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It's set to be one of the most groundbreaking moments in humanity's six decades of space exploration: Today SpaceX was due to land a rocket on a floating platform after launching.

But those looking forward to this pivotal moment will have to wait a little longer, as Nasa has announced that the launch will be delayed until 6 January 2015.

Nasa said the delay will allow a few issues with the rocket to be ironed out - and it will also give the teams time 'to enjoy the holidays'.

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SpaceX was planning to land a Falcon 9 rocket on a barge (shown) at Cape Canaveral today. The rocket was to attempt to land after launching a Dragon capsule. But the launch has been delayed until Tuesday 6 Jan due to an issue with one of the engines. It had already been delayed from earlier this week due to the same issue

The launch of the Falcon 9 rocket had originally been scheduled for Monday this week from Cape Canaveral in Florida.

However, the launch was delayed to today when some issues arose during a static fire test - which involves a brief ignition of the rocket's nine engines on the launchpad to test they work.

And it seems the issues haven't quite been solved yet, so Nasa is playing it safe and aiming for a later launch.

The reason the delay is so long, until January, is that the ISS is moving into a period of increased sunlight.

For 10 days from 28 December to 7 January, the station is in almost constant light.

This prohibits Dragon from berthing with the station, as temperatures are too high.

The launch is now scheduled for 11.18am GMT (6:18am EST) on Tuesday 6 January, with a backup attempt available the following day.

If all goes to plan, Dragon will then rendezvous with the ISS at 11am GMT (6am EST) on Thursday 8 January.

'Nasa and SpaceX announced today the launch of SpaceX's fifth commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station now will occur no earlier than Tuesday 6 January,' Nasa announced yesterday in a statement.

'This will provide SpaceX engineers time to investigate further some of the issues that arose from the static fire test of the Falcon 9 rocket on 16 December.'

They added: 'The new launch date also will allow the teams to enjoy the holidays.' 

The incredible attempt will occur during the launch of the latest cargo-carrying Dragon capsule to the ISS, called the CRS-5 mission, from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. Pictured is a previous Falcon 9 launch on 14 July 2014 - when SpaceX tested the ability of the rocket to land, but over the ocean

The first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will attempt to touch down on a barge (illustration shown) after launching a Dragon capsule into space. It is the first ever attempt at landing a rocket on solid ground after launch, and could herald a new era of cheaper spaceflight

This launch of the Falcon 9 is carrying SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule on its fifth scheduled cargo mission to the ISS - and sixth flight to the station overall - under contract with Nasa.

But while that is an achievement in itself, of more interest is SpaceX's plan after the launch.

The various stages of rockets are normally left to fall into the ocean or burn up in the atmosphere after reaching space.

SpaceX, though, wants to eventually make entire rockets reusable - like an airplane - allowing them to launch, land and then launch again.

This mission will be a crucial step in that endeavour. Already the company has tested the technology to land a rocket in a series of tests using the Grasshopper concept vehicle.

This was a rocket attached with landing legs that performed short 'hops' on Earth, to a height of a few hundred metres, to test the technology needed to land.

And this time that same technology will be used to bring the rocket back from the edge of space.

For now SpaceX is attempting to return only the first stage - the lower portion - of a rocket after launching.

In future, they are hoping to return the entire rocket to ground.

On a previous launch to space on 14 July this year, the company employed 'grid fins' on the first stage of a Falcon 9 rocket, allowing it to remain stable on its return to Earth.

Shortly before hitting the ocean it also reignited its thrusters, to prove that the rocket could successfully turn itself back on and perform a landing. 

Grid fins (seen here) on the side of the first stage of the rocket will keep it steady as it descends to Earth, while it will save 15 per cent of its initial fuel in order to lower itself slowly to the ground

On this occasion the rocket, after performing this test, simply fell into the ocean.

But SpaceX has constructed a floating barge for this next launch, upon which the rocket will attempt to land.

CEO Elon Musk notes that the attempt, as it is the first, only has a 50 per cent chance of success.

Nonetheless, regardless if it fails or succeeds, the test will be important to one day making all of their launches reusable.

'Returning anything from space is a challenge, but returning a Falcon 9 first stage for a precision landing presents a number of additional hurdles,' the company said in a statement.

'At 14 stories tall and traveling upwards of 1,300 metres (nearly one mile) per second, stabilising the Falcon 9 first stage for re-entry is like trying to balance a rubber broomstick on your hand in the middle of a wind storm.'

Elon Musk (pictured) said the ambitious attempt has a 50 per cent chance of working. SpaceX ultimately wants all of its rockets to be reusable in order to reduce the cost of going to space

The barge measures about 300 feet (90 metres) long by 100 feet (30 metres) wide, and also has wings that extend out to another 170 feet (50 metres).

According to SpaceX chief Elon Musk, it also has 'thrusters repurposed from deep sea oil rigs' that can hold it in position within 10 feet (three metres) even in a storm.

To control the rocket as it lands, the grid fins on its side control its pitch, yaw and roll.

These are 'stowed on ascent and then deploy on re-entry for "X-Wing" [from Star Wars] style control,' according to Musk.

And to slow it down as it descends it will save 15 per cent of its original fuel, allowing it to lower itself towards the ocean without the use of a parachute.

The barge (shown) measures about 300 feet (90 metres) long by 100 feet (30 metres) wide, and also has wings that extend out to another 170 feet (50 metres)

Whatever the outcome, SpaceX will use the data they glean to improve their technique and one day plan to perform this manoeuvre during every launch.

Cameras on board the barge will capture the entire descent, although it's unclear how much - if any - of this footage SpaceX will make public.

Eventually, they will start bringing the upper - or second - stage of the rocket back as well.

The ultimate goal is to make the entire rocket reusable - which will drastically reduce the cost of going to space.

SpaceX has a £1billion ($1.6 billion) contract with Nasa to resupply the ISS. This launch of the Dragon capsule will be the fifth of 12 scheduled missions.

This launch of the Falcon 9 will be carrying SpaceX's unmanned Dragon capsule on its fifth scheduled cargo mission to the ISS - and sixth flight to the station overall - under contract with Nasa. The spacecraft is pictured here berthed with the ISS on a previous cargo mission