CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Florida's Space Coast was gearing up for a busy weekend of rocket launches, but by Sunday morning just one attempt was left on the schedule.
There were originally supposed to be three different rocket launches in three days at the Cape, but a scrub of the United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy early Saturday morning meant there had to be some shuffling of rockets and payloads.
The ULA launch scrubbed due to "an unexpected condition during terminal count at approximately three seconds before liftoff." A team is reviewing data ahead of determining its next move, but we won't see another attempt for seven days, at minimum, due to the required recycle time between attempts.
SpaceX's Falcon 9 launch of a satellite for Argentina's space agency, originally set for Friday evening, was rescheduled for Sunday night.
Sunday morning, SpaceX said it was standing down from the Falcon 9 launch attempt carrying another batch of Starlink satellites because of inclement weather. The next window is Tuesday morning.
Here's what's set to launch from Florida this weekend:
SCRUBBED: New time and date TBD
United Launch Alliance Delta IV Heavy with NROL-44 spy satellite for National Reconnaissance Office was set to launch from SLC-37 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. But ended up getting scrubbed three seconds before liftoff.
This launch was originally set for 2:16 a.m. Thursday, but because of an issue with a critical ground pressured gas control system the rocket never made it off the ground. The second attempt was also scrubbed early Saturday morning, and we won't likely seen another attempt for a week.
SpaceX
STANDING DOWN: 10:12 a.m. ET Aug. 30
SpaceX Falcon 9 with the twelfth batch of Starlink satellites for the company broadband internet network. Launching from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center.
The company is standing down from this launch attempt because of inclement weather on Florida's east coast. The next window is 9:29 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 1.
7:18 p.m. ET Aug. 30
We have liftoff! SpaceX successfully sent up Falcon 9 with SAOCOM 1B, a satellite for Argentina's space agency, launching from pad 40 at Cape Canaveral's Space Launch Complex.
While the weather was a concern for SpaceX all Sunday the periodic storms held off long enough for teams to be "go" for launch at 7:18 p.m.
Today's launch was SpaceX's first polar orbit launch from the Cape, meaning Falcon 9 flew south along the eastern coast of Florida on its way to space.
The rockets three deployments and the first stage landing of Falcon 9 has been completed. SAOCOM 1B is officially in orbit.
You can re-watch the exciting moments below:
45th Space Wing Commander Brig. Gen. Doug Schiess said this week could be historic for the Space Coast and the Space Wing, WKMG reported.
"It's a busy week for the team and we're looking forward to it," Schiess said.
He also said the last time Florida saw three rocket launches in a week was in 2001. That year also saw the launches in August: Titan IV, Delta II and Space Shuttle Discovery.
- Hurricane Laura to bring 'catastrophic' storm surge, extreme winds, NHC says
- Florida applies for federal unemployment benefits for extra $300 a week
- Floridians beg Gov. DeSantis to apply for federal unemployment benefits
- Dean: Students suspended after large gathering at University of Tampa
- Florida mistakenly releases COVID-19 data for daycares and schools
- Judge sides with Florida's largest teachers' union in school reopening lawsuit
►Breaking news and weather alerts: Get the free 10 Tampa Bay app
►Stay In the Know! Sign up now for the Brightside Blend Newsletter