SpaceX's Dragon Launch Pushed Back To Friday

The targeted launch of SpaceX's Dragon resupply ship to the International Space Station on May 1 has been pushed back to no earlier than this Friday on May 3. NASA has requested SpaceX to move their 17th Dragon commercial resupply mission to the International Space Station from May 1 to no earlier than Friday as team continue to work on the station's power system.

The International Space Station was pictured by an Expedition 56 crew member aboard a departing Soyuz crew ship on October 4, 2018. Credit: NASA

On April 29, the Space Station team identified an issue with one of the station's Main Bus Switching Units that distributes power to two of the eight power channels on the station. Ground teams are working on a plan to robotically replace the failed unit and restore full power to the station system. It is possible for the team to make repair without having to perform human spacewalk at the station.

"Teams are working on a plan to robotically replace the failed unit and restore full power to that station system," NASA said in a statement on Tuesday. "The earliest possible launch opportunity is no earlier than Friday, May 3."

Forecasters from the US Air Force's 45th Weather Squadron predict a 60 percent chance of favorable weather at Cape Canaveral for a Falcon 9 launch attempt at 3:11 a.m. EDT (3:11 p.m. GMT+8) on Friday. The prime weather concerns are with clouds and precipitation.