SpaceX Calls Off Launch To Space Station At Last Minute

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — The launch of an unmanned rocket to the International Space Station has been delayed by a problem with a motor that was needed during the launch.

Officials at SpaceX, the California-based company that is launching the rocket, say one of the two motors needed for rocket thrust steering of the second stage failed to operate as expected.

Need to investigate the upper stage Z actuator. Was behaving strangely. Next launch attempt on Friday at 5am.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) January 6, 2015

The countdown was halted with just over a minute left. Officials say if controllers hadn’t aborted the launch, computers probably would have done so.

If the problem is fixed by Friday, that will be the next opportunity for a launch from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The Dragon capsule on the rocket contains more than 5,000 pounds of supplies and experiments ordered up by NASA.

But SpaceX is also trying something new in this launch. It’s hoping to fly the booster rocket to a platform in the Atlantic, so that it can be re-used in another launch. The company’s founder says that could speed up launches and drive down costs.