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A two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches the Bangabandhu-1 communication satellite from NASA's Kennedy Space Center on May 11, 2018. The Falcon 9's first stage launched another satellite in August 2018 and plans to launch at least 64 small satellites on SSO-A Carpooling Mission, which was scheduled for launch on 19 November.
Credit: SpaceX
The history of spaceflight will not be made Monday (November 19) after all.
A two-stage SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, topped with at least 64 small satellites, was to be launched at 13:31. EST (18:31 GMT) Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
The first leg of this Falcon 9 already has two flights to its credit and Monday's takeoff was to mark the first-ever third mission of a SpaceX rocket core. But we will have to wait a little longer for this milestone to be reached. [See the Evolution of SpaceX’s Rockets in Pictures]
"Quit Monday's attempt to launch Spaceflight SSO-A: SmallSat Express to conduct additional pre-flight inspections.Once the operation is completed, we will confirm a new launch date," said representatives of SpaceX via Twitter Saturday, November 17th.
They did not provide more details, so it is unclear what problem motivated the call for further inspection.
The first leg of the Falcon 9 that will help the loft SSO-A has already made two flights this year. It launched the Bangabandhu-1 communication satellite for the Bangladesh government in May and the Merah Putih satellite for PT Telkom Indonesia in August.
Such reuse is a key priority for SpaceX and its founder and CEO, Elon Musk, who aim to reduce the cost of spaceflight by frequently launching rockets. A third launch of the same Falcon 9 rocket would mark an important step in achieving the long-term goals of the company.
In the same order of ideas: SpaceX had the intention to reuse Falcon 9 too, but it 's no longer in the cards, announced Musk yesterday.
"In fact, SpaceX is no longer considering upgrading the second floor of Falcon 9 so that it can be reused." Speeding up the BFR A new design is very exciting! A counterintuitive delirium, "said Musk via Twitter.
The BFR, or "Big Falcon Rocket", is a huge reusable duo of space ships that SpaceX is developing to help people get to Mars and other destinations in the solar system. The first BFR missions on Mars could begin in the 2020s if everything went as planned, said Musk. (You can read about the new BFR design here.)
The BFR will be a versatile system capable of carrying out all of SpaceX's planned activities, from launching satellites to transporting people for end-to-end travel around the Earth, "said Musk. Indeed, SpaceX aims to phase out its Falcon 9 and Falcon Heavy rockets, as well as its Dragon capsule, after the commissioning of the BFR.
When the SSO-A takes off, it will carry at least 64 small satellites on the low Earth orbit. These payloads are very diverse. more than 30 of them were provided by international organizations that involve 18 different countries, according to representatives of Spaceflight, the mission management provider who organized the flight.
This crazy satellite total is not an absolute record. In February 2017, an Indian satellite launch rocket Polar launched 104 spacecraft, the vast majority of which were tiny "nanosats" in Earth orbit.
Mike Wall's book on the search for extraterrestrial life, "Over there"(Grand Central Publishing, 2018, illustrated by Karl Tate) is out now. Follow him on Twitter @michaeldwall. follow us @Spacedotcom or Facebook. Originally published on Space.com.
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