Print
Close
SpaceX delays launch of 143 satellites on single rocket
By Julia Musto
Published January 23, 2021
SpaceX's attempt to launch a record 143 satellites on a single Falcon 9 rocket was stopped Saturday due to poor weather conditions.
"Due to unfavorable weather, we are standing down from today's launch," the Elon Musk-owned company said in a tweet.
NASA TEST FOR 'MOST POWERFUL ROCKET IN THE WORLD' HAS COMPONENT FAILURE
"Another launch attempt is available tomorrow, January 24 with a 22-minute window opening at 10:00 a.m. EST," SpaceX wrote.
According to Ars Technica, the weather "violated the electrical field rule for a safe launch."
SpaceX had been scheduled to launch from Florida's Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Saturday morning at approximately 9:40 a.m. ET.
The launch will be the fifth flight for SpaceX's Falcon 9 first-stage booster, but the team's first mission of a rideshare program, carrying 10 Starlink internet satellites and 133 other small satellites.
In its rideshare program, SpaceX allows small satellite operators to book a fraction of a payload on a Falcon 9 launch.
SpaceX production supervisor Andy Tran said the mission will break the record for most satellites deployed from a single rocket.
Tech Crunch reported Saturday that the previous record was from the Indian Space Research Organization’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C37 launch in February 2017.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FOX NEWS APP
SpaceX has seen success over the past year, including the flawless launch of the company's first-ever crewed launch to the International Space Station
https://www.foxnews.com/science/spacexs-transporter-1-launch-delayed