The scheduled launch of a SpaceX rocket in Texas was halted Monday with just minutes remaining on the countdown due to an issue CEO Elon Musk pinned on a frozen valve.
Some 15 minutes prior to the expected launch of its Starship rocket, SpaceX announced what’s called a “scrub,” which pushes the launch back at least 48 hours. That would mean 9 am ET Wednesday at the earliest.
The culprit, according to Musk, is a frozen pressure valve. Despite the scrub, SpaceX continued the countdown to the 10-second mark, essentially getting in a practice run.
A pressurant valve appears to be frozen, so unless it starts operating soon, no launch today
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 17, 2023
This isn’t the first time the Starship orbital launch has been delayed. SpaceX has planned the launch for the summer of 2021, but development delays and difficulty securing FAA approval got in the way.
Starship is the culmination of a $3 billion contract SpaceX won from NASA to use the rocket as a crewed lunar lander. It’s designed to carry crew and cargo beyond Earth and ultimately help NASA achieve its goal of returning astronauts to the moon.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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