SpaceX Scrubs Arabsat Launch On Inclement Weather: Here's The Next Launch Window

Elon Musk's SpaceX encountered a setback on Tuesday night (May 23), as it was forced to scrub the launch of the Arabsat BADR-8 satellite from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida due to bad weather.

What Happened: A Falcon 9 rocket topped with the Arabsat BADR-8 satellite was scheduled to lift off from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida on Tuesday night.

Despite making an effort to utilize the 127-minute launch window, SpaceX failed to go ahead with the lift-off, challenged by persistent thick cloud cover. As the conditions did not improve, the launch team aborted the lift-off with a mere 3.5 minutes remaining.

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The reason cited for the delay was the "unfavorable weather." Consequently, the lift-off was postponed for 24 hours.

SpaceX provided an update on its Twitter account regarding the scrubbed launch. The tweet read, "Due to unfavorable weather, we are standing down from today’s Falcon 9 launch of the @Arabsat BADR-8 mission."

The next available launch window is set to open on Wednesday (May 24) at 11:25 p.m. EDT. During this 127-minute period, SpaceX plans to proceed with the launch, aiming for a successful deployment of the satellite.

If SpaceX decides to attempt a lift-off, you can watch the live stream on the company's website.

Following lift-off, the Falcon 9's first stage is expected to return to Earth safely approximately eight minutes and 45 seconds later. The booster will execute a controlled landing on the SpaceX drone ship called ‘Just Read The Instructions,' positioned in the Atlantic Ocean near the coast of Florida.

Why It Matters: Weighing approximately 9,900 pounds (4,500 kilograms), the Arabsat BADR-8 satellite will reach its operational orbit in about 4-5 months. Once it's up there, BADR-8 will beam TV broadcasting and other telecom services to "central Africa, Europe, and the Middle East in replacement of the Badr 7 satellite," according to EverydayAstronaut.com.

In March, Musk had said that over 70 launches were expected for SpaceX for the remainder of 2023.

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