Soyuz spacecraft launch aborted just 20 seconds before liftoff, crew evacuated

Just moments before its intended launch to the International Space Station (ISS), a Russian Soyuz spacecraft’s takeoff was abruptly called off, leaving viewers in suspense. The command for launch had just been given when an “automatic launch abort” signal halted the proceedings. The crew, consisting of individuals from Russia, the USA, and Belarus, was promptly removed from the spacecraft unharmed.

The cancellation, as explained by the Russian space agency Roscosmos, was due to an unusual electrical fluctuation in a chemical power source. Space chief Yuri Borisov commented on the event, suggesting that such incidents are part of the complexities of space exploration. The mission has been rescheduled for a new launch attempt on the upcoming Saturday.

The crew, including NASA’s Tracy Dyson and Roscosmos’s Oleg Novitsky, were set to conduct a series of scientific experiments aboard the ISS. Novitsky and Belarusian astronaut Marina Vasilevskaya were planning a brief stay at the ISS to assist in the return of American astronaut Loral O’Hara. Meanwhile, Dyson was preparing for a longer, six-month mission.

This mission is expected to contribute significantly to ongoing research that will support future space explorations.

The Soyuz spacecraft, which has been a primary vehicle for transporting astronauts to the ISS, was scheduled for its mission from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Since its first flight on November 28, 1966, the Soyuz has played a crucial role in crewed space missions. However, its journey has not been without tragedy, notably the Soyuz 1 mission in 1967 that resulted in the death of cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov due to a parachute malfunction.

Until the introduction of SpaceX’s Crew Dragon in 2020, the Soyuz spacecraft was the primary means of transporting astronauts to and from the ISS following the retirement of the Space Shuttle program in 2011. During this interval, Soyuz was essential for ISS operations, even as China carried out its own Shenzhou manned missions, none of which docked with the ISS.