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KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Florida – SpaceX has rejected the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket at the International Space Station after its drone ship in the Atlantic experienced an electrical problem.
The launch was scheduled for 3:11 am ET Friday at Cape Canaveral Air Base. There were worries about the weather, but the conditions were good for the launch on Friday morning.
The problem, however, was the landing site: SpaceX's drone ship, located 17 miles off the Atlantic coast, where the company landed on the reusable first-stage launcher.
SpaceX also said that there was a helium leak on the rocket that will have to be treated.
Stay away today because of an electrical problem on the Drones Of Course I Still Love You. The teams will also tackle the ground-side helium leak before tomorrow's emergency launch at 14:48 EDT, 18:48 UTC.
– SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 3, 2019
SpaceX takes no chances after confirming Thursday that its Crew Dragon had exploded and was destroyed during a test shoot nearly two weeks ago, projecting a reddish brown smoke into the air. The Dragon's crew is ultimately supposed to carry astronauts.
Friday's Falcon 9 rocket is a cargo ship, which is different, according to SpaceX and NASA.
"We examined all the common links between the spacecraft, we examined it and we approved them for the flight by both teams, NASA and SpaceX," said Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of the mission. SpaceX insurance.
On board the Cargo Dragon capsule are 5,500 pounds of supplies for the ISS, as well as scientific experiments.
Graduate student Dylan Martin prepares her experience for launch at the Kennedy Space Center's ISS treatment facility.
"It's really exciting, but very stressful at the same time. We are here long hours, we work until late, late in this lab, so it's basically our new home, "said Martin, a research assistant graduate of BioServe Space. Laboratory of Technologists at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
His team is trying to understand how kidneys and vitamin D work in microgravity to help astronauts avoid bone loss during future long-term space missions.
"The crew of the International Space Station is experiencing increasing bone density loss, and vitamin D is responsible for regulating bone density," said Kendan Jones-Isaac, a graduate researcher at the University of Toronto. Washington. "So we are trying to determine the causes of these health problems and how to hope to find them, help prevent them or treat them."
After years spent on these projects, researchers will now have to wait another day to see their experiences unfold in space.
"It's really exciting – I've always wanted to do that – I'm a graduate in aerospace engineering, so it's something I've always wanted to do," Martin said.
Saturday's launch is now scheduled for 2:48 ET. It's also May 4, which Star Wars fans should enjoy for launching a Falcon 9 rocket.
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