Why Did NASA, SpaceX Call Off Crew-6 Rocket Launch Before Takeoff?
(Photo : CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images)
With about two minutes left on the countdown clock, a problem with the TEA-TEB igniting fluid in the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket engines was discovered.

SpaceX and NASA canceled a crew launch to the ISS following an issue with the ground system of the rocket.

The SpaceX Falcon 9's rocket engines' TEA-TEB igniting fluid malfunctioned with around two minutes remaining on the countdown clock, forcing the scrubbing of the Space X launch, according to CNN.

Two NASA astronauts, a Russian cosmonaut, and a member of the United Arab Emirates space program were all secured inside the Falcon rocket's capsule. Waiting for the rocket's fuel to be emptied took an hour, during which time they were trapped inside.

Commander Stephen Bowen reassured everyone by saying, "We'll be sitting here waiting." As a group, they experienced an upbeat mood during the SpaceX Crew-6 launch.

Four people living in the International Space Station (ISS) since October will be replaced by SpaceX Crew-6 Bowen, and his crew, including Sultan al-Neyadi, the first astronaut from the United Arab Emirates sent on a months-long mission.

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Better Safe Than Sorry

On a Monday webcast, SpaceX systems engineer Kate Tice said the SpaceX Crew-6 launch was canceled "out of an abundance of caution."

The trouble was caused by the equipment on the ground that was used to fill the engine's ignition fluid, per officials.

There was some doubt over whether or not the SpaceX launch crew had a full cargo. An engineer from SpaceX compared this essential mechanism to a car's spark plugs, per AP News.

NASA and SpaceX will try to launch the SpaceX Crew-6 mission again at 12:34 a.m. EST on Thursday if they can fix the issue in time. Managers opted not to attempt launching on Tuesday due to weather forecasts, and they couldn't launch on Wednesday due to ISS rendezvous obligations, CBS News reported.

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