Hawthorne-based SpaceX on Saturday aborted the launch of a spacecraft carrying supplies for the International Space Station.
The Falcon 9 rocket was 13 seconds away from launch when the mission was halted because of a possible problem with the second stage.
Officials posted a message on Twitter saying they plan to “stand down” and take a closer look at the positioning of the second stage engine nozzle before moving ahead with the launch at 6:38 a.m. on Saturday.
Saturday’s would have been the first SpaceX launch attempt from Florida’s Cape Canaveral since one of its rockets exploded in September.
If, as planned, the rescheduled launch takes place on Sunday, it will mark the first time a rocket has taken off from Cape Canaveral’s Launch complex 39A since 2011, when NASA ended the space shuttle program.
The launch complex was also used for the Apollo missions.
SpaceX, which has made a habit of recovering its Falcon 9 rockets for re-use in future missions, will attempt to land the rocket back on land at Cape Canaveral. The company has made two such on-land landings in the past, along with five successful rocket landings at sea. Recovering and re-using rockets is seen as a major cost-savings for space operations.
The Falcon 9 rocket will propel a Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. The spacecraft is expected to return to Earth March 21.
— From Staff and Wire Reports