WASHINGTON, December 4 (Sputnik) — NASA called off on Thursday the maiden launch of its much-touted Orion deep space capsule designed to boost human exploration of our Solar System.
The new launch time has been moved for Friday, NASA said in a statement.
Scrub. Today's planned launch of #Orion is postponed due to valve issue. Our next possible launch window opens at 7:05am ET Friday
— NASA (@NASA) 4 декабря 2014
The launch was delayed four times earlier in the day due to poor weather and some minor technical problems.
The spacecraft, to be launched atop a Delta IV heavy carrier rocket from Cape Canaveral, will circle around the Earth twice during the four-and-a-half hour flight before falling into the Pacific Ocean.
Future missions for Orion, which is designed to fit four people, include a trip to an asteroid and a journey to Mars by the 2030s, according to NASA.
