SpaceX scrubs SiriusXM satellite launch from Florida

SpaceX scrubbed the launch of a radio communications satellite for SiriusXM less than a minute from liftoff Friday from Florida.

The company didn't say immediately what caused the halt, which occurred 30 seconds before the Falcon 9 rocket was to lift off at 12:55 p.m. EST from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. Another attempt is expected Sunday morning. SpaceX had moved the launch time back on Friday at least twice and engineers had been monitoring high-altitude winds for potential problems.

The satellite, SXM-7, is to aid delivery of SiriusXM's entertainment and data services to more than 100 million subscribers in North America, according to the company.

"Following ... the launch, the [satellite] will join five other satellites in SiriusXM's active satellite fleet," Kate Tice, a SpaceX senior engineer, said during a live broadcast. "After joining the fleet, there's an expectation that it will replace the XM-3 satellite."

The XM-3 was launched in March 2005.

The launch is to be the 25th SpaceX launch of 2020 and the seventh launch for the reusable first-stage booster.

The satellite includes a large antenna and solar arrays that span 100 feet when unfurled, weighing in total more than 15,400 pounds. Built by Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, Calif., it is designed to provide service for 15 years or longer.

SiriusXM comes installed in new vehicles from every major automaker in the United States and is available in nearly half of the preowned vehicles for sale in the country, according to the company.

SiriusXM and its streaming app, Pandora, reach 150 million people per month, the company said.

Maxar has built all seven of SiriusXM's satellites, including the first spacecraft that were launched in 2000.

Related Links
SpaceX
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Tweet

Thanks for being there;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.

SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5+ Billed Monthly

paypal only

SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once

credit card or paypal

SpaceX's 'Starship' rocket prototype explodes during vertical landing maneuver
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 10, 2020
SpaceX's prototype SN8 rocket crashed and exploded on Wednesday evening during a test flight in Texas. The rocket is intended to ferry humans to the moon and Mars one day. A Wednesday test flight of the new SN8 rocket ended disastrously when a momentary engine malfunction caused the rocket to plummet into the ground and explode. "This suborbital flight is designed to test a number of objectives, from how the vehicle's three Raptor engines perform to the overall aerodynamic entry capabilities ... read more