Storms threaten more delays as SpaceX prepares for new space attempt

Saturday’s rescheduled departure would be the first time astronauts have been launched from Cape Canaveral since 2011.

SpaceX pressed ahead with its second attempt to launch astronauts for Nasa, a historic first for a private company, but more stormy weather threatened more delays.

Elon Musk’s company came within 17 minutes on Wednesday of launching a pair of Nasa astronauts for the first time in nearly a decade from the US, before the threat of lightning forced a delay.

Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine said managers were debating whether to bump the next launch attempt from Saturday to Sunday to take advantage of a slightly improved forecast at Kennedy Space Centre.

At an outdoor news conference on Friday, Mr Bridenstine stressed the need for safety for astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken, no matter how many times it takes to launch them in a SpaceX Dragon capsule on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to the International Space Station.