Editor’s note: Saturday’s planned Hotfire of SpaceX’s Falcon 1 has been postponed – pending range availability. A ground facility valve that supplied start helium to the turbopump was closed when it should have been open. As a result, SpaceX had to empty the LOX tank. Unfortunately, the LOX supplier failed to show up that day to refill the LOX supply tanks, causing SpaceX to scrub the day’s attempt.

Biologist, Explorers Club Fellow, ex-NASA Space Biologist and Payload integrator, Editor of NASAWatch.com and Astrobiology.com, Lapsed climber, Explorer, Synaesthete, Former Challenger Center board member...