SpaceX Crew Dragon launch: No decision on next attempt for historic mission

National Aeronautics Space Agency (NASA) and SpaceX on May 27 had to call off their Demo-2 mission at the last moment that was supposed to carry humans to the International Space Station (ISS) due to bad weather conditions. The agencies are now planning for a May 30 launch depending on the weather condition of the day. NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine on May 29 said that no decision has been taken for the Saturday test flight and it will take place only after reassessing the weather. 

Read: NASA-SpaceX's Crew Dragon 'offloaded', US Astronauts Prepare To Exit

Read: NASA-SpaceX's Historic Manned Launch To ISS Aborted Due To Bad Weather; Here's What's Next

Weather conditions need to be within acceptable limit for both NASA and SpaceX for the launch attempt so they can monitor the flight path without any hindrances and also if anything goes wrong and the crew had to eject, rescue teams should be able to find them without any delay. On May 30, the US Air Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicts a 50% chance of favorable conditions at launch time and on May 31 it has predicted a 60% chance of favourable conditions at launch time, according to NASA's official website. 

Read: As SpaceX & NASA Readies For Launch, Tornado Warning Issued Near Kennedy Space Centre

Historic launch

NASA’s SpaceX Demo-2 mission will return human spaceflight to the International Space Station from US soil for the first time since 2011. The mission is historic because this is the first time a private and government organisation is participating in human spaceflight. Demo-2 will be SpaceX’s final test flight to validate its crew transportation system, including the Crew Dragon, Falcon 9, launch pad and operations capabilities. During the mission, the crew and the SpaceX mission controllers will verify the performance of the spacecraft. 

Read: Kennedy Space Center Weather Updates For The Historic NASA-SpaceX Astronaut Mission Launch

(Image Credit: NASA)