NASA and SpaceX postponed Monday, November 1 for the second time in a few days the takeoff of the rocket that is to take four astronauts to the International Space Station (ISS), due to a
"minor health problem"
in one. crew members.
The problem
"is not a medical emergency and is not related to Covid-19,"
Nasa said in a statement, without giving further details.
US astronauts Raja Chari, Kayla Barron and Tom Marshburn, as well as German astronaut Matthias Maurer, will remain in quarantine at the Kennedy Space Center pending, the agency added.
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They were initially scheduled to take off early Sunday morning.
But due to bad weather, the flight had already been postponed to Wednesday.
The launch is now scheduled for Saturday at 11:36 p.m. local time (03:36 GMT Sunday), from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
NASA did not specify which of the astronauts was affected by this health problem.
This mission, called Crew-3, is the third regular manned mission provided by SpaceX on behalf of the US Space Agency.
Elon Musk's company allowed NASA to resume flights from American soil, after the shutdown of space shuttles in 2011.
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Astronauts are expected to spend about six months in orbit and conduct numerous experiments aboard this flying laboratory.
They are to replace the four Crew-2 astronauts, including Frenchman Thomas Pesquet, who have been in the ISS since April.
The return to Earth of Crew-2 is normally scheduled
"early November"
but NASA explained Monday
"continue to assess the dates"
possible and not rule out an
"indirect handover"
rather than direct between the two crews.
