HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The Kansas Cosmosphere held a launch party for more than 100 high school students Thursday 
morning, but the Orion rocket wouldn’t cooperate.
The Cosmosphere was hosting 120 students from Trinity Catholic High School, and another eight from Nickerson High School, for the launch and splash down of what NASA hopes will be the first long-range space craft since the Apollo moon program.
But after a delay for a stray boat in the area, and two more for high wind, the launch was scrubbed after two fuel valves failed to close on the Delta IV rocket less than three minutes before liftoff. When the problem couldn’t be fixed, the mission was delayed. That still didn’t keep the students from enjoying a number of activities put on by the Cosmosphere staff during their field trip.
NASA will attempt to launch the Orion for its unmanned test flight again on Friday at 6:05 a.m., CST.