Photo: Spacex via Twitter
Tuesday, December 18, was supposed to be a great day for rocket launches, with no less than four such events being planned initially across the world. Unfortunately for those waiting for a symphony of rockets in the sky, nearly all launches were canceled for various reasons.
SpaceX, Blue Origin, Arianespace and United Launch Alliance were all supposed to have a busy day today, but at the time of this writing, only United Launch Alliance remains in the cards to save the day.
The first to drop off the schedule board was the Arianespace Soyuz rocket, which was delayed to Wednesday due to high-altitude winds above its launch site at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in the French Guiana. The rocket was supposed to deliver to orbit a high-resolution imaging satellite for the French military.
The second launch to be postponed was that of Blue Origin, which was supposed to take off from West Texas carrying nine NASA-backed research projects, including experiments on microgravity, electromagnetic fields, and flight-measuring tools for the New Shepard spaceship. The launch was scrapped due to issues with the rocket’s ground infrastructure.
As it approached the moment for take-off, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 was grounded too, due to “an out of family reading on first stage sensors.“ Falcon 9 was due to lift off Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral with a US Air Force satellite called GPS III SV01.
Still in the cards, for now, is the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy, which is scheduled to deliver to orbit a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket is on the pad at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch is scheduled for 5:57 p.m. PST (8:57 p.m. EST; 0157 UTC).
All of the three canceled launches in Tuesday have been rescheduled for Wednesday, pending approval that all systems are a go.
The first to drop off the schedule board was the Arianespace Soyuz rocket, which was delayed to Wednesday due to high-altitude winds above its launch site at the Centre Spatial Guyanais in the French Guiana. The rocket was supposed to deliver to orbit a high-resolution imaging satellite for the French military.
The second launch to be postponed was that of Blue Origin, which was supposed to take off from West Texas carrying nine NASA-backed research projects, including experiments on microgravity, electromagnetic fields, and flight-measuring tools for the New Shepard spaceship. The launch was scrapped due to issues with the rocket’s ground infrastructure.
As it approached the moment for take-off, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 was grounded too, due to “an out of family reading on first stage sensors.“ Falcon 9 was due to lift off Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral with a US Air Force satellite called GPS III SV01.
Still in the cards, for now, is the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy, which is scheduled to deliver to orbit a classified satellite for the National Reconnaissance Office. The rocket is on the pad at the Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The launch is scheduled for 5:57 p.m. PST (8:57 p.m. EST; 0157 UTC).
All of the three canceled launches in Tuesday have been rescheduled for Wednesday, pending approval that all systems are a go.
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