Thursday, May 17, 2012

Two more days

More via Rand.


0940 GMT (5:40 a.m. EDT)
The target launch time for Tuesday is 3:44:34 a.m. EDT (0744:34 GMT).
0926 GMT (5:26 a.m. EDT)
The rocket is being drained of propellant as the launch team backs out of this morning's countdown following an abort moments before liftoff at 4:55 a.m. EDT (0855 GMT).
0915 GMT (5:15 a.m. EDT)
NASA plans a post-scrub news conference at 6:30 a.m. EDT (1030 GMT). We'll carry it live.
0905 GMT (5:05 a.m. EDT)
The strongback has been returned to a position next to the Falcon 9.
0901 GMT (5:01 a.m. EDT)
SpaceX reports the problem triggering the abort was a high chamber pressure reading on Engine No. 5 of the first stage. Aborts are common in Falcon 9 countdowns when computers recognize a limit out of a predefined range. Sometimes the fix is as simple as adjusting the acceptable range in the computer, but with a one-second launch window this morning, there will no opportunity to resolve the issue today.
0858 GMT (4:58 a.m. EDT)
The launch team is safing the rocket and Dragon spacecraft after this morning's abort. The next launch opportunity is Tuesday morning at 3:44 a.m. EDT (0744 GMT), assuming whatever issue caused the abort is resolved in time.
0856 GMT (4:56 a.m. EDT)
It's not clear what caused the abort just before liftoff, but this will mean Falcon 9 will not launch today. The rocket had a near-instantaneous launch window in which it could fly today.
0855 GMT (4:55 a.m. EDT)
ABORT. The ignition sequence started, but there was a countdown cutoff before launch.

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