Elon Musk’s space flight company SpaceX has cancelled yet another launch, this time at the last second.
The company’s Falcon 9 reusable rocket had been scheduled to take off for a mission from Cape Canaveral at 6:46pm ET yesterday, but was postponed a day due to inclement weather conditions.
However, the company cancelled the rearranged mission right at the death, with 1 minute 40 seconds left on the countdown clock.
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No explanation was given for the cancellation, but it’s believed to be related to issues with loading the rocket with liquid oxygen.
SpaceX’s mission on this occasion was to carry an SES-9 commercial communications satellite into orbit. At 5,300kg, the SES-9 is the heaviest payload the Falcon 9 rocket has ever attempted to carry, which in turn requires more fuel.
Related: What is SpaceX?
Of more interest than the mission itself – as ever with SpaceX – was what would happen to the Falcon 9 rocket after the mission was completed. The company was set to attempt an experimental landing on a remotely operated ocean platform called ‘Of Course I Still Love You’, a procedure that even SpaceX itself was expecting to fail.
Previous attempts have met with failure, with just a single successful landing to the company’s name.
No date has been announced as yet for a new launch window.
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Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.