Dec. 23 (UPI) — Bad weather forced the fourth cancellation of a SpaceX launch Saturday from Florida, with the next liftoff scheduled for Sunday.
The private company attempted to launch a GPS satellite for the Air Force from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station’s launch pad 40 at 9:21 a.m. until it was scrapped because of “upper level winds,” according to a Twitter post. The original launch window was 8:55 a.m.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, issues with the first-stage sensors of the Falcon 9 rocket caused the initial delays. Then thunderstorms and a tornado watch in Brevard County caused Thursday’s launch attempt to be postponed again.
The window opening for Sunday is 8:51 a.m. and lasts one hour.
Conditions are about 95 percent “go” for launch Sunday, according to 45th Weather Squadron at Patrick Air Force Base in Brevard County.
The launch is SpaceX’s first national security mission — a GPS satellite nicknamed “Vespucci.” It is the first of 10 GPS III satellites made by Lockheed Martin that have been ordered by the Air Force, according to the Orlando Sentinel.
Vice President Mike Pence visited the Cape on Tuesday for the first launch attempt.
SpaceX has had a record-breaking 20 launches this year.
