SpaceX rocket trouble halts launch with 13 seconds left

CAPE CANAVERAL — Last-minute rocket trouble forced SpaceX on Saturday to delay its inaugural launch from NASA’s historic moon pad.

SpaceX halted the countd o w n w i t h j u s t 1 3 s e c - onds remaining. The second-stage steering issue actually cropped up several minutes earlier. But with just an instant to get the unmanned Falcon rocket airborne, flight controllers could not resolve the problem in time.

The next launch attempt — provided everything can be fixed quickly — would be this morning.

The Falcon remained at Kennedy Space C enter ’s Launch Complex 39A, waiting to begin space station deliver y mission. It’s the same pad where Americans flew to the moon almost a half-century ago. jammed the space center

Aboard the International to witness the comeback Space Station, French astroof 39A , l as t used i n 2 011 naut Thomas Pesquet had a for the final space shuttle light-hearted take on the delay. flight. Disappointment was

“Looks like I’ll have to high when the urgent call of wait one more day to get “hold, hold, hold!” sounded my French cheese ;)” Pesquet over the radio lines. wrote via Twitter. He added: This will be SpaceX’s first “We need all your cargo for Florida launch since a rocket @ISS_Research!” explosion last summer.

SpaceX chief Elon Musk T h e S e p t . 1 a c c i d e n t said engineers want to make occurred during prelaunch certain the “slightly odd” testing at a neighboring pad. position of an engine pisSpaceX turned to Launch ton isn’t representative of C o m p l e x 3 9 A — w h i c h bigger trouble. It’s not out it leases from NASA — to of the question that Saturresume flights. The comday’s problem was somehow pany hopes to launch astrorelated to the minor uppernauts from 39A next year. stage helium leak detected Russia, meanwhile, plans the day before, he reported. to launch a supply ship to the

T h e r e ’s a 9 9 p e r c e n t International Space Station chance everything is likely on Wednesday. to be fine, Musk said in a I f t h e S p a c e X mi s s i o n tweet, “But that 1 percent doesn’t get going soon, it chance isn’t worth rolling the would l i ke l y have t o ge t dice. Better to wait a day.” in line behind the Russian

Thousands of guests had delivery.

RED HUBER / ORLANDO SENTINEL A Space X rocket sits on the launch pad Saturday at the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral. Rocket trouble forced SpaceX to delay its inaugural launch from NASA’s historic moon pad with just 13 seconds remaining.