SpaceX Faces Second Rocket Launch Abortion in Less Than a Week
SpaceX, the American aerospace manufacturer and space transportation company founded by Elon Musk, has experienced its second rocket launch abortion in less than a week. The company’s Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled to launch 15 Starlink internet satellites from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday (July 19) at 1:25 a.m. EDT (0525 GMT; 10:25 p.m. local California time on July 18).
However, just five seconds before liftoff, the launch team made the decision to abort the mission. According to Zach Luppen from SpaceX, “There are thousands of ways a launch can go wrong and only one way that it can go right. Given that, we are overly cautious on the ground. And if the team or the vehicle sees anything that just looks even slightly off, they’ll stop the countdown.”
This marks the second consecutive launch abort, as a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 54 Starlink satellites from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida was also called off on July 14. The rocket successfully completed its mission the following day.
The specifics behind the latest abort have not been disclosed by the mission team. However, Luppen assured that both the rocket and the Starlink satellites are in good health. SpaceX has already set its sights on another launch attempt, targeting Wednesday (July 19) for the next liftoff. This suggests a 24-hour delay, resulting in a launch on Wednesday night California time, early Thursday (July 20) EDT and GMT.
SpaceX has been widely known for its cautious approach to launches in the pursuit of safety. Despite the foggy weather condition in Vandenberg, it was deemed suitable for launch. The company’s commitment to meticulousness has garnered praise for prioritizing crew and payload safety.
As of now, there is no further information regarding the cause of the latest abort. SpaceX enthusiasts eagerly await the rescheduled launch date as the company continues its efforts to expand its Starlink satellite megaconstellation.
[Editor’s note: This story was updated at 2:15 a.m. EDT on July 19 with the new target date of July 19 California time.]