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spacex delays falcon 9 launch again

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Falcon Delays

SpaceX called off the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a European communications satellite from Cape Canaveral on Wednesday. The company said they are now aiming for the same 5:25 p.m. liftoff time on Thursday, which also has a two-hour 49-minute launch window. SpaceX said that weather conditions at both the launch and recovery sites were the main reason for the early scrub.

The Space Coast had a grey, cloudy morning with intermittent rainfall and gusty winds. Blue sky appeared by afternoon, but the forecast called for more rain and steady winds off the Atlantic. The Space Force’s Weather Squadron had predicted only a 30 percent chance of good conditions at liftoff time.

Tuesday’s planned launch attempt was also scrubbed because of weather. This string of delays means that the Space Coast is now deep into a rare launch drought.

Spacex push due to weather

The last launch from the Cape was a Starlink mission on Friday, June 7. When it does launch, the Falcon 9 will liftoff from Space Launch Complex 40. The weather squadron said there is a 60 percent chance of weather not cooperating Thursday.

There’s a backup opportunity Friday at the same time. This communications mission jumped ahead on SpaceX’s calendar after the company had to stand down from its Starlink 10-2 mission, which also saw back-to-back weather scrubs. With the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s GOES U satellite heading for SpaceX’s other pad at Kennedy Space Center’s Pad 39A, SpaceX opted to move this troubled Falcon 9 rocket aside.

The payload is a communications satellite for an SES and Astra partnership, which are European communication organizations. The Ku-band geostationary satellite will provide satellite TV service for Germany, France, and Spain. According to the SES website, these satellites have been providing TV and radio for Germany since 1988.

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