The next SpaceX launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, has been delayed another week, the Associated Press reported.
NASA is attributing the delay of the SpaceX Crew-3 to two reasons. One involves one of the astronauts, who has suffered what was called a "minor medical issue" in a statement. The agency has not identified the crew member, whom they said should be fine by November 8. Weather is the other reason.
"The weather in November can be especially challenging," NASA commercial crew program manager Steve Stich said, "so our goal is to move forward on the plan with the highest probability of mission assurance and crew safety,"
The U.S.-German crew was supposed to launch into space last weekend, but inclement weather resulted in a delay.
NASA is trying to determine if they want to have the astronauts in the International Space Station (ISS) return before the new crew arrives. The occupants of the ISS have been there since April.
For more reporting from the Associated Press, see below.
The soonest the astronauts in space could return in their SpaceX capsule is Sunday; that would further postpone the next crew launch.
Managers at NASA are also reviewing how many days would be needed between the two events.
Also factoring into the equation is the amount of time a SpaceX capsule can remain in orbit before its systems are degraded. The company's Dragon capsules are designed to spend 210 days aloft; the one up there now logged day 195 on Thursday. Additional analysis could extend the acceptable amount of time, according to NASA.
If the four astronauts come home first, the station will remain occupied by an American and two Russians.
Newsweek previously reported that the Crew-3 launch will be the first spaceflight for mission commander Raja Chari and specialists Kayla Barron and Matthias Maurer. The fourth astronaut on the mission, pilot Tom Marshburn, has spent more than 146 days in space and completed more than five hours of spacewalk time.
