SpaceX crewed mission postponed due to bad weather

SpaceX's landmark launch to the International Space Station - the first crewed mission to blast off from US soil in almost a decade - was scrubbed Wednesday due to bad weather.

With NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley strapped into the Crew Dragon capsule, the launch pad platform retracted and rocket fueling underway, SpaceX made the call to abort, according to NDTV.

"Unfortunately, we are not going to launch today," launch director Mike Taylor said, with less than 20 minutes to go until takeoff.

Officials cited the threat of lightning, among other factors.

It means a wait of at least a few more days for the first crewed launch on an American rocket since the space shuttle program ended in 2011. They will try again on Saturday.

If successful, the launch will be the first time the feat has been performed by a privately-owned company.

A live video feed showed Behnken and Hurley - in their futuristic white uniforms adorned with the US flag and the logos of NASA and SpaceX - waiting as propellant was unloaded from the reusable Falcon 9 rocket.