The ULA Vulcan rocket launch carrying Amazon Leo 1 satellites has been postponed after a communication problem developed between ground equipment and the vehicle at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
United Launch Alliance said the fault required the network to be reconfigured, a process that would have extended beyond Saturday’s 29-minute launch window. The launch attempt was therefore called off.
The next opportunity is scheduled for 12.11pm local time on Sunday, November 15, subject to approval from the launch range. ULA’s mission page lists the revised window as running until 12.40pm.
The company said the Vulcan rocket and the Amazon Leo 1 spacecraft remained in good condition. It has not disclosed the specific cause of the communication issue or how long the required reconfiguration will take.
The mission is due to lift off from Space Launch Complex 41 carrying 40 broadband satellites into low Earth orbit. It will be the first Amazon Leo flight aboard ULA’s Vulcan rocket and the opening mission in a planned programme of 38 launches for Amazon.
ULA said the rocket is using a configuration designed for the mission, including six solid rocket boosters, a longer payload fairing and an upper stage optimised for low Earth orbit.
