NASA Postpones First Flight to Explore the Sun

Less than two minutes before launch on Saturday morning, NASA postponed its unprecedented mission to explore the Sun due to a technical glitch. The launch was originally scheduled for 3:30 a.m., but was delayed and finally aborted around 4:30 a.m. Rocket maker United Launch Alliance said a helium-pressure problem was behind the delay and said it hoped to be able to launch the Delta IV rocket carrying NASA’s Parker Solar Probe on Sunday. Thousands of spectators had gathered in Cape Canaveral to watch as the spacecraft embarks on the epic journey. The $1.5 billion mission will see the Parker Solar Probe get closer to the Sun than any other spacecraft in history. NASA hopes to learn more about the Sun's atmosphere in its mission to “touch” the star, which is expected to end in 2025. “We've been studying the Sun for decades, and now we're finally going to go where the action is,” Alex Young, a NASA solar scientist said in a statement on the mission.