SpaceX and the US Space Force thought they were ready to launch the military’s mysterious X-37B spaceplane this week, but ground teams in Florida need to roll the Falcon Heavy rocket back into its hangar for servicing.
This is expected to push back the launch until at least late December, perhaps longer. SpaceX and Space Force officials have not divulged details about the problems causing the delay.
SpaceX had to cancel a launch attempt on Monday night at NASA’s Kennedy Space Center in Florida due to a ground system problem. A senior Space Force official, Col. James Horne, indicated on Wednesday that additional technical glitches would cause further delays. the US Space Force
According to Col. Horne, the SpaceX team is working through the issues, which include resolving a ground equipment problem that prevented the liftoff on Monday. While the ground equipment issue might be fixed soon, there are other unspecified issues that need more time for analysis and resolution. The specific launch date has not been determined yet, and the rocket will be rolled back into the Horizontal Integration Facility (HIF) for further work.
SpaceX echoed the need for additional system checkouts in a statement, indicating that they were standing down from the launch this week to perform these necessary checks. The delay is part of the process to ensure the reliability and safety of the launch.