spacetoday.net: Orbital delays next space station mission

Posted: Thu, May 29, 2014, 10:34 AM ET (1434 GMT)
Antares launch of Cygnus on Orb-1 (NASA)

Orbital Sciences announced Wednesday that it postpone the launch of its next cargo mission to the International Space Station by at least a week as it investigates the failure of a rocket engine during a test last week. The launch of a Cygnus cargo spacecraft on an Antares rocket, previously scheduled for early June 10, has been postponed until at least June 17. The decision allows time for an investigation into the failure of an AJ26 engine, which powers the Antares first stage, during a test firing last week at the Stennis Space Center in Mississippi. The engine that was damaged in the test was intended for an Antares launch in 2015. Orbital said the June 17 is a "planning date" and could change depending on the progress of the investigation.