Falcon 1 Maiden Flight Scrubbed Until 2006

The SpaceX launch is scrubbed until early next year, as there is a structural issue with the 1st stage fuel tank that will require repair. SpaceX will provide further comment as soon as this has been carefully analyzed.

Consistent with our policy, we must be 100% green for launch with no outstanding concerns whatsoever. It is not just a matter of repairing the damage, but also understanding at a fundamental level how to ensure it never happens again.

SpaceX will also do another full review of all the vehicle systems, including propulsion, structures, avionics, software and ground support systems. Therefore, we expect that the earliest that launch would occur is late January.

Copyright 2005 by Space Daily, Distributed United Press International