December 4, 2015

Orbital to try space cargo launch Saturday after high winds

In a handout photo released by United Launch Alliance on December 1, 2015, a transporter moves Orbital ATK's enhanced Cygnus spacecraft, fitted inside the payload fairing of a United Launch Alliance Atlas V at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida

Orbital ATK will attempt to make it third time lucky Saturday in the launch of its Cygnus space cargo ship after high winds off Florida forced a second postponement in as many days.

The next opportunity for launch will be Saturday at 5:10 pm (2210 GMT), the US space agency NASA said, after Friday's attempt was scrapped.

"The winds were just a couple of knots too high," said Vern Thorp, mission manager for United Launch Alliance.

The mission will be the first for the company since a sudden rocket failure in October 2014 destroyed Orbital's Antares rocket and the thousands of pounds of cargo on board, just seconds after launching from Wallops Island, Virginia.

This time, Orbital is using a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket to send the cargo to space on what aims to be its fourth scheduled trip.

Rainy weather postponed the initial launch attempt on Thursday.

Orbital to try space cargo launch Saturday after high winds

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