The virus has gone global—so what happens to the launch industry?

Enlarge / United Launch Alliance hoists its Atlas V booster onto the mobile launch platform adjacent to Space Launch Complex-41 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. The rocket will launch the AEHF-6 communications satellite. (credit: United Launch Alliance)

As the coronavirus pandemic continues to sweep the country, it is beginning to affect the global launch industry. As with pretty much every other aspect of life in this age of uncertainty and COVID-19, conditions can change on a day-by-day, if not hourly, basis.

But as of early afternoon on Monday, here's the state of play at major spaceports around the world.

Cape Canaveral, Florida

The Florida-based launch pads operated by NASA and the US Space Force in Florida remain open for business, for now. On Sunday morning, at T-0 in the countdown of a Falcon 9 rocket launch, an automatic abort triggered due to an engine power issue. The mission from Launch Complex 39A at Kennedy Space Center has been reset to launch no earlier than Wednesday.

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