Rocket snag delays crew flight to station
NASA announced Saturday that SpaceX's next mission flying astronauts to the International Space Station will be delayed until early or mid-November after the company experienced a problem with the first stage of a booster rocket during a recent launch.
In a blog post, the agency said the extra time would allow "SpaceX to complete hardware testing and data reviews" of an issue with an engine gas generator. NASA said it has "full insight into the company's launch and testing data."
"We have a strong working relationship with our SpaceX partner," said Kathy Lueders, associate administrator of NASA's human exploration and operations mission directorate. "With the high cadence of missions SpaceX performs, it really gives us incredible insight into this commercial system and helps us make informed decisions about the status of our missions. The teams are actively working this finding on the engines, and we should be a lot smarter within the coming week."
SpaceX did not respond to a request for comment.
Earlier this month, after the company had to delay a couple of launches because of mechanical snags, Elon Musk, SpaceX's founder and CEO, said on Twitter that he was going to Cape Canaveral to conduct a "broad review" of operations there.
The mission, which had previously been scheduled for Oct. 31, would launch NASA astronauts Michael Hopkins, Shannon Walker, Victor Glover as well as Japanese astronaut Soichi Noguchi to the space station for a stay of about six months.
It would be SpaceX's first operational mission of flying full crews for extended stays after it successfully completed a shorter test mission with two astronauts in August to verify the performance of the Falcon 9 rocket and Dragon spacecraft.
Third night of protests yields 28 arrests
WAUWATOSA, Wis. -- Police arrested 28 people during a third-straight night of protests over the lack of charges against a suburban Milwaukee police officer who fatally shot a Black teen, authorities said Saturday.
About 100 people gathered outside City Hall on Friday past Wauwatosa's 7 p.m. curfew and refused orders to disperse, according to police.
Police said two of the arrests were on felony charges, one a misdemeanor and 25 were municipal citations. Police said some of the people arrested were blocking traffic, others had tried to start fires, and one person had materials to start a fire, including lighter fluid. Police said one person in the group posted a picture of himself with a handgun, though it was not clear if he was among those arrested.
Two people arrested were evaluated for minor injuries, police said.
Protesters have gathered every day since prosecutors announced Wednesday that they would not charge officer Joseph Mensah in 17-year-old Alvin Cole's death. Mensah, who is Black, shot Cole after a foot chase outside a Wauwatosa mall in February.
A 7 p.m. curfew was to be in effect again on Saturday and tonight. The National Guard is assisting the police.
Texas AG drops donor-instigated inquiry
AUSTIN, Texas -- Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Friday dropped an investigation sought by a wealthy donor that drew objections from the Republican's top deputies, who accused him of bribery and abuse of office, and fueled new calls for his resignation.
The announcement came hours after prosecutors in Austin expressed unease over why Paxton opened an investigation sought by Nate Paul, an Austin developer and Paxton donor whose offices were raided by the FBI. State authorities also confirmed Friday that they had referred criminal allegations made by Paxton's own staff against their boss to federal authorities.
"The newly surfaced information raises serious concerns about the integrity of your investigation and the propriety of your conducting it," said Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore, who instructed her office to sever contact with Paxton over the case.
Paul gave Paxton $25,000 in campaign contributions in 2018. Federal authorities have not disclosed why they searched Paul's offices last year, but he later sought his own investigation, alleging that his constitutional rights were violated.
Paxton, who has vowed that he will not resign, said in a statement that he was dropping Paul's complaint since local prosecutors are now no longer involved.
4 deaths add to Puerto Rico slaying count
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Four men were shot to death and two others gravely wounded near a basketball court in southern Puerto Rico, police said Saturday.
The shooting occurred late Friday in the coastal city of Ponce, one of the U.S. territory's largest municipalities. No one had been arrested.
Police said they hadn't been able to identify three of the victims and didn't yet have a motive.
At least 394 people have been reported killed this year on the island of 3.2 million people, compared with 481 last year in the same period.
-- Compiled by Democrat-Gazette staff from wire reports