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Space X Falcon rocket launch of SES-8 satellite called off to several glitches
By: Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - SpaceX scrapped the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket at the last minute Thursday, calling it off for the second time in three days.
"We called manual abort," tweeted Elon Musk, the private space program's founder. "Better to be paranoid and wrong."
The rocket had been set to head skyward Monday from Florida's Cape Canaveral before that launch was scrubbed. It didn't go off Thursday after exhibiting what Musk -- a storied entrepreneur (thought by some to be the inspiration for Tony Stark, or Iron Man) -- described as "slower than expected thrust ramp."
Falcon 9 was then brought down from the launch pad so it could be inspected.
"Likely a few days before next attempt," read a post on SpaceX's website.
SES website last update
Cape Canaveral, Florida - November 26th, 2013 – SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and SpaceX announce that the Falcon 9 mission to launch the SES-8 satellite is delayed to November 28.
SpaceX observed unexpected readings with the first stage liquid oxygen system and is taking corrective action.
The launch vehicle and satellite have been secured and SES and SpaceX are looking forward to the next launch opportunity on Thursday at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time (23.38 CET).
SpaceX website update
Having originally been scheduled to celebrate Thanksgiving by taking to the stratosphere, SpaceX's launch was aborted at the last moment today. The Falcon 9 rocket had been scheduled to take off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sometime during a 65-minute launch window starting at 5:39 PM ET.
The aborted launch was initially set to occur earlier this week, but SpaceX missed its last launch window due to a technical glitch. "Saw pressure fluctuations on Falcon boost stage liquid oxygen tank," SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk wrote on Twitter at the time. "Want to be super careful, so pushing launch to Thurs."
A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE FOR SPACEX
Had today's launch gone smoothly, it could've been a significant milestone both for SpaceX and for the commercial space transportation industry more broadly. Instead, engineers will need to figure out what went wrong before scheduling another launch. Fortunately for both SpaceX and the company's client, the payload doesn't appear to have been damaged.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 would have blasted the SES-8 communications satellite — owned by Luxembourg-based SES World Skies — into geostationary orbit. It's the first time SpaceX has launched a commercial communications satellite, and will set the stage for the company to perform subsequent launches that currently take place overseas. "This launch is obviously very important to the future of SpaceX," Musk told reporters on Sunday. "We're very appreciative that SES would place a bet on SpaceX here."
SpaceX Aborts Thanksgiving Rocket Launch Due to Engine Trouble
by Stephen Clark, Spaceflight Now | November 28, 2013 11:57pm ET
Spaceflightnow
Topped with a television broadcasting satellite, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fired its engines and was moments away from liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, but the commercial booster aborted the launch after computers detected the engines were too slow building up thrust.
Engineers raced to understand and resolve the problem, but they could not get comfortable enough to attempt the launch again before Thursday's time-constrained flight opportunity closed.
By: Associated Press
CAPE CANAVERAL, FL - SpaceX scrapped the launch of its Falcon 9 rocket at the last minute Thursday, calling it off for the second time in three days.
"We called manual abort," tweeted Elon Musk, the private space program's founder. "Better to be paranoid and wrong."
The rocket had been set to head skyward Monday from Florida's Cape Canaveral before that launch was scrubbed. It didn't go off Thursday after exhibiting what Musk -- a storied entrepreneur (thought by some to be the inspiration for Tony Stark, or Iron Man) -- described as "slower than expected thrust ramp."
Falcon 9 was then brought down from the launch pad so it could be inspected.
"Likely a few days before next attempt," read a post on SpaceX's website.
SES website last update
Cape Canaveral, Florida - November 26th, 2013 – SES (NYSE Euronext Paris and Luxembourg Stock Exchange: SESG) and SpaceX announce that the Falcon 9 mission to launch the SES-8 satellite is delayed to November 28.
SpaceX observed unexpected readings with the first stage liquid oxygen system and is taking corrective action.
The launch vehicle and satellite have been secured and SES and SpaceX are looking forward to the next launch opportunity on Thursday at 5:38 p.m. Eastern time (23.38 CET).
SpaceX website update
Having originally been scheduled to celebrate Thanksgiving by taking to the stratosphere, SpaceX's launch was aborted at the last moment today. The Falcon 9 rocket had been scheduled to take off from Florida's Cape Canaveral Air Force Station sometime during a 65-minute launch window starting at 5:39 PM ET.
The aborted launch was initially set to occur earlier this week, but SpaceX missed its last launch window due to a technical glitch. "Saw pressure fluctuations on Falcon boost stage liquid oxygen tank," SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk wrote on Twitter at the time. "Want to be super careful, so pushing launch to Thurs."
A SIGNIFICANT MILESTONE FOR SPACEX
Had today's launch gone smoothly, it could've been a significant milestone both for SpaceX and for the commercial space transportation industry more broadly. Instead, engineers will need to figure out what went wrong before scheduling another launch. Fortunately for both SpaceX and the company's client, the payload doesn't appear to have been damaged.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 would have blasted the SES-8 communications satellite — owned by Luxembourg-based SES World Skies — into geostationary orbit. It's the first time SpaceX has launched a commercial communications satellite, and will set the stage for the company to perform subsequent launches that currently take place overseas. "This launch is obviously very important to the future of SpaceX," Musk told reporters on Sunday. "We're very appreciative that SES would place a bet on SpaceX here."
SpaceX Aborts Thanksgiving Rocket Launch Due to Engine Trouble
by Stephen Clark, Spaceflight Now | November 28, 2013 11:57pm ET
Spaceflightnow
Topped with a television broadcasting satellite, SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket fired its engines and was moments away from liftoff from Cape Canaveral on Thursday, but the commercial booster aborted the launch after computers detected the engines were too slow building up thrust.
Engineers raced to understand and resolve the problem, but they could not get comfortable enough to attempt the launch again before Thursday's time-constrained flight opportunity closed.