SpaceX is one of the private enterprise space programs that hope to get people to Mars. It has largely been successful in sending satellites into orbit before an explosion last September 1 has derailed the project. It hopes to get its program back on track, but then SpaceX delays the flight to January.
Many are wondering when SpaceX would resume flights. SpaceX is still conducting an investigation as to what caused its Falcon 9 rocket to explode while at its launch pad. SpaceX won't be resuming flights until the investigation has been completed.
The Falcon 9 explosion is being investigated by SpaceX together with NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the US Air Force. Other experts are also contributing to the investigation. There is still no result coming from the investigation, though there is speculation that the second stage helium bottle might have been breached.
Earlier SpaceX CEO and founder Elon Musk has said in an interview with CNBC that the program would resume launches by mid-December. The company has now changed that and has said that launches will likely resume January 2017. No firm date has yet been given when this would be.
The next launch of the Falcon 9 rocket would be done in Southern California, according to Phys Org. SpaceX is maintaining two launch sites. One is at Kennedy Space Station in Florida, while the other is at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.
SpaceX is scheduled to put 10 Iridium Communications satellites into orbit, as The Mercury News reports. The pad that was used in the September 1 accident is still damaged. SpaceX is currently looking for another launch pad in Kennedy Space Station.
So much is at stake with the investigation being done, though SpaceX is confident that it will be able to resume launches. Its mid-December launch target has been delayed, though. Now SpaceX delays the flight to January. Even with the delay, it still hopes to continue with the project to eventually send people to Mars.
