CAPE CANAVERAL, fla. — NASA hadn’t seen as many launch jitters since the space-shuttle program ended last summer.
Early today, a private company was set to make history by launching an unmanned capsule loaded with supplies to the international space station. The rocket-maker, known as SpaceX — Space Exploration Technologies Corp. — hopes to join a short list of governments in flying to the orbiting lab.
NASA officials on Friday described it as “a seminal moment” and an extremely important mission, while SpaceX leaders said they were awestruck over what they were about to undertake.
“There’s no question this is a historic flight,” said SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to blast off from Cape Canaveral at 4:55 a.m. Forecasters put the odds of good weather at 70 percent. The Associated Press
