Launch of Falcon 9 rocket delayed after engine damage

A crack in the engine nozzle of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket delayed its test launch until later this week, NASA said Monday.

The privately owned Falcon 9 is operated by SpaceX, a California— based company that hopes to compete for future NASA contracts to ferry astronauts into space.

The rocket was to carry the Dragon space capsule, and the launch was scheduled for Tuesday from Cape Canaveral, Florida. But during a routine review of photographs of the rocket, SpaceX engineers discovered a 7.6—cm—long crack in the engine nozzle.

SpaceX will either repair the crack or ship a replacement part from California.

The Falcon 9 rocket could soon carry astronauts to space. NASA is set to retire the remainder of its ageing fleet of space shuttles later this year, leaving the United States without a vehicle to get astronauts into orbit.

President Barack Obama is scrapping a NASA plan to build a next generation of manned rockets in favour of contracting the work to private industry in so—called “space taxis.”