In a statement, SpaceX founder Elon Musk said, "Due to high winds, we placed the countdown on hold and began draining the fuel tank. As we drained fuel from the 1st stage tank, a faulty pressurization valve caused a vacuum condition in the tank. This caused a fuel tank barrel section to deform and suck inward."

The company said that repairs and analysis will be required before the next flight can be attempted at its launch site, which is located on Omelek Island in the Kwajalein Atoll in the South Pacific.

It was not immediately clear when SpaceX would make its next attempt. "It is not just a matter of repairing the damage, but also understanding at a fundamental level how to ensure it never happens again," according to Musk. "SpaceX will also do another full review of all the vehicle systems, including propulsion, structures, avionics, software and ground support systems. Therefore, we expect that the earliest that launch would occur is late January."

According to Gwynne Shotwell, SpaceX VP for Business Development, the company had originally expected to make this second launch attempt in mid-January, but was able to move it up to December. She did not know what near-term scheduling issues there might be with the Reagan Test Site, which provides range support for SpaceX's South-Pacific launches.

Although investigation into the problem is ongoing, Musk characterized the issue as a valve electrical failure rather than a flaw in the vehicle structure.

The Falcon 1 design uses a pressure-stabilized structure for reduced weight, inspired by the original Atlas rocket. The Atlas designers achieved significant weight reduction by using a thin metal skin that required the vehicle to be continuously pressurized to prevent collapse. This practice was discontinued with the current Atlas V launcher.

The Falcon 1 uses a relaxed version of this approach. The vehicle structure allows the rocket to be transported and handled unpressurized. Pressurization is required for rigidity during flight, however.

During a press event to cover the launch attempt, Shotwell said that the first stage at Omelek had passed standard proof-pressure testing, and that a qualification prototype had successfully undergone about 200 fill-unload pressure cycles. She said that both stages of the first flight vehicle are made from common Al 2219 aluminum alloy, although the company expects to eventually move to an advanced lithium aluminum alloy for its upper stage. Although advanced friction stir welding is likely to be employed in future production, Shotwell said conventional welding techniques were used for the current vehicle.

The privately funded launch startup firm made its first launch attempt on Thanksgiving Day Weekend. That launch was scrubbed when a manual valve had been left open, venting enough liquid oxygen to prevent full loading of LOX and helium pressurant using the limited LOX supply on hand.

The Falcon 1 is the first and smallest in a planned line of launch vehicles that SpaceX is developing, intended to significantly reduce launch costs. The payload for this first launch is a single satellite, dubbed Falconsat-2, built by US Air Force Academy students.

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