UPDATE: Historic SpaceX Launch Postponed Because of Stormy Weather

CAPE CANAVERAL (AP)-UPDATE, 4:26 p.m.: The launch of a SpaceX rocket ship with two NASA astronauts on a history-making flight into orbit has been called off with 16 minutes to go in the countdown because of the danger of lightning.

Liftoff is rescheduled for Saturday.

The spacecraft was set to blast off Wednesday afternoon for the International Space Station, ushering in a new era in commercial spaceflight and putting NASA back in the business of launching astronauts from U.S. for the first time in nearly a decade. Ever since the space shuttle was retired in 2011, NASA has relied on Russian rockets to carry astronauts to and from the space station.

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ORIGINAL (posted 1:30 p.m.): SpaceX is on the cusp of launching NASA astronauts into orbit, a first for a private company.

Wednesday afternoon’s planned flight to the International Space Station will be the first of Americans from the U.S. in nearly a decade.

Riding aboard the brand new SpaceX Dragon capsule for the historic test flight will be veteran NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken.

Thunderstorms remain a concern, both at Florida’s Kennedy Space Center and along the Dragon’s path to orbit.

SpaceX has a split second to launch the Falcon rocket, at 4:33 p.m. EDT. Despite the pandemic, cars and RVs lined roads hours before liftoff.

By Marcia Dunn, Associated Press

About Brendan Fitzpatrick

Brendan, a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, is one of the newest members of the CapeCod.com NewsCenter team. When not on the beat, you'll probably find him watching Boston sports.



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