- The first launch attempt was aborted half a second before liftoff
- A faulty check valve on the rocket caused officials to call off that launch
- The second attempt is scheduled to blast off at 3:44 a.m. ET
- The launch is the first private mission bound for the International Space Station
(CNN) -- SpaceX is due early Tuesday to make its second attempt at sending the first private spacecraft to the International Space Station after the initial launch over the weekend was aborted a half a second before liftoff.
The company's Falcon 9 rocket -- with its Dragon capsule filled with food, supplies and science experiments -- is scheduled to blast off at 3:44 a.m. ET from Cape Canaveral, Florida.
The first attempt at launching the rocket was halted Saturday when a flight computer detected "high pressure in the engine 5 combustion chamber," according to the company.
"During rigorous inspections of the engine, SpaceX engineers discovered a faulty check valve on the Merlin engine," the company said in a statement Monday. "The failed valve was replaced on Saturday, and after thorough analysis, the vehicle has been cleared for launch."
SpaceX: Launch abort 'not a failure' The mission is designed to establish whether SpaceX can deliver cargo to the space station. It is one of a handful of private companies receiving funds from NASA with the goal of ferrying cargo into orbit.
NASA and SpaceX envision the unmanned Dragon docking at the station, where the crew will pull food, water and other provisions from the capsule.
The scheduled launch, which NASA will transmit live on its website, is one of 12 planned SpaceX flights to the International Space Station.
If the launch succeeds Tuesday, it will be the first time the Dragon capsule has been launched with the components needed for docking at the space station. SpaceX has previously test-launched the rocket.
The current mission has been delayed several times because of problems with flight software.
SpaceX hopes the experience with the cargo flights will help it reach its goal of carrying astronauts aboard the Dragon.
NASA is currently reliant on the Russian space agency to ferry U.S. astronauts to orbit, since the grounding of the U.S. shuttle fleet has left the United States with no way to lift humans into space.
CNN's John Zarrella contributed to this report.
