SpaceX just scrubbed its rocket launch but may try again sometime 'this week'
SpaceX planned to launch a rocket Thursday night that could have changed history.
However, the company's two attempts to get a 229-foot-tall Falcon 9 off the ground - one on Wednesday and another on Thursday - both ended in a scrub.
"This was our backup day," an announcer who appeared on the company's live webcast said. "We do not have, for the moment, a new launch attempt determined."
But he did note that SpaceX may try again soon, "hopefully in a couple of days or so this week."
What was supposed to happen
The company, led by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk, had planned to launch a satellite into orbit. But the coolest part was supposed to happen afterward.
Part of the rocket would try to land itself on a woefully tricky target: a robotic barge floating off the coast of Florida.
The attempt is designed to one-up SpaceX's historic Dec. 21st launch and landing of a Falcon 9 rocket on solid ground.
When it figures out another time to try again, SpaceX will launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station that's pre-loaded with a commercial communications satellite, called SES-9.
Once the satellite is safely boosted into geostationary orbit, the first stage of the rocket will try to land itself at sea - which SpaceX doesn't think will go well ("a successful landing is not expected").
If it does work, the feat could usher in an exciting new era of spaceflight. But if it doesn't, we might see a pretty wild explosion.
SpaceX proving it can launch, precisely re-land a rocket at sea, and then reuse it could make access to space radically less expensive.
The previous launch, set for Wednesday, February 24, was scrubbed due to lousy weather. SpaceX hasn't yet shared why it scrubbed Thursday's launch.