spacetoday.net: Falcon 9 launch postponed

Posted: Tue, Dec 7, 2010, 7:22 AM ET (1222 GMT)
Falcon 9 engine test before 2nd launch (SpaceX)

SpaceX has delayed the launch of a Falcon 9 spacecraft carrying the first Dragon spacecraft to at least Wednesday to investigate a cracked engine nozzle. The launch from Cape Canaveral, Florida, had been scheduled for Tuesday, but company officials said the launch would be delayed to allow engineers to investigate a cracked nozzle on the rocket's second stage engine. Officials originally said this would delay the launch to at least Thursday, although later Monday they said it may be possible to launch on Wednesday. If the nozzle needs to be replaced, however, the launch would be postponed to Friday or Saturday. The launch, the first of three under SpaceX's COTS agreement with NASA, will place the Dragon spacecraft in orbit for several hours, where it will be put through its paces before reentering and splashing down off the California coast.