US astronauts head to the launch pad for second attempt of SpaceX flight

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — Despite more storms in the forecast, two NASA astronauts have begun making their way to the launch pad for another attempt at a history-making ride into orbit aboard a rocket ship built by Elon Musk’s SpaceX company.

Forecasters put the odds of acceptable conditions at 50-50 for the 3:22 p.m. local time liftoff of the Dragon capsule and Falcon 9 rocket in what would be the first launch of astronauts into orbit by a private company. It would also be NASA’s first human spaceflight launched from U.S. soil in nearly a decade.

Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken puld on their sleek, black-and-white spacesuits with help from technicians wearing masks, gloves and black hoods that makes them look like ninjas.

Before setting out for the launch pad in a gull-wing Tesla SUV — another Musk product — Behnken pantomimes a hug of his 6-year-old son, Theo, and says: “Are you going to listen to Mommy and make her life easy?” Hurley blew kisses to his 10-year-old son and wife.

— AP