Posted: Sun, Nov 27, 2005, 9:11 AM ET (1411 GMT)
The maiden launch of the Falcon 1 rocket was postponed late Saturday because of technical problems, pushing the launch back until mid-December. The Falcon 1 was scheduled to lift off from the island of Omelek at Kwajalein Atoll at 4 pm EST (2100 GMT) Saturday, but the launch was postponed for four hours until the launch attempt was scrubbed. While officials with SpaceX, the company that developed the Falcon 1, first said that cloud cover had delayed the launch, they later said that a problem with a liquid oxygen valve on ground equipment caused them to lose too much liquid oxygen and helium to support a launch. With limited ability to generate liquid oxygen at Kwajalein, SpaceX said in a statement that they have to wait for additional supplies to be shipped in from Hawaii. In addition, technicians plan to investigate an anomaly with the main engine computer that the company said would have been reason alone to delay the launch. SpaceX has targeted mid-December for a new launch attempt. The Falcon 1 is carrying a small Air Force Academy satellite, Falconsat 2; the launch is being funded by the Air Force and DARPA. The Falcon 1 promises to significantly decrease the cost of space access for small satellites and also serve as a steppingstone for larger rockets the company plans to develop.
