SpaceX cancels first US national security mission
The launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a $500m GPS satellite, was stopped to evaluate a reading on the rocket’s first-stage sensor
Seattle — Elon Musk’s SpaceX halted the long-delayed launch of a navigation satellite for the US military on Wednesday, failing to complete its first designated national security mission for the US due to a technical issue with its rocket. SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, carrying a roughly $500m global positioning system (GPS III) satellite built by Lockheed Martin, was slated to take off from Florida’s Cape Canaveral shortly after 9am local time (2pm GMT). SpaceX said on Twitter that it was standing down from the launch attempt of the GPS III to further evaluate an “out of family” reading on the rocket’s first-stage sensors and would confirm a new launch date once the review was complete. A successful launch would have been a significant victory for Musk, a billionaire entrepreneur who spent years trying to break into the lucrative market for military space launches long dominated by Lockheed and Boeing. It was to mark SpaceX’s first so-called national security space mission, as defined ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.