Watch live: The Block 5 version of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket tries to fly

Enlarge / The Block 5 version of the Falcon 9 rocket stands on a launch pad at Kennedy Space Center on Thursday. (credit: SpaceX)

On Thursday, a few hours before SpaceX was due to launch a new version of its Falcon 9 rocket, company CEO Elon Musk admitted he was nervous. SpaceX had significantly revamped the nine-engine booster that had powered its astonishing rise to the top of the aerospace industry. Now came the final test.

"The reason that it's so hard to make an orbital rocket work is that your passing grade is 100 percent, and you can't fully and properly test an orbital rocket until it launches," Musk said. He paused a moment and then added, "Man, anyway, I'm stressed."

As it turned out, the Block 5 version of the Falcon 9 rocket did not undergo its orbital test on Thursday, as the ground control systems at Kennedy Space Center stopped the rocket's countdown with just 58 seconds to go. Because there were only about 30 minutes left in the two-hour launch window to send the Bangabandhu Satellite-1 to geostationary transfer orbit, the company ultimately had to scrub and turn around to try for a second launch attempt Friday.

Read 3 remaining paragraphs | Comments