Glitch aborts SpaceX launch to space station Glitch aborts SpaceX launch to space station - Space Glitch aborts SpaceX's rocket launch to space station Falcon 9 shuts itself off after ignition; next attempt due in three days CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. - The private rocket company SpaceX will have to wait at least three days to send its Dragon space capsule on a debut flight to the International Space Station, after an engine glitch forced an abort of Saturday's launch attempt. The unmanned Dragon capsule was due to lift off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station here at 4:55 a.m. ET, but an unexpected engine sensor reading on the spacecraft's Falcon 9 rocket forced an automatic abort, NASA officials said. The Falcon 9 rocket's nine main engines were ignited, but just seconds later the vehicle's computers caused them to cut off because of an excessive pressure reading in engine No. 5, officials said. "Will adjust limits for countdown in a few days," SpaceX's billionaire founder, Elon Musk, said in a Twitter update sent from the company's Mission Control facility in California. Because of the orbital mechanics and the fuel requirements governing this test mission, the next opportunity for launch doesn't come until 3:44 a.m. ET Tuesday. Liftoff must occur precisely on time; otherwise, it will have to be rescheduled for an on-the-dot departure on another day. Graphic: The plan for SpaceX's Dragon capsule The SpaceX mission is flying under the auspices of NASA's COTS program, which stands for Commercial Orbital Transportation Services. The Hawthorne, Calif.-based SpaceX, known more formally as Space Exploration Technologies Corp., has received hundreds of millions of dollars from the program to develop the Falcon 9 and the Dragon. When the launch system proves itself to NASA's satisfaction, SpaceX will be in line to receive $1.6 billion from NASA to fly 12 cargo delivery runs to the space station. Assuming that the debut test flight goes well, the first of those delivery flights could launch in early fall, with two more to fly next year. Photos: SpaceX Poised for Historic Launch SpaceX is one of two companies NASA has funded to develop robotic spacecraft capable of delivering supplies to low-Earth orbit in the wake of the space shuttle fleet's retirement. The other is Orbital Sciences Corp. of Dulles, Va. The deals are part of the space agency's scheme to outsource space station transportation to the private space sector, allowing NASA to work on a new spacecraft and heavy-lift rocket for deep space. Ultimately, SpaceX plans to outfit Dragon to carry crew as well as cargo. This report was updated by msnbc.com. You can follow Space.com assistant managing editor Clara Moskowitz on Twitter @ClaraMoskowitz.Follow Space.com for the latest in space science and exploration news on Twitter @Spacedotcom and on Facebook.