SpaceX rocket launch delayed, postponing plans to land Falcon 9 on a barge

Planned launch was pulled just minutes before scheduled take off this morning

The barge looks big from close up, but tiny when you're trying to land a rocket on it, SpaceX has said (SpaceX)

The launch of a SpaceX rocket that was set to land on a barge after taking supplies to the International Space Station has been postponed, after a problem.

Elon Musk’s rocket company pulled the unmanned mission just two minutes before it was supposed to be launched, reporting problems but not giving any detail on what they were.

The company was livestreaming the launch, until the problem began. Launch was scheduled for 11.20 GMT this morning.

Nasa has said that SpaceX will now try to re-launch the rocket on Friday.

Even if the ship is able to take off, expectations for being able to hit the barge on the first try are low. Elon Musk has said that there is a roughly 50% chance that the rocket could land on what the company calls its drone platform.

The company has said that whether or not it is able to land on the barge, it will keep trying with the experimental landings that could one day lead to affordable space travel.