Launch of 4 astronauts to space station bumped to Saturday

By MARCIA DUNN
AP Aerospace Writer

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — Four astronauts will have to wait an extra day to get to space. NASA and SpaceX halted the countdown late Thursday night, just hours before the planned liftoff from Florida. Mission managers rescheduled the launch for early Saturday morning, giving them an extra 24 hours to close out lingering issues. The four astronauts, representing four countries, are expected to spend six months at the International Space Station. A NASA astronaut is leading the crew, which includes a Japanese surgeon and Danish and Russian engineers.