SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule launch postponed to Saturday due to bad weather

Risk of a postponement to Saturday remained high, with rain and thunderstorms persisting since morning.

The hatch of the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule set to carry NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley on a mission to the International Space Station closed Wednesday a few minutes ahead of schedule.

NASA astronauts Bob Behnken, background left, and Doug Hurley perform communication checks in the Crew Dragon capsule before launch from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral (AP)

Weather permitting, takeoff was set for 4:33 pm (2033 GMT). The risk of a postponement to Saturday remained high, with rain and thunderstorms persisting since morning.