A fuel problem forced the sudden delay, following a postponement – known as a hold – earlier in the evening due to a ship that ventured into the waters off Cape Canaveral, Florida, said SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.
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SpaceX has again postponed an attempt to launch a Falcon 9 rocket and land the main stage on a barge, after three previous cancelled launch attempts in the past week. Winds are forecast to exceed acceptable limits through Thursday.
“Our team will continue working with the Air Force’s Launch Weather Officer to evaluate the best available opportunity for flight in the coming days”, he said.
Last Sunday’s attempt to send the satellite into orbit was called off just a few seconds before liftoff.
The latest launch attempt was scheduled to take place from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida at 6:35 p.m. ET. On Wednesday, the launch attempt was against cancelled for the same mission so as to allow some more time for the liquid oxygen to chill. SES-9 will be the largest satellite supporting the Asia-Pacific region. The Falcon 9’s engines are powered by liquid oxygen and kerosene.
Stay tuned to SpaceFlight Insider for more information. He is now the managing editor of the student run newspaper, the Washburn Review.
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This approach will eventually lead to increasingly cheaper bases for launching space deliveries, which could help SpaceX be the first company – private or otherwise – to be ready for a mission to the Red Planet. After dabbling in math and engineering courses in college, he soon realized that his true calling was communicating to others about space exploration and spreading that passion.
