SpaceX cancelled the launch of a Falcon 9 rocket that was going to deliver satellites to space less than two minutes before go-time.
According to Reuters, SpaceX commentator John Insprucker initially referred to the reason behind the postponement as a technical problem before later offering more detail. The company has not set a new launch date for the SES-9 Mission.
"Right now, preliminary [indications are] that we were still evaluating the liquid oxygen propellant load, looking at how much time we had left in the count to finish loading the liquid oxgyen," he said during the launch webcast. "And at that time, the launch team decided that we would need to hold the countdown."
Luxembourg-based network operator SES SA, but the company is planning to make another attempt at re-landing the Falcon 9 rocket on an ocean-based pad. SpaceX was successful in Dec. landing the rocket on the ground, but has failed three times with an ocean-based pad.
The launch cancellations was the second in as many days, CBS News noted, and the first was due to liquid oxygen not getting cold enough.
"We were just wrapping up liquid oxygen loading on first and second stage," Insprucker said during the webcast. "Right now, preliminary, is that we were still evaluating the liquid oxygen propellant load, looking at how much time we had left in the count to finish loading the liquid oxygen. And at that time, the launch team decided we would need to halt the countdown."
