WATCH: SpaceX making second attempt at launch
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (WFLA) — With 11 seconds left before liftoff, SpaceX was forced to scrub Tuesday’s scheduled launch of its Transporter-2 mission due to an aircraft in the area.
Tuesday’s launch window opened at 2:56 p.m. ET. The window was set to be open for 58 minutes. SpaceX started counting down to liftoff but then scrubbed the launch when the countdown reached T-11 seconds.
SpaceX founder and CEO Elon Musk tweeted shortly after to say the scrub was due to an aircraft. He also voiced his frustrations about the aircraft that entered the “keep out zone,” which Musk described as “unreasonably gigantic.”
“There is simply no way that humanity can become a spacefaring civilization without major regulatory reform,” he said. “The current regulatory system is broken.”
A backup launch window will now open at 2:56 p.m. ET Wednesday.
The Transporter-2 mission is SpaceX’s second dedicated SmallSat Rideshare Program mission. It will launch on a Falcon 9 booster.
According to SpaceX, this mission will send 85 commercial and government spacecraft into orbit, including CubeSats, microsats and orbital transfer vehicles. Three Starlink satellites will also be on board.
After launch, SpaceX will attempt to the first stage of Falcon 9 on a landing zone at Cape Canaveral.
