Space Exploration Technologies, or SpaceX, on Tuesday delayed the launch of a rocket set to carry a commercial communications satellite into orbit, because of high winds at its
Florida launch site. Wind gusts of up to 25 mph (40 kph) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida forced SpaceX to scrub the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket that was to have put into orbit EchoStar XXIII, a commercial communications satellite for EchoStar Corporation, the privately owned company said on social network Twitter.
Florida launch site. Wind gusts of up to 25 mph (40 kph) at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida forced SpaceX to scrub the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket that was to have put into orbit EchoStar XXIII, a commercial communications satellite for EchoStar Corporation, the privately owned company said on social network Twitter.
“Standing down due to high winds; working toward next available launch opportunity,” the company messaged moments after the launch window opened. SpaceX said it had a 2-1/2 hour window from 1:34 a.m. to launch the rocket that was to have deployed the satellite about 34 minutes after lift-off. A backup launch window opens at 1:35 a.m. on Thursday, SpaceX said.
This comes weeks after a SpaceX Falcon rocket blasted off on Sunday from a Florida launch pad once used to send NASA astronauts to the moon, a step forward for billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and his company’s goal of ferrying astronauts to the International Space Station.
SpaceX had to cancel the first launch because of a technical glitch in this case. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration closely monitored Sunday’s launch to learn more about the company’s operations before it clears SpaceX to fly U.S. astronauts. In 2014, SpaceX signed a 20-year lease and has spent millions on remodeling. “It was really awesome to see 39A roar back to life,” SpaceX Dragon program manager Jessica Jensen told reporters after the launch.
With inputs from Reuters
Comments
Post a Comment