The United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket with Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft onboard seen shortly after arriving at Space Launch Complex 41 on December 2, 2015, at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida.
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A United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket stands ready for a second launch attempt at launch complex 41at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station as photographers adjust their remote cameras, Friday, Dec. 4, 2015, in Cape Canaveral, Fla.
But even the weather forecast for Friday is only 30 percent favorable for takeoff, NASA said, according to Yahoo News. The private spaceflight company will be sending up its Cygnus cargo capsule – filled with 7,000 pounds of food, water, and supplies – to the International Space Station this afternoon.
Rocket/Payload: A United Launch Alliance Atlas V 401 will launch Orbital ATK’s Cygnus™ spacecraft on the initial leg of its cargo resupply mission to the International Space Station (ISS).
Pushed as long as it could, postponing the launch three times from its initial 5:55 p.m. planned time, until finally giving in to the bad weather at 6:14 p.m., 11 minutes before the final chance.
“The winds were just a couple of knots too high, so we just didn’t feel comfortable launching tonight”, said Vernon Thorp of United Launch Alliance. Orbital is competing against privately owned Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, and Sierra Nevada Corp for follow-on station cargo delivery contracts, now due to be awarded in January. An Orbital rocket exploded seconds into a mission in October of a year ago.
Two of the last four commercial supply runs, contracted by NASA, have failed.
The space agency was looking to get back on track with the first USA shipment to the International Space station in almost eight months, but thick clouds and rain prevented an unmanned Atlas rocket from lifting off at dusk with 7,400 pounds of critical supplies.
Orbital ATK’s Cygnus is hauling almost 4 tons of suppliesto the International Space Station as part of a $1.9 billion deal with NASA.
While the astronauts are not in any danger due to low cargo, the Antares explosion, a Russian Progress vehicle accident and a SpaceX Falcon 9 failure cut off multiple ways to bring material to the Space Station.
Russian Federation also lost a supply ship earlier this year.
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With that decision made, NASA, ULA and Orbital ATK opted to try again 24 hours later with the window opening at 5:33 p.m. EST (22:33 GMT).
