SpaceX Launch Scrubbed
Rescheduled launch date not set
by Carol Pinchefsky
The SpaceX launch of their rocket, Falcon 1, has been scrubbed. According to CEO of Space Explorations, Elon Musk, "an auxiliary liquid oxygen (
LOX
) fill tank had a manual vent valve incorrectly set to vent. The time it took to correct the problem resulted in significant
LOX boiloff and loss of helium, and it was the latter that caused the launch abort."
"Although we were eventually able to refill the vehicle LOX tanks, the rate at which we could add helium was slower than the rate at which
LOX was boiling away. There was no way to close the gap, so the launch had to be called off."
Musk plans to reschedule the launch.
) fill tank had a manual vent valve incorrectly set to vent. The time it took to correct the problem resulted in significant
LOX boiloff and loss of helium, and it was the latter that caused the launch abort." "Although we were eventually able to refill the vehicle LOX
tanks, the rate at which we could add helium was slower than the rate at which
LOX was boiling away. There was no way to close the gap, so the launch had to be called off." Musk plans to reschedule the launch.
