Wind, valves stall launch of new Orion spacecraft
By MARCIA DUNN, Associated Press
Dec 4, 2014 7:41 AM CST
Photographers set up remote cameras to record the launch of the NASA Orion space capsule atop a Delta IV rocket at the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Wednesday, Dec. 3, 2014, in Cape Canaveral, Fla. The test flight scheduled for Thursday morning, will reach an altitude of 3,600 miles before re-entering...   (Associated Press)

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — NASA stood poised to usher in a new era of exploration Thursday with the premier launch of its new Orion spacecraft, but the countdown was repeatedly stalled by gusty winds and then a rocket problem.

After halting the countdown twice because of wind gusts, NASA pushed ahead, only to be thwarted by balky rocket-fuel valves. The latest countdown was stalled with just 3:09 to go as launch controllers rushed to fix the problem before the mid-morning launch window expired.

The valves control the flow of the liquid oxygen and liquid hydrogen in the three first-stage booster engines. The propellants combine to ignite with the explosive force needed to thrust the rocket toward space.

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