Cape Canaveral, Florida — SpaceX, the trailblazing private aerospace company founded by Elon Musk, faced an unexpected twist during its ambitious Starlink 10-7 mission. The mission, which aimed to deploy 23 Starlink satellites into orbit, encountered a delay due to booster recovery conditions and was later scrubbed to be launched on next day. The countdown was stopped at T-46 seconds. SpaceX said that the vehicle and payload remain in good health.
File photo of Falcon 9 at Pad 39A Image credit: SpaceX
The Initial Schedule
Originally slated for liftoff at 7:10 a.m. EDT, the Falcon 9 rocket stood ready at Launch Complex 39A at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. This mission was part of a double-header weekend, following a successful launch of Starlink mission 8-3, less than 24 hours earlier. The operational efficiency demonstrated by SpaceX in launching back-to-back missions is a testament to its commitment to streamlining space access.
The Scrub Decision
However, at 9:41 a.m. EDT, more than two hours later than planned, SpaceX made the difficult call to scrub the launch. The reason? Poor booster recovery conditions. The Falcon 9’s first-stage booster, which had already flown multiple times, was set to land on the “A Shortfall of Gravitas” droneship in the Atlantic Ocean. Safety and precision take precedence, even in the face of ambitious schedules.
What’s Next?
Backup launch opportunities were available until 10:59 a.m., but according to latest SpaceX update, the launch is now delayed until Monday, August 12 allowing the team to assess conditions and plan for a successful liftoff.
Add comment
Comments