Elon Musk's SpaceX was set to launch a rocket with supplies for the International Space Station yesterday, but had to abandon the attempt at the final moments due to an impending storm.
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The launch was attempted in coordination with NASA out of Cape Canaveral yesterday evening, but Musk only gave it a 50 percent chance to succeed from the start. As launch approached and the countdown was going, a hold call came over the radio due to the proximity of a thunder storm, The Register reports. A second attempt at a launch will occur today according to Florida Today, with the good weather liklihood at 60 percent.
Musk later tweeted himself that the impending storm was the cause of the cancellation. The Register explains that NASA's rules regarding rocket launches in bad weather are very strict and specific--a storm must be more than 10 miles away. Any chance it is closer or moves closer, and the launch must be abandoned or held.
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To make matters more difficult, there was already a limited window to launch the Dragon cargo capsule. SpaceX's creation needed orbital sync to reach the ISS in the right timeframe given the fuel it has. Any delay or change in plans severely limits (or reduced entirely) the chance of success.
The rocket held supplies for the ISS, but the launches also serve as testing grounds for SpaceX's reusable rockets. The two-stage rocket detaches its lower portion during launch, ideally landing on a barge set at sea. SpaceX currently has a $1.6 billion contract with NASA to launch 12 unmanned cargo rockets to the ISS according to Space.com--five have been completed.