The launch of a Pte SpaceX rocket stopped just minutes before the lift off on Sunday night (February 28) as it attempted to launch a new fleet of the company’s Starlink Internet satellites.
The Falcon 9 rocket was less than 90 seconds orbiting 60 Starlink satellites in orbit from Pad 39A to NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, SpaceX said.
“Overall, the vehicle and payload are healthy and in good health,” said Andy Tran, SpaceX’s production supervisor. “The next launch opportunity is tomorrow, March 1, at 8:15 a.m. Eastern Time.”
You can watch live here and on Space.com, starting at 8pm EST (0100 March 2 GMT) courtesy of SpaceX. You can watch the launch directly from SpaceX here.
Related: SpaceX’s Starlink Satellite Megacons in the photo
Sunday night’s launch abort is the latest delay for this special Starlink mission. It was originally scheduled to fly in February, but was delayed due to hardware issues and bad weather.
Called Starlink 17, the mission will now be SpaceX’s 20th Starlink mission and the company’s sixth launch in 2021. SpaceX currently has more than 1000 Starlink satellites in orbit as it builds megakontels capable of providing global high-speed Internet coverage, especially remote or underwhelmed locales.
The Falcon 9 rocket for the Starlink 17 includes a first-stage booster that has flown seven times so far. It launched the Iridium-8 and Telstar 18 vantage satellite missions as well as five different Starlink flights.
This booster has become the third Falcon 9 booster to fly eight times and, if all goes well, will land on the drone ship “Cf Course I Still Love You” in the Atlantic Ocean to get it back. SpaceX’s current Block 5 Falcon 9 rocket is designed to fly 10 times as part of the company’s reusability program to reduce launch costs.
In addition to the booster, the Starlink 17 mission includes reusable payload fairings (its Clash-like Knoxcon). One half makes its fourth flight while the other is on its third. Two SpaceX recovery recovery ships, the Go Finder and the Go Navigator, are arranged on shore to recover the ferries for later reuse.
According to the 45th Weather Squadron of the US Space Force, there is a 70% chance of good weather for the launch of SpaceX on Monday night.
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