Space mission with Samantha Cristoforetti postponed
Rocket launch from US adjourned to April 23 due to technical problems
Postponed the start of the Crew-4 space mission of the European Space Agency (ESA) whose crew includes the Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, the first woman of the Old Continent to command the International Space Station (ISS). The launch was scheduled for April 15, 2022 but, due to technical problems, the carrier rocket will not leave planet Earth before the 23rd of this month.
This was announced by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The reason for the postponement is related to the overlap of several close missions (Axiom-1, Artemis test) departing from Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida. The launch will be performed with a Falcon 9 rocket launcher on Crew Dragon spacecraft, both built by the American space company Space X.
The next launch dates are Sunday 24 and Monday 25 April, depending on weather conditions. The crew is composed of four astronauts: US commander Kjell Lindgren, US pilot Robert Hines, mission specialists Samantha Cristoforetti and US Jessica Watkins.
AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency