Friday, May 27, 2016

SpaceX Tries Again On Thaicom 8 Launch Today

Hawthorne-based space rocket developer SpaceX is planning another attempt of a launch today, after the company scrubbed its initial attempt at launching its THAICOM 8 mission on Thursday. According to SpaceX, its next launch window is at 5:40PM ET today, with the weather currently at 90%. Elon Musk said on Twitter that Thursday's launch was scrubbed due to a "tiny glitch" in the motion of an upper stage engine actuator, saying it was "probably not a flight risk" but worth investigating. SpaceX is again planning to webcast the launch, which is from Cape Canaveral. The Thaicom 8 is a communications satellite being launching into supersynchronous orbit. SpaceX also plans to again attempt an ocean landing of the first stage of the Falcon 9, although SpaceX has been qualifying the landing as continuing to be "very challenging", despite its prior landing success.

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