The spacecraft is designed to carry Russian and Belarusian cosmonauts and an American astronaut to the International Space Station
Moscow:
The launch of a Russian Soyuz spacecraft that was due to carry Russian and Belarusian astronauts and an American astronaut to the International Space Station (ISS) was canceled at the last minute on Thursday.
“Launch!” Mission Control said the rocket showed its main supports moving away from its launch site at the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan.
Then the words “Automatically canceled launch” came from the live broadcast room.
“Unfortunately, my friends, the order to cancel the launch has already been given,” the Roscosmos live broadcaster said.
NASA said: “Today’s Soyuz launch was aborted at 20 seconds. The spacecraft and crew remain safe.” It added that the next opportunity for launch is Saturday.
Today’s Soyuz launch was aborted at 20 seconds. The spacecraft and crew remain safe. The team in Baikonur will provide updates as they conduct their assessment. pic.twitter.com/xPBtWtDDsh
— NASA (@NASA) March 21, 2024
No reason was immediately given for the aborted launch.
It was scheduled to take place at 1321 GMT, with docking with the International Space Station a few hours later.
Just before the cancellation, astronauts aboard the rocket included NASA astronaut Tracy Dyson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Nowitsky and Belarusian Marina Vasilevskaya.
According to NASA, Nowitzki and Vasilevskaya were scheduled to stay on the International Space Station for 12 days and return to Lola O’Hara on April 2.
NASA said Dyson will spend six months aboard the International Space Station conducting technology experiments to help prepare humans for future space missions.
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