SpaceX Rocket Launch Postponed Until July

The SpaceX launch that was planned for Sunday was postponed after a pre-flight check showed an area of concern. SpaceX said that they planned to try the launch again on Tuesday, as long as everything ...
SpaceX Rocket Launch Postponed Until July
Written by

The SpaceX launch that was planned for Sunday was postponed after a pre-flight check showed an area of concern.

SpaceX said that they planned to try the launch again on Tuesday, as long as everything was working correctly, but they were not able to launch Falcon 9 that day either.

“Today’s ORBCOMM launch attempt has been scrubbed to address a potential concern identified during pre-flight checks,” SpaceX said in a written statement on Sunday. “The vehicle and payload are in good condition, and engineering teams will take the extra time to ensure the highest possible level of mission assurance prior to flight.”

The team will work on the rocket while it remains on the launch pad. SpaceX first tried to launch the rocket on Friday but was unable to do so because of a possible leak that was found during a pressure reading.

They tried again on Saturday, but poor weather prevented them from launching the rocket, named Falcon 9.

The weather conditions were better on Sunday, but SpaceX was not sure if they would allow for the launch.

“The primary concerns are cumulus clouds, lightning, anvil clouds and high electric fields within the window. With conditions not appearing to change through mid-week, similar weather concerns will persist for a few days,” according to the 45th Weather Squadron’s launch operations forecast Sunday morning.

After the repair crew was unable to fix the rocket on Tuesday, SpaceX made the decision to postpone the launch again until July.

“SpaceX will stand down Tuesday while our engineering teams evaluate further, which will also allow the Range [Cape Canaveral] to move forward with previously scheduled maintenance,” SpaceX and Orbcomm representatives said in the mission update. “We are currently targeting the first week of July and will work with the Range to confirm the next available launch opportunities.”

If Falcon 9 is launched in July, it will make the 10th launch of a Falcon 9 rocket since debuting in June 2010.

Do you think the Falcon 9 will launch in July as planned?

Image via Twitter

Get the WebProNews newsletter delivered to your inbox

Get the free daily newsletter read by decision makers

Subscribe
Advertise with Us

Ready to get started?

Get our media kit