SpaceX Scrubs AsiaSat 6 Launch

Back to the Hangar/ Image Credit SpaceX

SpaceX has scrubbed the launch of AsiaSat 6, which had been scheduled for 12:50 AM EDT tonight.  Although no statement has been forthcoming as to the cause of the scrub,  the use of the word “indefinitely” to describe the delay suggests it may be tied last Friday’s Falcon F-9R Dev test failure in Texas, an event which saw the self destruct mechanism apparently take out the booster over the McGregror testing facility.

At this point in the countdown, the SpaceX launch control team at Cape Canaveral would have the Falcon 9 in a powered on state, but fuel loading, a frequent opportunity for a problem to crop up in any rocket launch would not yet have begun. With that being the case, the tie to Friday’s mishap rises as a possibility.

When encountering problems in the past, SpaceX has often gone ahead with launch preparations in the hope that an issue can be resolved in time, but with an awareness that a scrub is likely. It may be case that the company has not been able to satisfactorily rule out a possible connection between the developmental vehicle in Texas and the operational Falcon 9 in Florida, and realizing it was out of time, called off the effort before fueling began.

More updates as they become available.