Soyuz Launch Aborted: Crew Safe After 20-Second Countdown Halt
By Ashley Strickland, CNN
Published: Thu March 21, 2024, 6:34 PM EDT | Updated: Thu March 21, 2024
In a dramatic turn of events, the scheduled launch of three crew members to the International Space Station faced an unexpected setback Thursday morning. The launch, set to take place from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, was automatically aborted just 20 seconds before liftoff. Despite the tense moment, NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, Roscosmos cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy, and spaceflight participant Marina Vasilevskaya of Belarus emerged unharmed from the ordeal, according to a live NASA broadcast.
The crew, poised for liftoff aboard a Roscosmos Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft, was slated to embark on their journey at 9:21 a.m. ET, with an anticipated arrival at the space station approximately three hours later. However, the meticulously planned sequence was abruptly halted when an automatic abort mechanism was triggered. The trigger occurred after one of the two umbilicals, which serve as service towers adjacent to the Soyuz rocket, failed to initiate the engine sequence start, leaving the cause of the malfunction shrouded in mystery.
NASA’s broadcast of the launch provided little insight into the reason behind the automatic abort, leaving both the crew and ground control grappling with uncertainty. Despite the disappointment of the aborted mission, safety protocols swiftly went into effect, halting all fueling operations and ensuring the crew’s well-being remained the top priority.
The crew’s next opportunity for liftoff is slated for Saturday morning. However, the success of the rescheduled launch hinges on engineers’ ability to pinpoint the cause of the automatic abort and rectify it in time. According to an update shared by NASA, the abort was triggered by a voltage issue in the Soyuz rocket’s electrical system, prompting a thorough review by the State Commission before Saturday’s launch window can be confirmed.
While the aborted Soyuz launch faced setbacks, a separate cargo resupply mission proceeded as planned, lifting off from Cape Canaveral in Florida at 4:55 p.m. ET. SpaceX’s Dragon spacecraft, laden with new science investigations, provisions, and equipment, is expected to dock at the space station Saturday morning, unaffected by the earlier launch hiccup.
As preparations for the rescheduled launch unfold, the crew remains poised for their momentous journey to the space station. Once liftoff is achieved, Dyson, Novitskiy, and Vasilevskaya will join their counterparts already aboard the station, further enriching the international collaboration in space exploration.
