A rush rescue mission intended to retrieve a NASA space telescope remains on hold due to a last-minute launch problem, according to multiple reports. Northrop Grumman’s launch plane takes off from the Marshall Islands in the Pacific on Thursday after weather delays postponed the attempt earlier in the week. The Pegasus rocket is carried under the aircraft, but an issue arises that prevents the team from releasing the rocket as planned. As a result, the mission does not proceed. The reports state that the mission stays grounded rather than moving forward on the same day, and they note that a new launch date has not been set. The situation described centers on the final pre-launch or deployment step for the Pegasus rocket from the plane, which is where the malfunction occurs. No additional details about the specific cause or nature of the release problem are provided in the excerpts, and the updated timeline depends on subsequent review and rescheduling by the mission team.