Posted: Sat, Feb 11, 2006, 10:51 AM ET (1551 GMT)
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A day after delaying the planned inaugural launch of its Falcon 1 launch vehicle, SpaceX performed a brief pad firing Friday of the rocket. The brief engine test took place at the end of a simulated countdown Friday at the launch site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific. The company said the test was a success, and would release more technical details next week. SpaceX had planned to launch the Falcon 1, carrying the Falconsat 2 smallsat for the US Air Force Academy, on Friday, but announced Thursday that it would delay the launch because of unspecified issues encountered during a countdown test Thursday.