NASA and SpaceX’s planned Crew Dragon Launch this Wednesday is at a halt due to bad weather. This weather is because of Tropical Storm Bertha, which has rendered the launchpad unsafe for any activities. Attempts to clean the pad did not salvage the situation; therefore, the launch will happen on Saturday.
NASA chief Jim Bridenstine urges the Americans to be patient and wait for the storm to subside. He says that everything is ready and the weather is the only cause of concern. This launch is going to be historic since there hasn’t been any for over nine years. NASA’s Behnken and Hurley are the first in years to be sent to the ISS aboard SpaceX’s Crew Dragon from the American soil.
The two astronauts are in talks with Bridenstine and Elon Musk. They bid their families bye and are heading for launchpad 39A. Musk says that this launch is his successful dream and may also be the dream for SpaceX members.
Elon Musk reports that he is confident the two astronauts will return with good news. He assures the public that they have the safety considerations of the duo at heart. President Trump is the first authority figure to congratulate Elon and Bridenstine. Trump also jitters at the previous leaders for failing to take care of the runway to the launchpad.
The Crew Dragon will be on top of Falcon 9 rocket, which has been successful for over 80 times since 2010. The former NASA deputy administrator Lori Garver says that they were looking forward to something more significant than the previous space shuttle. He says that the new spacecraft appears to be retrograde to the shuttles. The advantage of the capsule is that it can evade falloff debris during launch. Another advantage is that the module is ejectable in case of rocket malfunctions.
To achieve this level of safety, SpaceX has been researching and testing its uncrewed capsules. It has been able to overcome various failures, some whose result is explosions. SpaceX has been sending cargo modules to space since 2012, proving its reliability.
Though the craft is an automatic system, Hurley and Behnken are going to put the manual controls to test. The ship is going to stay in space for a minimum of one month before reentering the earth.
Garver, who is a remarkable personality for aiding the shuttle reentry to earth says the success of this program is a historic milestone for America. She hopes bureaucracy and politics do not strangle NASA’s programs. Garver is happy that SpaceX is doing the job better than for some public organizations.
In conclusion, Bridenstine wants the mission to unite Democrats and Republicans to revolutionize the American aerospace industry.
