An unmanned Space X Falcon 9 rocket was set to blast off at 4:55 a.m., but the launch was scrubbed because of high chamber pressure on engine five. The rocket's engines ignited but computers cut them off before liftoff as the 10-second countdown reached zero.
The next SpaceX launch attempt will likely be Tuesday at 3:44 a.m.
The Falcon holds a capsule called Dragon that is loaded with 1,000 pounds of space station provisions.
"Next time Dragon sees the sun, it should be doing 17,000 mph over the Atlantic," SpaceX chief executive officer Elon Musk said via Twitter as the Saturday countdown entered the final hours.
Once launched, the Dragon will reach the space station about two days later for a series of practice maneuvers and then docking. Only governments have accomplished that to date.
NASA is looking to the private sector to take over flights to orbit in the post-shuttle era. The goal is to get American astronauts launching again from U.S. soil. SpaceX officials said that could happen in as little as three years, possibly four. Several other companies are in the running.
SpaceX - or Space Exploration Technologies Corp. - is based in Southern California. That's where the company's Mission Control is located for this flight and where Musk positioned himself for Saturday's launch attempt.
Musk, a co-creator of PayPal, founded SpaceX a decade ago.
About 1,000 SpaceX and NASA guests poured into the launching area in the wee hours of Saturday, hoping to see firsthand the start of the new commercial era.
Everyone, it seemed, was rooting for a successful flight.
"Go SpaceX," read the sign outside Cape Canaveral City Hall. Until NASA's space shuttles retired last summer, the sign had urged on the launches of Discovery, Endeavour and, finally, Atlantis. Those ships are now relegated to museums.
Source: Clickorlando
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