After the September 1, 2016 accident that has caused SpaceX to suspend its flights, the program is now back in operation. December should have been the time operations resume but that was postponed for January. Now SpaceX flight has been delayed because of bad weather.
SpaceX had its Falcon 9 rocket launch scheduled last Sunday, January 9. Bad weather however has forced a cancellation of that launch. High winds and rain had been experienced at the launch site in Vandenderg Air Base in California, forcing the delay.
With the cancellation of the launch, SpaceX has announced on Twitter that the Falcon 9 flight would be moved next Saturday. Rain is expected to continue at the launch site until Thursday. The Saturday launch has been scheduled at 9:54 a.m. Another backup schedule has been made the following day should that launch be delayed further.
For the launch, SpaceX will deliver ten satellites for Iridium Communications Inc. The satellites are planned to be to add more mobile communication capabilities for all types of vehicles on land, sea and air, according to the Los Angeles Times. SpaceX would also have a launch on January 26 at Kennedy Space Center using pad 39A.
Iridium chief executive Matt Desch has also announced the flight's delay on Twitter. He has confirmed that the delay has been caused by bad weather, as Space Daily reports. Weather isn't expected to clear up until after Thursday.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has just granted SpaceX its Commercial Space Transport License last Friday. SpaceX has not wasted any time in resuming its launch program. It has scheduled launches which have been put on hold while the September 1 investigation was being done.
The investigation has just been concluded after four months. Its report has found that the tanks holding pressurized helium have buckled. SpaceX is currently redesigning the helium tanks as well as putting helium at a warmer temperature.
SpaceX is now ready to have its launches back. SpaceX flight has been delayed because of bad weather though. Earlier it has been reported that SpaceX got its license to resume from the FAA.
