Unmanned Launch Of US SpaceX Dragon 2 To Int'l Space Station Delayed Until Feb 16 - Source

Daniyal Sohail Published January 21, 2019 | 04:11 PM

The unmanned launch of a Dragon 2 spacecraft, developed by US aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed until February 16 and may be postponed further, a Russian space industry source told Sputnik on Monday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 21st January, 2019) The unmanned launch of a Dragon 2 spacecraft, developed by US aerospace manufacturer SpaceX, to the International Space Station (ISS) has been delayed until February 16 and may be postponed further, a Russian space industry source told Sputnik on Monday.

Earlier, the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) stated that the first unmanned launch of the Dragon-2 was slated for February. A Sputnik source, meanwhile, reported that the launch was scheduled for February 9.

"The launch of Dragon 2 was postponed until February 16. Further postponement of the launch is not excluded. At least, this is what the US side says," the source said.

Earlier in January, a source told Sputnik that the manned launch of the Dragon 2 with astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on board had been postponed from June to July.

Both launches will be test flights, after which Dragon 2 � which has two configurations: Crew Dragon and Cargo Dragon � will get certified by NASA for regular flights to the ISS.

Another US spacecraft, Starliner, is being constructed by Boeing. According to a Sputnik source, its unmanned launch to the ISS is scheduled for March 28, while the manned flight is slated for August 27.

Both launches will be test flights, after which the Starliner will be certified by NASA for regular flights to the ISS.