Nasa, SpaceX crew set to take off on routine flight to International Space Station

NASA, along with its private launch services provider SpaceX, is all set to send four astronauts to the International Space Station on Monday, November 26 (local time). As per NASA's latest notification, astronauts Michael Hopkins, Victor Glover, Shannon Walker, and astronaut Soichi Noguchi of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) have arrived at Kennedy’s Launch Complex 39A. The Crew Dragon spacecraft 'Resilience' is ready to take the astronauts to space at 7:27 pm (EST).

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NASA SpaceX launch

The mission which is set to take place on Monday was postponed due to onshore winds and unfavourable weather. "Due to onshore winds and recovery operations, @NASA and @SpaceX are targeting launch of the Crew-1 mission with astronauts to the @Space_Station at 7:27 p.m. EST Sunday, Nov. 15 (0027 GMT Monday)," NASA administrator Jim Bridenstine tweeted.

NASA program had sought to launch a manned mission with vessels and equipment developed by private companies such as Elon Musk’s SpaceX founded in 2002. "The history being made this time is we're launching what we call an operational flight to the International Space Station," Bridenstine told reporters at a press conference ahead of launch. 

The weather forecasts for the launch was provided by the US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron situated along the East Coast of the United States, which includes Cape Canaveral, Florida, a location where a majority of US-based launches take place. “High winds can prevent crews from hoisting a spacecraft onto the top of a rocket. Thunderstorms can stop all activities on the launch pad,” Steven Siceloff, NASA weather curator said in a release. High winds near the ground could result in postponing the launch altogether as it might lead to control problems of the rocket, according to SpaceX.

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(Image Credits: Twitter/NASA)