NASA Reveals Why It Scrubbed SpaceX's Crew-6 ISS Mission Minutes Before Launch

NASA scrubbed its SpaceX Crew-6 mission just ahead of its launch to the International Space Station (ISS) due to a ground systems issue. The next available launch attempt is scheduled for 12:34a.m. EST on March 2, 2023, pending a resolution to the current issue can be found by then.

The upcoming Falcon 9 launch of Dragon will be its sixth operational human spaceflight mission (Crew-6) to ISS. NASA reported that today's launch attempt was scrubbed due to the mission's team deciding to investigate an issue preventing data from confirming a full load of the ignition source for the Falcon 9 first Merlin engines.

"I'm proud of the NASA and SpaceX teams' focus and dedication to keeping Crew-6 safe," remarked NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. "Human spaceflight is an inherently risky endeavor and, as always, we will fly when we are ready."

According to NASA, SpaceX has removed propellant from the Falcon 9 rocket following the exit of the Dragon crew members, and both Falcon 9 and Dragon are in a safe configuration.

Dragon has had a total of 37 launches and 33 visits to the ISS thus far. The spacecraft is capable of carrying up to 7 passengers to and from Earth. The spacecraft itself is 26.7ft (8.1m) in height and 13ft (4m) in diameter. It has a launch payload mass of 13,228lbs (6,000kg) and a return payload mass of 6,614lbs (3,000kg).

The Dragon spacecraft that will be used in the upcoming mission previously flew Demo-2, Crew-2, and Axiom Space's Ax-1 to and from the space station, according to SpaceX.

Crew-6 will perform over 200 science experiments and technology demonstrations. The experiments will cover areas such as life and physical sciences to advanced materials, technology development, and in-space production applications.

NASA chose to forgo a launch opportunity on February 28, due to an unfavorable weather forecast. NASA and SpaceX will hold a media teleconference ahead of the next launch attempt, providing updated information. Anyone wanting to watch the next launch attempt can do so on the SpaceX website.