A Russian Soyuz rocket carrying three astronauts certain for the Worldwide House Station skilled a uncommon abort on the launch pad on Thursday (March 21) whereas the crew waited expectantly inside their spacecraft.The abort occurred simply 21 seconds earlier than the Soyuz rocket was to launch NASA astronaut Tracey Caldwell Dyson, Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus to the Worldwide House Station (ISS) from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Liftoff was scheduled for 9:21 a.m. EDT (1321 GMT). “The Soyuz launch to the house station has been aborted,” NASA spokesperson Rob Navias stated throughout stay commentary. “So, no guests to the Worldwide House Station right this moment. The subsequent alternative to launch, pending decision of what occurred right this moment, can be Saturday morning,” he added.”No cause has but been given for the abort,” Navias stated.Associated: Worldwide House Station — Every part you must knowA Russian Soyuz rocket carrying the three Soyuz MS-25 astronauts of Expedition 71 is seen on the launch pad on March 21, 2024, forward of a last-minute abort that occurred at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. (Picture credit score: NASA TV)Navias stated the abort was triggered by an automated system shortly earlier than engine ignition; two umbilical connections have been retracted away from the rocket forward of the deliberate launch. Roscosmos, Russia’s house company, despatched engineers to the launch pad shortly after the abort to verify the car was secure and crew may very well be extracted.”The car is secure, all fueling operations have ceased,” Navias stated. “All security instructions have been supplied onboard the rocket so there is not any hazard to the crew. They’re completely secure.”NASA’s Mission Management middle radioed information of the launch abort to astronauts aboard the ISS shortly after it occurred. Flight controllers made it clear the Soyuz crew was secure.”Station copies; aborted,” station commander Andreas Mogensen of the European House Company replied. “Most significantly, Station copies crew are secure.”Breaking house information, the newest updates on rocket launches, skywatching occasions and extra!The Soyuz MS-25 crew waves farewell earlier than an tried launch to the Worldwide House Station on a Soyuz rocket at Baikonur Cosmodrome, Kazakhstan. They’re: Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus (prime), Tracey Caldwell Dyson of NASA (middle) and Russian cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy. (Picture credit score: NASA TV)Russia’s Soyuz rockets and crewed Soyuz spacecraft are workhorse transport autos that repeatedly fly cosmonauts and astronauts to and from the ISS. Roscosmos has used the spacecraft for crewed flights all through the 24-year historical past of the ISS, in addition to throughout its earlier Mir house station program. An abort simply earlier than launch is exceedingly uncommon for Soyuz rockets. In October 2018, a Soyuz rocket carrying NASA astronaut Nick Hague and cosmonaut Alexey Ovchinin suffered an in-flight abort that compelled the crew’s Soyuz capsule to tear free from its rocket and make a harrowing emergency touchdown. That abort was traced to a deformed sensor on the Soyuz rocket.Dyson, Novitskiy and Vasilevskaya are set to launch on a mission to hitch the continuing crew on the Worldwide House Station. Dyson and Novitskiy plan to spend six months aboard the house station as a part of its Expedition 71 crew, whereas Vasilevskaya is about to embark on a 12-day keep and return house with the outgoing Expedition 70 crew. NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson (left), Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy (middle), and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya (proper) of Belarus pose for a portrait on the Gagarin Cosmonaut Coaching Middle on Nov. 2, 2023. (Picture credit score: GCTC/Andrey Shelepin)Precisely when the three house vacationers will launch, nevertheless, is unclear. Whereas Roscosmos has stated the following window to launch the trio will open on Saturday, engineers with Soyuz rocket maker Energia should perceive why right this moment’s Soyuz launch aborted and carry out any fixes which may be required. NASA has pledged to share updates as they’re obtained from Roscosmos and Energia. In the meantime, in Florida, one other rocket is counting all the way down to launch to the ISS right this moment.An uncrewed SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon cargo ship are scheduled to launch greater than 2 tons of recent provides to the ISS from House Launch Advanced 40 on the Cape Canaveral House Drive Station in Florida. Liftoff for that mission is scheduled for 4:55 p.m. EDT (2055 GMT) and may proceed as deliberate, Navias stated. “The preliminary phrase is that the Falcon 9 launch of the CRS-30 resupply mission to the station will possible proceed as deliberate right this moment,” he added. NASA and SpaceX will present a livestream of the CRS-30 cargo launch, starting at 4:35 p.m. EDT (2035 GMT).