US company could try spacecraft launch today

An American company may attempt to launch its first space capsule into orbit as early as today, in a key test for the future of commercial space flight as Nasa winds down its shuttle program.

The Dragon spacecraft, unmanned for now but designed with seats for seven and an ample cargo hold, aims to hurtle into orbit and then splash into the Pacific Ocean about four or five hours later, said the company, SpaceX.

The bullet-shaped space capsule, which could one day tote supplies to the International Space Station, is scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

The launch was postponed on Monday after engineers found a three-inch crack in the engine nozzle of the Falcon 9 rocket that was to carry the Dragon space capsule, Nasa said.

“SpaceX is considering several options, including repairing the crack or shipping a replacement part from California. More information on the launch schedule will be announced when available,” Nasa said.

Earlier, SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell said the launch – originally due for liftoff yesterday – was delayed, possibly until tomorrow, due to “porosity and potentially cracking in a weld joint”.

The operation hopes to showcase the capsule’s ability to launch and separate from the Falcon 9 rocket, orbit earth, transmit signals and receive commands, and then re-enter the earth’s atmosphere for an ocean recovery.

Never before has a non-government-owned spacecraft successfully pulled off such a feat, and the operation carries significant risks.

The craft must manoeuvre in orbit at speeds of more than 27,360 kilometres per hour, survive a fiery re-entry into orbit and manage a safe parachute landing into the ocean.

SpaceX said the Dragon, which unlike the space shuttles has no wings, will control its re-entry through “onboard Draco thrusters, which enable the spacecraft to touch down at a very precise location – ultimately within a few hundred metres of its target.”

In late November, the Federal Aviation Administration issued its first licence to SpaceX to permit a privately-owned spacecraft to re-enter earth’s orbit.

A previous flight by the world’s first commercial spaceship, owned by Virgin Galactic’s Richard Branson, made its first piloted journey in October but stayed close to its California base and did not enter orbit.

If the Dragon launch is successful, the next steps are for a fly-by of the ISS as part of a five-day mission in which the Dragon will approach the orbiting station within 10 kilometres, and later an actual cargo and crew mission to the ISS.

Both are scheduled to take place some time next year.

As tall as an 18-storey building, the Falcon 9 rocket that will carry the Dragon was successfully test-launched in June.

The US space agency Nasa signed a $1.6 billion contract with SpaceX in December 2008 under the Commercial Orbital Transportation Services (COTS) program to provide 12 spacecraft with cargo capacity of at least 20 tonnes to resupply the International Space Station (ISS) until 2016.

Nasa has also signed a contract of $1.9 billion with Orbital Space Corporation for eight launches of its Taurus II rocket starting next year.