CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a commercial communications satellite into orbit early Monday morning.
SpaceX had aborted the launch twice. The rocket was originally slated to launch Thursday and was rescheduled to Friday, but SpaceX aborted the launch again to run additional tests on the rocket’s second stage, according to a tweet.
Standing down from Friday’s launch attempt to run additional tests on Falcon 9’s second stage. Rocket and payload are in good health. Currently working toward a June 4 launch of SES-12 from Pad 40 in Florida.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 31, 2018
According to the SES website, the communications satellite will be part of a network that increases "data connectivity services in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, including rapidly growing markets such as India and Indonesia."
German company Airbus Defense and Space manufactured the communications satellite, according to the SES website.
SpaceX conducted a static fire test of the rocket on the pad last week.
Static fire test of Falcon 9 complete—targeting May 31 launch of SES-12 from Pad 40 in Florida.
— SpaceX (@SpaceX) May 25, 2018
The launch window, which started just after midnight Monday morning, was four hours long. The launch of the SES-12 communications satellite was from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.
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