SpaceX delays launch that will send supplies to the space station in a reused Dragon – Los Angeles Times

SpaceX scrubbed its attempt to launch a previously-used Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station due to weather.

The launch, originally scheduled for Thursday at 2:55 p.m. Pacific time from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is now aimed at Saturday at 2:07 p.m. Pacific time.

Space X hopes to add another item to its list of reusable launch system components by launching supplies to the International Space Station on the Dragon spacecraft.

The Dragon capsule for this mission was previously used in 2014 to carry supplies to the space station. For this launch, it will be filled with almost 6,000 pounds of crew supplies, hardware and science research, including equipment to study neutron stars.

In preparation for the flight, the Hawthorne space company replaced some parts on the Dragon, such as the heat shield. But the majority of the components, including the hull and thrusters, were able to be reused, said Hans Koenigsmann, vice president of mission assurance at SpaceX.

The majority of this Dragon has been in space before, he said during a prelaunch press conference Wednesday afternoon.

SpaceX will also attempt to land the first-stage booster in its Landing Zone 1 at nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

The Dragon spacecraft is expected to deploy about 10 minutes after launch and should arrive at the space station about three days later. The spacecraft is expected to return to Earth in July, splashing down in the Pacific Ocean.

Reusing a Dragon capsule is one more piece of the puzzle in creating a fully reusable launch system, said Marco Caceres, senior space analyst at the Teal Group.

In March, SpaceX achieved one of its longtime goals by using a previously-flown first-stage booster to launch a commercial communications satellite and then re-landing that booster on a floating platform at sea.

During that same mission, the company successfully recovered the rockets fairing, a clamshell-like covering that protects satellites and other payloads. Koenigsmann said SpaceX will not attempt to recover the fairing on this mission; the company later clarified, saying thats because there is no fairing this time.

Successful reuse of the Dragon capsule would be significant for SpaceXs materials technology, but in general, the spacecraft reuse is less significant than that of the booster, which required more cutting-edge technology to be able to land upright, Caceres said.

SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk has said the first-stage booster is the most expensive part of the rocket. Company President Gwynne Shotwell has said launch costs could eventually decrease by 30% by reusing rockets.

Thursdays mission will be SpaceXs seventh launch of the year as the company has increased its launch cadence. Last year, SpaceX launched a total of eight missions before a launch-pad explosion that destroyed a rocket and commercial satellite, grounding the company for several months.

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

Twitter: @smasunaga

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UPDATES:

3:15 p.m.: This article was updated with SpaceXs announcement of a launch delay.

6:50 a.m.: This article was updated with a clarification about why there will be no fairing recovery.

This article was originally published at 6 a.m.

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SpaceX delays launch that will send supplies to the space station in a reused Dragon - Los Angeles Times