Launch of SpaceX Falcon 9 with Bulgariasat-1 delayed to NET Friday, June 23
Falcon 9 (Core 1029) static fire test, June 15, 2017. Photo Credit: SpaceX
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The launch of Bulgaria’s first satellite has been delayed to no-earlier-than Friday, June 23, due to the need by SpaceX to replace a fairing valve on the rocket. The mission was set to launch on June 19 from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A in Florida.
The payload for this mission, Bulgariasat-1, is the first satellite to be launched for the nation and had been scheduled to be sent to a Geostationary Transfer Orbit (GTO) by its Falcon 9 “Full Thrust” rocket at 2:10 p.m. EDT (18:10 GMT) tomorrow.
With that date now off the table, Friday is the next proposed launch date, with a backup launch date of Saturday, June 24, also available.
This was not a day for space flight, apparently, with the planned and often-delayed launch of a Terrier Malemute rocket also being scrubbed from its liftoff from NASA’s Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia.
SpaceX has a two-hour launch window on June 23, one that opens at 2:10 p.m. EDT (18:10 GMT) with a backup opportunity on Saturday, June 24, at the same time.
Jason Rhian
Jason Rhian spent several years honing his skills with internships at NASA, the National Space Society and other organizations. He has provided content for outlets such as: Aviation Week & Space Technology, Space.com, The Mars Society and Universe Today.
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