Russia aborted the launch of three astronauts to the International Space Station moments before they were scheduled to lift off Thursday. The crew, consisting of a NASA astronaut, a Roscosmos cosmonaut, and a Belarusian astronaut, was safe following the incident. The launch was set to take place from the Russian-leased Baikonur launch facility in Kazakhstan.
The Russian Soyuz rocket experienced an aborted liftoff due to an automatic safety system triggering about 20 seconds before the scheduled launch time. While the exact cause of the abort was not immediately disclosed, NASA confirmed that the crew was unharmed and would be promptly removed from the Soyuz capsule.
This aborted launch marks a notable setback for the Russian space program, coming after a previous launch failure in October 2018. During that incident, a Soyuz rocket carrying astronauts to the International Space Station experienced a malfunction shortly after liftoff, leading to a safe emergency landing for the crew.
The International Space Station, a symbol of international cooperation since the end of the Cold War, remains a key area of collaboration between Russia and Western countries. Despite ongoing tensions related to geopolitical issues such as Russia's military actions in Ukraine, NASA and its partners aim to continue utilizing the space station until at least 2030.
