Brevard Space Coast Launch Site Rocket SpaceX ULA NASA
Here’s a quick look at which rockets launch from Brevard’s various launch sites.
A SpaceX webcast announcer counted down the remaining 10 seconds for Friday’s Falcon 9 launch and said “ignite” as the clock struck zero. A powerful plume of smoke and steam erupted from beneath the 230-foot-tall rocket at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
But in the final minute before liftoff, the Falcon 9’s flight computer, which controls the launch countdown, immediately shut down the engines.
“Abort,” the announcer said three seconds after T-0.
Cape Canaveral: Is there a launch today? SpaceX, NASA, and ULA scheduled rocket launches in Florida
After the unusual ignition was postponed at 5:07 pm EDT, SpaceX said it would “announce a new launch date as soon as it is determined.” No further information was released.
SpaceX’s thrice-postponed Starlink 10-2 mission was postponed on Wednesday and canceled on Thursday due to bad weather caused by Invest 90L before a dramatic shutdown on Friday at Launch Complex 40. The Falcon 9 rocket is propelled by nine Merlin engines that use kerosene and liquid oxygen as fuel.
The rocket will eventually launch and place 22 Starlink internet-transmitting satellites into low Earth orbit.
The cancellation of Friday’s launch could affect SpaceX’s planned launch on Monday of its Astra 1P satellite, which broadcasts satellite TV channels across Germany, France and Spain for Luxembourg-based satellite operator SES. That Falcon 9 mission is also scheduled for Launch Complex 40. No announcement had been made as of Friday night.
On the SpaceX side, the Federal Aviation Administration will be gathering input at a virtual meeting on Monday from 6 to 8 pm regarding the upcoming Starship Super Heavy launch from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center. The FAA is the lead agency writing Starship’s Environmental Impact Statement.
- Zoom URL: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89402979916
- Zoom Meeting ID: 894 0297 9916
- Optional phone number: 833-928-4608, 833-928-4609, or 833-928-4610.
“This project will have a significant impact on our city. Your opinions and comments matter! We encourage you to share your thoughts with the FAA about this project and how it may affect your city,” Cape Canaveral City Council officials said in a Facebook post Friday.
For the latest news and launch schedules from Cape Canaveral Space Command and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neal Neil is a space reporter for Florida Today. Contact Neil at contact addressTwitter/X: Rick Neal 1