As SpaceX continues to examine a malfunction with its Falcon 9 rocket, the launch of a NASA water-monitoring satellite has been pushed back until Friday, Dec. 16.
Change of Plans
The Falcon 9 rocket carrying the Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite was supposed to blast off into space on Thursday, Dec. 15, at 6:46 AM EST (11:46 AM GMT). But instead, SpaceX is planning to launch on Friday at the same time, as reported by Space.com.
NASA officials wrote in a brief update on Wednesday night that "after SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket went vertical on the pad at Space Launch Complex 4 East (SLC-4E) at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, teams identified moisture in two Merlin engines on the rocket's first stage booster."
The inspections of the rocket's engines were finished, according to the spokespersons, adding that the teams will utilize the extra time to conduct data reviews and analysis before attempting to launch the rocket.
Given that a hurricane recently pounded the Vandenberg region, it's plausible that the moisture discovered in the two engines is indeed water.
If so, then this coming Friday would be an excellent time to launch. If it's anything different, like rocket fuel, the wait time will be much longer.
SpaceX's director of civil satellite missions, Julianna Scheiman, stated during a news briefing before Wednesday's flight, "Likely, if it is something other than water, we would need to stand down on the launch and remove and replace those engines to ensure that we launch reliably."
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SWOT Mission
Its moniker, "Falcon 9," comes from the fact that nine Merlin engines propel the first stage of this rocket. The top part of the two-stage rocket is powered by a single Merlin engine explicitly designed for usage in space.
NASA and the French space agency CNES collaborated on SWOT, with help from their counterparts in Canada and the UK. The Launch Services Program, based at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, is responsible for the smooth operation of the launch service.
Once in orbit, the satellite will be able to take very accurate readings of water levels in bodies of water all around the globe, including lakes, rivers, and oceans.
The satellite will measure the length, width, and depth of these bodies of water, as well as their surface area.
Members of the mission team have claimed that the data collected will be helpful for a variety of purposes, including a deeper understanding of the effects of climate change on the world's waterways.
Friday Launches
Space travel looks to be quite hectic on Friday. In addition to the SWOT launch, two other SpaceX missions are scheduled for that day. Two more will take off from Florida's Space Coast.
One rocket will launch two satellites for the telecommunications firm SES, while another will carry up a fleet of Starlink internet satellites.
Rocket Lab is also planning its debut launch from American soil this coming Friday. NASA's Wallops Flight Facility in Virginia will serve as the launch site for an Electron launcher carrying three HawkEye 360 radio-monitoring satellites.
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