NASA astronauts' launch to the space station is delayed

The launch of four astronauts to the space station was delayed on Wednesday. The flight is a key step towards the return of NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.

Four astronauts will have to wait a bit longer for their journey to the International Space Station.

Mission controllers called off a planned launch Wednesday because of an issue with one of the clamp arms that holds the SpaceX rocket in place on the launch pad.

NASA said it will try again on Friday at 7:03 p.m. ET.

Wednesday’s routine launch attempt was closely watched because it would have kicked off a series of events culminating in the long-awaited flight back to Earth for NASA astronauts Suni Williams and Butch Wilmore.

Williams and Wilmore were expected to stay on the ISS for just a week as part of the first crewed test flight of Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft in June, but problems with the vehicle forced them to remain in orbit, where they’ve now been for nine months.

https://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/watch-live-astronauts-launch-space-station-rcna196034

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