THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
October 12, 2020 at 18:15 JST
Soichi Noguchi, far right, and three other astronauts aboard the spacecraft Crew Dragon during a training session (Provided by Space Exploration Technologies Corp.)
The launch of the private manned spacecraft Crew Dragon has been postponed until early November at the earliest due to an engine problem, NASA announced on Oct. 10.
The spacecraft, operated by U.S. company Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) Corp., was initially scheduled to blast off from Earth bound for the International Space Station on Oct. 31. It will carry Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi, 55, and three other crew members.
NASA said the spacecraft’s engines need to be examined due to a problem found in the same model of engines used in another spacecraft in its launch attempt.
“I take the (launch delay) as a necessary precaution to ensure the safety of the rocket,” Noguchi said in a message posted on his Twitter account. “We, the crew members, will continue to work hard in our training.”
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