NASA has delayed the first launch of its heavy-payload rocket until 2019 and decided against an idea floated by the White House to put astronauts aboard the capsule that is set to fly around the moon.<br/> <br/>The US space agency said, the rocket will send the deep-space Orion capsule on a high lunar orbit. The launch is part of NASA's long-term program to use the rocket to get astronauts and equipment to Mars. In February, NASA began to weigh the implications of adding a two-person crew for the trial flight.<br/> <br/>NASA Acting Administrator Robert Lightfoot said, conclusion of the study was to wait until a second flight before adding a crew. He said, adding systems to support a crew would have cost NASA 600 to 900 million dollars more and would likely have delayed the flight to 2020.