(AsiaSat 6 being prepared for flight – Photo Credit: Asia Sat)
SpaceX have delayed the launch of a commercial telecommunications satellite in order to perform a thorough check of their systems. Although there is no issue with their Falcon 9 launch vehicle, the private spaceflight company are being overly cautious following the destruction of a rocket prototype last week.
The AsiaSat 6 satellite was schedule to be launched into orbit atop a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral on August 27th, but the company were forced to call off the attempt.
“We are not aware of any issue with Falcon 9, nor the interfaces with the spacecraft, but have decided to review all potential failure modes and contingencies again” announced SpaceX founder and CEO, Elon Musk.
The scrub comes just days after the company’s prototype Falcon 9 Reusable (F9R) rocket self-destructed shortly after liftoff, therefore there were concerns that a similar anomaly could occur during AsiaSat 6’s launch.
(A still from a video that captured the explosion – Photo Credit:Youtube)
“The natural question is whether this is related to the test vehicle malfunction at our development facility in Texas last week. After a thorough review, we are confident that there is no direct link. Had the same blocked sensor port problem occurred with an operational Falcon 9, it would have been outvoted by several other sensors. That voting system was not present on the test vehicle” Musk stated.
“What we do want to triple-check is whether even highly improbable corner case scenarios have the optimal fault detection and recovery logic,” he added. “This has already been reviewed by SpaceX and multiple outside agencies, so the most likely outcome is no change. If any changes are made, we will provide as much detail as is allowed under U.S. law.”
SpaceX will now perform a thorough check of their flight systems to ensure the vehicle is safe for flight. Although SpaceX have estimated this process could take up to two weeks, they have not yet set a new launch date.
The AsiaSat 6 satellite, when launched, will distribute video and broadband service to customers in the Asia-Pacific region. It will be operated by Hong Kong-based firm Asia Satellite Telecommunications Company Limited (AsiaSat).
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