The first launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 after its explosion is set for December 19th! The return to flight of the reengineered rocket will carry a payload of relay satellites into orbit–its first flight since its dramatic June launch failure.
Aiming for Falcon rocket static fire at Cape Canaveral on the 16th and launch about three days later
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 10, 2015
Almost six months ago, the rocket exploded due to a weak strut leading to a cascading failure. It has been reengineered to prevent similar failures in the future. Depending on approvals, this may also be SpaceX’s first attempt to land their Falcon 9 booster on land at Cape Canaveral instead of on a barge.
We’ll be watching as the launch date gets closer.
Contact the author at [email protected] or follow her at @MikaMcKinnon.
