--- title: "SpaceX Just Delayed Its Next Cargo Launch Because of Mold" description: "SpaceX was hoping to launch a cargo mission to the ISS today. But moldy food bars meant for some 40 mice on board is delaying the mission by a day." date: "2018-12-04" modified: "2018-12-04" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/spacex-delayed-cargo-launch-moldy-food" categories: - "Space" - "SpaceX" tags: - "aging research" - "iss" - "SpaceX" - "spacex dragon" --- # SpaceX Just Delayed Its Next Cargo Launch Because of Mold ![SpaceX was hoping to launch a cargo mission to the ISS today. But moldy food bars meant for some 40 mice on board is delaying the mission by a day.]() *\Image: SpaceX\* ## Moldy Experiments It's an unusual reason to delay a cargo launch planned to dock with the International Space Station: moldy food bars. Forty mice were going to hitch a ride today on board SpaceX's latest cargo mission as part of a NASA-sponsored experiment called [Rodent Research-8](), which will explore mechanisms behind aging and age-related diseases. But now they'll have to wait until tomorrow to make their way to the ISS. ## Aging Worms When technicians inspected the cargo on board SpaceX's Dragon capsule before the scheduled launch, they found the mice's food bars were covered in mold — not exactly the kind of organism the ISS usually likes to welcome aboard, especially given the recent news of [antibiotic-resistant bacteria]() found on the space station. And there's another experiment that might be jeopardized thanks to the delay. Scientists from Exeter, Nottingham and Lancaster universities in the UK had been planning to fly colonies of worms to the ISS to investigate the mechanisms behind muscle atrophy. But thanks to the delay, the main colonies might already be ["too old"]() for the experiment according to a report by the *BBC*. ## Better Late Than Never But luckily, SpaceX only had to delay the launch by one day. Now it's planning to launch tomorrow, December 5. The weather conditions are looking good, so things are looking up for a successful launch. It will take two days to reach the ISS, and the capsule will stay docked for a whole month. **READ MORE:** [Moldy Mouse Chow Delays SpaceX Dragon Launch to Space Station]() \[*Space.com*\] ***More on mouse experiments: [20 Mice Are Going to Space To Help Us Figure Out How to Survive on Mars]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()