Science News Roundup: SpaceX and NASA set for first operational astronaut mission to space; first 'operational' mission delayed by weather

SpaceX and NASA set for first operational astronaut mission to space SpaceX, the rocket company of high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, was due on Sunday to launch four astronauts on a flight to the International Space Station, NASA's first full-fledged mission sending a crew into orbit aboard a privately owned spacecraft.

Following is a summary of current science news briefs.

SpaceX launch of crew on first 'operational' mission delayed by weather

NASA and high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk's rocket company SpaceX announced on Friday a 24-hour weather delay of their planned launch of four astronauts into orbit for NASA's first full-fledged human mission using a privately owned spacecraft. The liftoff time slipped from Saturday to Sunday evening due to forecasts of gusty, onshore winds over Florida - remnants of Tropical Storm Eta - that would have made a return landing for the Falcon 9 rocket's reusable booster stage difficult, NASA officials said.

SpaceX and NASA set for first operational astronaut mission to space

SpaceX, the rocket company of high-tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, was due on Sunday to launch four astronauts on a flight to the International Space Station, NASA's first full-fledged mission sending a crew into orbit aboard a privately owned spacecraft. The company's newly designed Crew Dragon capsule, which the crew has dubbed Resilience, was set for liftoff atop a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket at 7:27 p.m. Eastern time (0027 GMT on Monday) from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.