X

First SpaceX launch in a month delayed another day

Following a series of delays, the company is taking one more day to get ready for a big launch and landing in Florida.

Eric Mack Contributing Editor
Eric Mack has been a CNET contributor since 2011. Eric and his family live 100% energy and water independent on his off-grid compound in the New Mexico desert. Eric uses his passion for writing about energy, renewables, science and climate to bring educational content to life on topics around the solar panel and deregulated energy industries. Eric helps consumers by demystifying solar, battery, renewable energy, energy choice concepts, and also reviews solar installers. Previously, Eric covered space, science, climate change and all things futuristic. His encrypted email for tips is ericcmack@protonmail.com.
Expertise Solar, solar storage, space, science, climate change, deregulated energy, DIY solar panels, DIY off-grid life projects. CNET's "Living off the Grid" series. https://www.cnet.com/feature/home/energy-and-utilities/living-off-the-grid/ Credentials
  • Finalist for the Nesta Tipping Point prize and a degree in broadcast journalism from the University of Missouri-Columbia.
Eric Mack
31463407-209037936363460-7225796096243531776-n

A Block 5 Falcon 9 at Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

SpaceX

The next SpaceX launch has already been pushed back multiple times and now Elon Musk's rocket company is taking one more day to check everything over before sending another commercial satellite to orbit from Cape Canaveral, Florida.

It's been about a month since its last launch, and despite a successful test firing earlier in the week, SpaceX has pushed back the plan to heave the Telstar 18 Vantage communications satellite off the planet from Saturday to Sunday night.

"Rocket and payload are healthy; additional time will be used to complete pre-flight checkouts," the company announced on Twitter Thursday.

The rocket carrying the satellite is a brand-new Block 5 model and the company will attempt to land and recover it via its Atlantic drone ship, "Of Course I Still Love You," according to Everyday Astronaut.

The mission was originally set for July but has been delayed several times. SpaceX launched a companion satellite, Telstar 19 Vantage, in late July. 

The launch will be streamed by SpaceX, and we'll embed the feed on this page when it becomes available. Typically, the show starts about 15 minutes before launch, which is set for 11:28 p.m. ET on Sunday.

First published Sept. 5 at 10:53 a.m. PT.
Update 7:45 a.m. PT on Sept. 7: Adds new launch date.