SpaceX scrubs Vandenberg Falcon 9 Starlink launch to Wednesday

SpaceX scrubbed the uncrewed launch of a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 27 Starlink satellites from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on Tuesday, Spaceflight Now reported. The company now plans to attempt the launch on Wednesday, October 21. The Lompoc Record, Santa Ynez Valley News, and Spaceflight Now had earlier reported that the mission was scheduled to fly on Tuesday afternoon. [1][2][3][4]

According to Spaceflight Now, the scrub occurred after SpaceX encountered an apparent technical issue that could not be resolved during the launch window. The rescheduled launch window is set to open at 2:59 p.m. PDT on Wednesday, October 21. Spaceflight Now added that the Falcon 9 rocket will fly on a southeasterly trajectory upon leaving pad 4E. [4]

News Channel 3-12 reported that the planned launch from the California facility was set to tie an annual record of local launches. Vandenberg Space Force Base, located in Santa Barbara County, California, operates as a space launch base on the Western Range for military, civil, and commercial launch partners, including NASA and SpaceX. [5][6]

Spaceflight Now plans to provide live coverage starting roughly 30 minutes before the revised launch window opens on Wednesday. Rockets from the Falcon 9 family have completed hundreds of launches from various pads, with the vast majority resulting in full mission success. [4][7]