Monday鈥檚 planned launch of the first ever Falcon 1 rocket was postponed until at least late January 2006 because of a structural problem with its first-stage tank.
The small rocket was scheduled to lift off from Omelek Island, part of Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, as early as 1700 GMT on Monday. High winds on the launch pad kept the rocket grounded during the first few minutes of the eight-hour launch window.
But then at 1725 GMT, Space-X鈥檚 Gwynne Shotwell told reporters of the delay after receiving an email from CEO Elon Musk from Kwajalein. 鈥淟aunch is scrubbed until early next year, as there is a structural issue with the first stage fuel tank that will require repair,鈥� Musk wrote in an online update.
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鈥淐onsistent with our policy, we must be 100% green for launch with no outstanding concerns whatsoever,鈥� Musk says. 鈥淚t is not just a matter of repairing the damage, but also understanding at a fundamental level how to ensure it never happens again.
He added: 鈥淲e will also do another full review of all the vehicle systems, including propulsion, structures, avionics, software and ground support systems. Therefore, I expect that the earliest that launch would occur is late January.鈥� The US Army is closing the launch site for the holiday season on Wednesday.
Reusable first stage
At just $6.7 million per launch, Space-X hopes that its Falcon 1 rocket will be a cheaper alternative to other rockets. It would be the first new orbital rocket in over a decade. Space-X aims to follow-up the Falcon 1 launch with the larger Falcon 5 and Falcon 9 rockets.
After the delay was announced, the rocket鈥檚 fuel was drained and workers traveled to the island launch pad to inspect the rocket. Structural problems tend to be fairly straightforward, Shotwell says: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 believe the repair will take that long for us to get back.鈥�
The Falcon 1鈥檚 first stage is designed to be reusable, a strategy that helps to cut costs. The rocket was initially scheduled to launch on 26 November, but was postponed after the rocket lost helium and liquid oxygen due to a valve being stuck in the wrong position.
The Falcon 1 is carrying the FalconSat 2 for the US Air Force Academy and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The 19.5-kilogram satellite is designed to study the effect of plasma in the ionosphere on space-based communication systems such as the Global Positioning System satellite array.
It was initially scheduled to ride into orbit on the space shuttle, but the loss of Columbia in 2003 led the satellite makers to look for other routes into space.
