It would not have been shocking for SpaceX to get precedence on the vary schedule because it had already reserved the launch window with the House Pressure for April 10. SpaceX subsequently delayed this explicit Starlink launch for 2 days till it lastly launched on Saturday night, April 12. One other SpaceX Starlink mission launched Monday morning.
There are a number of puzzling issues about what occurred final week. When SpaceX missed its reservation on the vary twice in two days, April 10 and 11, why did not ULA transfer again to the entrance of the road?
ULA, which is often pretty clear about its causes for launch scrubs, did not disclose any technical issues with the rocket that might have prevented one other launch try. ULA affords entry to take heed to the launch staff’s audio channel throughout the countdown, and engineers weren’t discussing any vital technical points.
The corporate’s official assertion after the scrub mentioned: “A brand new launch date shall be introduced when accredited on the vary.”
Additionally, why cannot ULA make one other run at launching the Kuiper mission this week? The reply to that query can be a thriller, however we’ve got some educated hypothesis.
Adjustments in attitudes
Just a few days in the past, SpaceX postponed considered one of its personal Starlink missions from Cape Canaveral with out rationalization, leaving the Florida spaceport with a uncommon week with none launches. SpaceX plans to renew launches from Florida early subsequent week with the liftoff of a resupply mission to the Worldwide House Station. The delayed Starlink mission will fly a couple of days later.
In the meantime, the subsequent launch try for ULA is unknown.
Tory Bruno, ULA’s president and CEO, wrote on X that questions on what’s holding up the subsequent Atlas V launch are finest directed towards the House Pressure. A spokesperson for ULA advised Ars the corporate remains to be working with the vary to find out the subsequent launch date. “The rocket and payload are wholesome,” she mentioned. “We are going to announce the brand new launch date as soon as confirmed.”
