SpaceX halted the launch of 23 Starlink broadband satellites in the final minute of the countdown on Sunday (Aug. 11).
A Falcon 9 rocket carrying 23 Starlink spacecraft was scheduled to lift off from NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida on Sunday, during a 3.5-hour window that opened at 7:21 a.m. EDT (1121 GMT).
SpaceX pushed the effort to the end of the window, then called off the effort with 46 seconds left on the countdown. The company did not immediately give a reason for the abortion, but Said by X The rocket is in good health and should go for another launch on Monday (Aug 12).
Falcon 9 will fly on Monday and if all goes according to plan, its first stage will return to Earth eight minutes after launch, touching down on the shortfall of Gravitas, a drone stationed in the Atlantic Ocean.
It was the 17th launch and landing for this particular booster. According to SpaceX.
Falcon 9’s upper stage, meanwhile, will send 23 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit 64 minutes after launch.
Related: Starlink satellite train: How to see and track it in the night sky
Sunday’s planned launch is part of SpaceX’s busy weekend. The company launched 21 Starlink satellites Saturday morning (Aug. 10) from the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station next to KSC.
Another Falcon 9 will lift off two satellites tonight from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. Arctic Satellite Broadband Mission. The ASBM is designed to provide protection in the Arctic for the US Space Force and the state-owned company Space Norway.
Editor’s note: This story was published on August 11 at 11:15 a.m. ET.