A 'sensor issue' prompts SpaceX to delay the launch of US military satellite

US space firm SpaceX has pushed back its first launch of a US military satellite after a “sensor issue” with the rocket triggered a 24-hour delay on Sunday. “Standing down today due to a sensor issue; backup launch opportunity tomorrow (Monday) morning,” Xinhua news agency quoted the California-based company as saying in a tweet.

A Falcon 9 rocket was less than 60 seconds away from liftoff on Sunday when the issue triggered a hold. Liftoff is now targeted on Monday between 7 and 9 a.m. EDT (1100 and 1300 GMT) from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida. Following stage separation, the first-stage booster will attempt to land at SpaceX’s Landing Zone 1 (LZ-1) at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Florida.

The mission, which is being referred to as NROL-76, will carry a classified payload designed, built and operated by the National Reconnaissance Office. This comes after reports that Nasa is working closely with Boeing and SpaceX for getting their spacecraft ready to use as lifeboats for the ISS. Currently, the Russian Soyuz spacecraft does double duty as an escape vehicle. Every astronaut on board has a seat reserved, which limits the number of crew working at the ISS at any point of time.

With inputs from IANS