FAMILY QUESTIONS WHY NASA PULLED ASTRONAUT

NASA Astronaut Jeanette Epps, who was slated to become the first African-American crew member to live on board the International Space Station, was unexpectedly pulled from her June flight.

NASA announced Thursday that Serena Auñón-Chancellor, a fellow member of Epps’s astronaut class who was scheduled to launch later in the year, would be bumped up to take Epps’s place.

NASA did not give an explanation for the crew change. But Epps’ brother Henry Epps blamed racism at the space agency.

In an email, Jeanette Epps said she could not comment on her brother’s post or the reason for the crew change.

Epps said that she did not have a medical condition or family problem that would have prevented her from participating in the mission