A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready shortly before a launch attempt was scrubbed due to poor weather conditions on launch complex 41at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015, in Cape Canave…
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This time, Orbital ATK is using United Launch Alliance’s Atlas V rocket for the launch, while it upgrades its Antares rocket, which failed due to a problem with its reconditioned Ukrainian engine.
The mission is Orbital ATK’s first space launch since its Antares rocket exploded in October 2014 just seconds after liftoff, destroying the cargo craft and its thousands of pounds of supplies bound for the astronauts living at the orbiting International Space Station.
An unmanned Atlas rocket was poised to lift off at sunset with 7,400 pounds of supplies for the International Space Station.
But poor weather at the seaside Florida launch site forced ULA to postpone the launch.
If no other supplies reach the station, the crew will hit reserve supplies of food in April 2016, NASA said.
Investigators blamed the botched launch on a defective turbopump in one of Antares’ two main engines, a Soviet-era motor refurbished and sold by Aerojet Rocketdyne Holdings.
Conditions tomorrow are only predicted to be slightly better than they were this evening – with just a 30 percent chance of favorable conditions to support launch.
Exactly what went wrong remains a matter of debate, but Aerojet paid Orbital $50m to settle the dispute and the companies ended their collaboration. ULA’s launch window Friday opens at 5:33 p.m., and again extends 30 minutes.
Orbital ATK now holds a contract with NASA to fly 62,000 lbs. of cargo to the station over the course of 10 mission through 2018.
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The mission also marks Orbital’s first launch from Florida, and the first cargo mission to the ISS from American soil since SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket was lost in June.
