Historic SpaceX launch to make second attempt – The National

Historic SpaceX launch to make second attempt – The National

More stormy weather is forecast for Saturday and the attempt may be delayed again. SpaceX pressed ahead with its second attempt to launch astronauts for Nasa - a historic first for a private company - but stormy weather has threatened more delays.. Elon Musk's company came within 17 minutes on Wednesday of launching a pair of Nasa astronauts for the first time in nearly a decade from the US, before the threat of lightning forced a delay.. At an outdoor news conference on Friday, Mr Bridenstine stressed the need for safety for astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken - no matter how many times it takes to launch them in a SpaceX Dragon capsule to the International Space Station.. In a tweet Friday, Hurley said his first shuttle flight was scrubbed five times for weather and technical issues.. A weekend launch could draw even bigger crowds.. Whether an attempt is made Saturday or Sunday, "There will be no pressure.. The last time astronauts launched to orbit from the US was in 2011 when Atlantis closed out the 30-year space shuttle program.. Nasa has spent billions of dollars to buy seats on Russian Soyuz capsules for US astronauts, in order to