More lousy launch weather as NASA tries to restart commercial space station

Thursday’s launch attempt was rained out.

Tonight’s forecast of clear skies will provide excellent viewing conditions.

The second attempt by a United Launch Alliance Atlas 5 to launch the Cygnus cargo spacecraft was stymied by ground winds at the Cape Canaveral, Florida, launch site that just exceeded limits during a 30-minute launch window that opened at 5:33 p.m. Eastern. A successful launch will result in Orbital ATK’s Cygnus spacecraft riding atop a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket from Cape Canaveral, FL to the orbiting laboratory. Sophisticated science experiments, ready-made food, a jet pack for spacewalking astronauts and even a satellite made by elementary school students are all on board.

“The cargo is safe, the vehicle is safe, and we’re ready to try again another day”, said Vern Thorp, United Launch Alliance’s program manager for NASA missions.

Thursday began with a 60-percent chance of favorable weather for a launch.

In order to keep the thousands of pounds of supplies, science and hardware from moving during launch and in flight, the cargo is packed in bags and strapped to the walls. If all goes according to plan, Cygnus should arrive to the Space Station on December 7, where astronauts aboard the ISS will then use the station’s Canadarm2 robotic arm to capture Cygnus, after which the cargo will then be unloaded.

Orbital’s last grocery run ended in a fiery explosion seconds after liftoff in October 2014.

Russian Federation also lost a supply ship earlier this year.

The other private company hired by NASA to deliver supplies, SpaceX, also remains stuck on Earth, at least until next month. The California company expects to resume deliveries in January.

Much-needed food is inside the cargo carrier, named Cygnus after the swan constellation. Even with the resumption of American shipments, it will take a year for the 250-mile-high pantry to be as full as it was before the string of accidents, he told reporters.