This unmanned rocket is filled with 7,400 pounds of cargo for the crew of the orbiting space laboratory, which will also be the first USA cargo launch in months, but was foiled by risky gusts of wind Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. The preliminary launch time is 4:44 p.m. EST at the opening of a 30-minute window.
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If successfully launched, the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s commercial cargo flights to the station will restart, ending its dependence on Russian and Japanese rockets.
For the second day in a row, poor weather stalled a critical space station delivery for NASA on Friday.
High wind once again threatened to keep space station supplies stuck on Earth.
Rainy weather postponed the initial launch attempt on Thursday.
This time, Orbital ATK will be using the Atlas V rocket made by United Launch Alliance.
If the mission can’t launch Saturday, launch teams would likely be given Sunday off with a chance to try again as soon as Monday.
Virginia-based Orbital purchased two United Launch Alliance rockets to fulfill its shipment obligations to NASA. But even the Atlas is no match for Mother Nature.
The Orbital’s Cygnus capsule will deliver 3,500 kilograms of cargo and includes food and Christmas gifts to the space station spacewalking gear, high-pressure nitrogen and oxygen tanks for the air supply, and science experiments.
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In orbit, NASA astronaut Scott Kelly had to endure some teasing from his identical twin back home about the repeated delays. The picture books are part of an astronaut-in-space reading program for children. On board since March, he’ll be up there until the beginning of this coming March.
