Historic SpaceX U.S. crew launch scrubbed due to weather

Historic SpaceX U.S. crew launch scrubbed due to weather

SpaceX, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk's private rocket company, was forced by foul weather to scrub a planned launch on Wednesday of two Americans into orbit from Florida, a mission that would be the first spaceflight of NASA astronauts from U.S. soil in nine years.

Gavino Garay has more.

It had been smooth sailing for NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, who were prepared to make history on Wednesday... but their mission into space was halted... with just 16 minutes and 54 seconds left before liftoff.

The SpaceX launch, which would have been the first launch of U.S. astronauts from American soil since NASA's space shuttle was terminated in 2011, was scrubbed due to poor weather.

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Elon Musk's private rocket company was due to blast off from the Kennedy Space Center before liftoff was aborted with off-and-on rain over Florida and a tornado warning for the area.

The astronauts were set to lift off from the same launch pad used 9 years ago by NASA's final space shuttle flight, which was piloted by Hurley.

Since then, NASA astronauts have had to hitch rides into orbit aboard Russia's Soyuz spacecraft.

President Donald Trump had already flown aboard Air Force One to Florida and arrived at Cape Canaveral to observe the launch.

Musk and Vice President Mike Pence were also in attendance, along with NASA chief Jim Bridenstine - who said there was too much electricity in the atmosphere to launch.

Hurley and Behnken had already strapped into their capsule seats for a little more than two hours, following a launch ceremony that came after a week of hype, a steak and egg breakfast for Hurley, and a transfer by Tesla's electric cars to the launch pad - another first for NASA.

The next launch window is set for Saturday afternoon, when they're now expected to leave Earth for a 19-hour ride to the International Space Station.