NASA Attempt to Boost Space Station Cuts Off Unexpectedly

It didn’t go as planned.

The ISS flies in a low Earth orbit, and the planet’s atmosphere is constantly dragging on it.

Regular reboosts help the station stay in orbit.

SpaceX founderElon Musk suggested in Februarythat SpaceX’s Dragon capsules could also handle reboost duties if needed.

The Cygnus-17 spacecraft was used to transport cargo to the ISS.

The crew emptied it and then repacked it with trash and discarded gear.

But first, NASA is hoping to pull off a successful reboost.

The do-over could happen as soon as Saturday.