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SpaceX Aborts Launch To International Space Station After Technical Problems
A new private rocket bound for the International Space Station roared to life for a history-making liftoff Saturday, but remained stuck on the ground following a last-second abort.
The countdown reached all the way to practically zero Saturday morning for the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. The engine ignition sequence started up, but there was an automatic shutdown by on-board computers. So instead of blasting off on a delivery mission to the space station, the rocket stayed on its launch pad amid a cloud of engine exhaust.
Even NASA’s most seasoned launch commentator was taken off guard.
“… 3-2-1, zero, and liftoff,” announced commentator George Diller, his voice trailing as the rocket failed to budge. “We’ve had a cutoff. Liftoff did not occur.”
Billionaire rocket designer Elon Musk attributed the problem to slightly high combustion chamber pressure on engine No. 5. “Will adjust limits for countdown in a few days,” he wrote via Twitter.
Tuesday is the earliest that SpaceX can try again to send its cargo-laden Dragon capsule to the space station. The California-based company — formally known as Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — is targeting every third day for a launch attempt to save fuel in case of rendezvous problems at the space station.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2012/05/1…z1vJZKETrq
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