Déjà vu all over again: SpaceX scrubs at nearly the last second [Updated]

Enlarge / The Falcon 9 rocket, with the Intelsat 35e payload on the launch pad at Kennedy Space Center. (credit: SpaceX)

8:50pm ET / 01:50am Update: Everything lined up perfectly for SpaceX on Monday evening. The Florida sunset provided a backdrop of pink and purple hues. The weather cleared. And the rocket was good to go. Until it wasn't. Almost exactly like Sunday's initial launch attempt, the rocket's onboard computers halted the launch attempt at T-9 seconds on Monday evening. The technical cause of the scrub was not immediately clear.

SpaceX does have another launch opportunity on Tuesday, July 4th, during the evening hours. It is not clear, however, whether the company will have resolved this technical issue in time to launch on the holiday. Certainly, if it does, there will be no shortage of "fireworks" in headlines about the launch.

Original post: SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket almost made it off a Florida launch pad on Sunday evening-but with just nine seconds to go before liftoff the on-board computers detected an issue within the rocket's guidance, navigation, and control system. The launch was scrubbed and now the attempt has moved to Monday evening, with the 58-minute launch window opening at 7:37pm ET (00:37am UK). (Note: Due to weather issues, launch time is now 8:35pm ET, at the end of the launch window).

Read 4 remaining paragraphs | Comments