Space Exploration Technologies Corp. (SpaceX) is once again delaying launch for its fifth Cargo Resupply Services (CRS-5) mission for NASA, this time from Friday to Saturday, according to the civil space agency.
Launch is scheduled for approximately 4:47 a.m. EST from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. A launch Saturday would result in SpaceX’s Dragon space capsule arriving at the International Space Station (ISS) for its grapple on Monday around 6 a.m. EST. The backup launch opportunity would be Tuesday. CRS-5 is to bring cargo and supplies to ISS.
SpaceX blamed a thrust vector activator issue on its Falcon 9 launch vehicle’s second stage for delaying Tuesday’s scheduled launch. This is the second tim
e in just over six months a thrust vector activator issue has scrubbed a SpaceX launch. For its last scrubbed launch, SpaceX used a thrust vector activator designed by JASC.
As part of CRS-5, SpaceX plans to land its Falcon 9 first stage on an unanchored floating barge repurposed from deep sea oil rigs. This would be the company’s first attempt at landing the Falcon 9 first stage on a surface other than water. Known as an autonomous spaceport drone ship, the platform features a maximum of 51,000 square feet of surface and can supposedly hold position within three meters, even in a storm (Defense Daily, Jan. 6).