SpaceX has postponed the launch of six commercial communication satellites, for a third time, from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
The privately owned company’s Falcon 9 rocket was scheduled for launch at 2130 GMT on Sunday. The rocket contains six small satellites owned by Orbcomm Inc, which provide machine-to-machine data and messaging services worldwide.
The initial launch on Friday was called off due to a potential technical problem with the rocket’s upper-stage engine. No other information about the issue was provided by SpaceX, though the glitch apparently was cleared in time for a second launch attempt on Saturday. That attempt was cancelled because of poor weather at the launch site.
SpaceX rescheduled yet another launch for Sunday but encountered another technical issue. It was not known if the glitch was related to the upper-stage engine issue that surfaced on Friday.
“The … launch attempt has been scrubbed to address a potential concern identified during pre-flight checks,” SpaceX wrote on its website. “The vehicle and payload are in good condition, and engineering teams will take the extra time to ensure the highest possible level of mission assurance prior to flight.”
The next launch opportunity is on Tuesday.
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