SpaceX Says Next Launch Opportunity Is Friday If Issue Is Resolved

The SpaceX Falcon 9 launch scheduled for Tuesday morning at 6:20 a.m. EST aborted with one minute, 21 seconds left on the countdown clock. A thrust vector control actuator for the Falcon 9’s second stage failed to perform as expected, resulting in a launch abort.

SpaceX is evaluating the issue and will determine the next opportunity to launch the company’s fifth commercial resupply services mission to the International Space Station. The next available opportunity to launch to the station would be Friday, Jan. 9.

The weather at launch time was a concern as early as Monday, but SpaceX says that the weather had improved to "90 percent 'go'" as the countdown proceeded. The launch was scrubbed when “actuator drift” on the rocket’s second-stage thrust vector control system occurred late in the countdown, automatically triggering the abort. The issue will need to be resolved before Friday’s launch attempt, which would be at 5:09 a.m. EST.

Scrubbing the flight also means that SpaceX will not be able to test its at-sea recovery system for the Falcon 9 booster until Friday. The company will attempt the precision landing of a Falcon 9 first stage for the first time on a custom-built ocean platform known as the autonomous spaceport drone ship. While SpaceX has already demonstrated two successful soft water landings, executing a precision landing on an unanchored ocean platform is significantly more challenging.

The odds of success are not great—perhaps 50% at best. However this test represents the first in a series of similar tests that will ultimately deliver a fully reusable Falcon 9 first stage.

(Image provided by NASA)

FMI: www.spacex.com