaceX, lauding how the teams “worked together in a really impressive way.”
“There wasn’t really a lightning storm or anything like that, but there was a concern that if we did launch it could trigger lightning,” he said. “In the end the right decision was made.”
He still said that the stopped launch was important, because it was like a “wet dress rehearsal.”
Bridenstine said he is proud of the teams and that on “Saturday afternoon, we are going to do it again.”
“Here’s what we know, we are going to launch American astronauts on American rockets from American soil,” he said. “We’re very close.”
US President Donald Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and US Vice President Mike Pence were present for the launch.
President Donald Trump tweeted his thanks to NASA and SpaceX for their “hard work and leadership.”
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Air Force 1 arrives at @NASAKennedy with special guest @POTUS on board to watch us #LaunchAmerica with American astronauts from American soil for the first time since 2011. pic.twitter.com/xWNIsS5nfM
— NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2020
Elon Musk said that the launch was a “dream come true” and shared what he told the astronauts.
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"This is a dream come true, I think for me, and everyone at @SpaceX." @ElonMusk is ready to #LaunchAmerica: pic.twitter.com/xgScFca9eY
— NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2020
What's on board the Crew Dragon? @AstroBehnken, @Astro_Doug and a mosaic @SpaceX assembled from 100,000 graduate portraits. Congratulations to all of our 2020 graduates! #LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/9Pa0uAyvhd
— NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2020
✔️ Strapped in
✔️ Ready for the ride#LaunchAmerica pic.twitter.com/qJeBMFEWvS— NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2020
The launch was notable since it would be the first time astronauts are sent to space from American soil since 2011.
Even the astronauts’ suits were special, being specifically designed for the Dragon system.
“The suit is really one part of the bigger Dragon system, it’s really part of the vehicle,” Chris Trigg, SpaceX’s space suits and crew equipment manager said. “The suit and the seat are working together.”
Time to suit up! ?@AstroBehnken and @Astro_Doug suit up to #LaunchAmerica in the same room as the first crewed Apollo mission, Apollo 7: https://t.co/U1COQzFy4v pic.twitter.com/fJJTA9Nnz5
— NASA (@NASA) May 27, 2020
SpaceX spacesuits are designed for optimum functionality with Dragon pic.twitter.com/QW4DirDirx
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 27, 2020
The launch is to take place on May 30th, with US President Donald Trump vowing to go back to observe it, and others being positive that it would be successful.
If that fails, the other chance is May 31st, and then the dates extend somewhere into the future.
The Dragon capsule resembles the cone-shaped spacecraft of earlier generations, with some updates, such as a white exterior and, on the inside, touchscreen control panels. It will be launched by a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket — the company’s workhorse launch vehicle that has successfully flown 83 times since 2010.
Dragon Dawn pic.twitter.com/mz1EzU5GSO
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 26, 2020
MORE ON THE TOPIC:
The US should have poured those wasted US$10 trillion in wars in the Middle East into this sort of thing, would have reaped greater long term rewards, not least minding its own business.
Does it mean, that space travel will depend on the weather?
Seems so :)