Elon Musk's SpaceX Dragon spacecraft set off on its journey to the International Space Station this morning, but there was a problem with the initiation of its thruster pods, which allow it to maneuver.
Soon after launch, Musk tweeted:
Issue with Dragon thruster pods. System inhibiting three of four from initializing. About to command inhibit override.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 1, 2013
Mission control waited to have at least two of the four thruster pods working before deploying the solar panel arrays that generate power to run Dragon's electrical systems.
A little more than an hour after launch, SpaceX got another thruster pod working, and has now successfully deployed both solar arrays.
According to a NASA spokesperson, Dragon's "rendez-vous with the International Space Station remains on schedule as planned."
Dragon, which launched from Cape Canaveral, is carrying 1,268 pounds of cargo, including food, clothing, and care packages for ISS astronauts. It should dock with the ISS tomorrow morning.
Here's the launch:
And the spacecraft a few minutes earlier:
Seven minutes in, Dragon is well above the Earth:
