SpaceX set to launch new Falcon 9 Block 5 this afternoon

SpaceX will be reattempting the launch of its new Falcon 9 rocket later today after a technical glitch forced the American aerospace firm to abandon its first attempt.

The new rocket, dubbed the Falcon 9 Block 5, had been on course to begin its maiden voyage yesterday at 10:47pm BST from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida.

But Alphr says a “last-minute technical problem” forced the rocket’s onboard computers to abandon the launch moments before lift-off.

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

SpaceX later confirmed on Twitter that the rocket was in “good health” and that a second attempt at launching the new Falcon 9 would take place this afternoon at 4:14pm EDT (9:14pm BST).

The new Block 5 rocket boasts several upgrades over the current version of the company’s Falcon 9 spacecraft, says CNBC.

These include an increase in engine power, “more resilient hardware” to cope with the harsh conditions of re-entering the atmosphere and a reduction in weight, the US-based news site says.

The aim of the Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket is to make it usable on at least ten missions before any major parts need replacing, says Business Insider.

SpaceX has never launched a “used” Falcon 9 rocket more than twice, the news site says, as the current crop of spacecrafts often sustains significant damage when re-entering the Earth’s atmosphere.

If the Falcon 9 Block 5 launch goes ahead this afternoon, the new rocket will blast into Earth’s orbit and launch a Bangladeshi communications satellite approximately 33 minutes after take-off, says SpaceX.

In the run-up to the 9:14pm BST lift-off, fans can watch the mission live from SpaceX’s website by clicking here.