SpaceX cancels inauguration flight of Falcon 1 rocket

SpaceX cancels inauguration flight of Falcon 1 rocket

SpaceX officials had to postpone the first flight of their much in news rocket, Falcon 1. The launch was marred by poor weather and technical glitches in computer system and liquid oxygen fill tank. SpaceX founder Elon Musk said about the postponement: “As I warned, the likelihood of an all new rocket launching from an all new launch pad on its first attempt is low.”

Musk also added that they can reschedule another launch schedule within a weeks time. However, the problems with the liquid oxygen fill tank would take sometime, as it must be delivered from Hawaii to the firm’s remote launch site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean’s Marshall Islands chain. Their mission is aimed at orbiting the FalconSat-2 satellite on a mission for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force.

SpaceX has future plans to provide low-cost launch services for both small and large payloads. The falcon 1 is a rocket with a two-stage booster that stands about 68 feet (21 meters) tall. And it carries a reusable first stage. It is powered by Merlin 1 engine, which is capable of generating about 77,000 pounds of thrust. It is also capable of carrying payloads of up to 1,256 pounds (570 kilograms) into low-Earth orbit.