SpaceX scrubs Falcon Heavy launch, reschedules for tonight

SpaceX made a last-minute decision to scrub and reset the launch of Hughes Network Systems’ Jupiter 3 mission just a minute before liftoff. The rescheduled launch is now set for tonight.

Last night, SpaceX attempted to launch its Falcon Heavy rocket, which was once regarded as the king of operational rockets. However, it has now been surpassed by NASA’s SLS and SpaceX’s own Starship rocket. The launch, consisting of three Falcon 9 cores, was planned to include a double landing of the booster back on land while the center core would be expended.

Everything appeared to be on track as SpaceX reached T-1 minute before an abrupt halt as the launch director declared an abort. In certain cases, SpaceX might recycle to a new T-0 time early in the countdown, but at this late stage, any abort automatically results in a launch scrub. Eventually, a scrub was called, and the livestream concluded with a new launch date of July 27.

SpaceX states both the vehicle and payload on in good condition.

The weather conditions for last night’s intended launch were favorable, with an 85% chance of suitable conditions at liftoff. However, the forecast for tonight indicates a less promising 40% chance of meeting SpaceX’s launch constraints due to the weather.

SpaceX might run out of time to launch Jupiter 3

Presently, SpaceX has only one launch pad capable of supporting Falcon Heavy missions, LC-39A. Regrettably, this same pad is also the only one suitable for supporting crewed flights on the Falcon 9. Consequently, there is an impending conflict between these two requirements.

Recognizing the situation, NASA has already delayed the launch of Crew-7 by two days to allow SpaceX sufficient time to execute the Jupiter 3 mission before needing to prepare the pad for crewed flights. Any further delays to the Falcon Heavy launch could potentially impact the readiness for Crew-7’s launch date.

The exact hard cutoff point for addressing this issue is not yet known. Considering the unfavorable weather conditions for tonight and tomorrow, it wouldn’t be surprising if discussions about rescheduling the launch after Crew-7 are taking place.