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Falcon 9 launch aborted after engines ignited
SpaceX scrubbed a Falcon 9 Starlink launch from Vandenberg just seconds before liftoff, after all nine Merlin engines on the first stage ignited.
Image: iXBT
SpaceX aborted a Falcon 9 launch at the last moment, halting a new Starlink mission just seconds before liftoff from SLC-4E at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The scrub happened during the Starlink 17-39 mission after ignition of all nine Merlin engines on Falcon 9's first stage. The rocket had been set to carry 24 Starlink satellites into orbit.
SpaceX has not yet given an official reason for the abort. As iXBT notes, unlike its Starship test program, the company rarely shares detailed explanations for incidents during Falcon 9 launch operations, so the cause of the automatic shutdown may never be disclosed.
It was the second SpaceX launch scrub in the past week to come after engine startup. A similar situation happened earlier during preparations for Starship’s 13th test flight, which was also stopped in the final seconds before launch.
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Frontier Editor
Dan is our resident futurist, covering electric mobility, space exploration, and the smart home. He's interested in atoms just as much as bits. Whether it's a new battery chemistry, a reusable rocket, or a protocol that finally makes IoT devices talk to each other, Dan breaks down the engineering that pushes humanity forward.
via iXBT
