SpaceX delays Falcon 9 launch of 60 Starlink satellites

Elon Musk’s SpaceX has delayed the planned launch of a Falcon 9 rocket with 60 Starlink satellites by a day.

“Auto-abort at T-1:24 ahead of tonight’s Falcon 9 launch of Starlink; next launch opportunity is tomorrow, March 1 at 8:15 pm EST,” SpaceX tweeted from its official account.

It is now targeting March 1 at 8:15 pm EST (6:45 am IST on March 2 ,for launch of 60 Starlink satellites from Launch Complex 39A (LC-39A) at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The instantaneous window is at 8:15 pm EST, or 1:15 UTC on March 2, it said.

The Falcon 9 rocket was initially planned for lift off at 01:37 GMT (7:07am IST on March 1) on Monday.

The launch was supposed to carry 60 Starlin satellites into Orbit expanding SpaceX’s existing fleet of broadband relay satellites.

In related news, the Starlink satellite internet service is targeting 2022 for offering coverage in India according to information provided on its website.

On providing a service address from India, the website reads, “Starlink is targeting coverage in your area in 2022.”

Interested users can currently prebook the service from Starlink’s website for $99.00 (around ₹7300).

According to a report by Business Insider, major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, among others appear to be covered as part of the launch.

Users can check coverage in their area by checking their service address on Starlink’s website.