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ISS grocery run stalled by storm clouds

Storm clouds have prevented SpaceX from blasting off with a rocket ship full of groceries for the International Space Station.

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SpaceX will have to wait another day to deliver groceries and an espresso maker to the International Space Station.

Fast-approaching storm clouds prevented the unmanned rocket from blasting off on Monday afternoon. The company will try again on Tuesday afternoon, but more bad weather is forecast.

The odds of acceptable conditions are just 50-50.

SpaceX halted the countdown at the two minute mark as a menacing storm system moved into the 18km keep-out zone surrounding the Falcon rocket. The company had a single second to get off the ground.

The SpaceX supply ship holds more than 1,815kg of food, experiments and equipment.

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Italy provided the specially designed espresso machine for Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti, who arrived at the space station last November.

The espresso maker was supposed to fly in January, but ended up on backlog following another company's launch explosion last year.

That accident left the space station's pantry a little emptier than NASA would prefer. The space agency is trying to get back to a six-month reserve on food.


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