SpaceX Scrubs Falcon 9 Launch at Cape Canaveral, Backup Opportunity Set

CAPE CANAVERAL, Florida — SpaceX has scrapped the planned launch of its 60th Falcon 9 rocket of the year just minutes before its scheduled liftoff from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The scrub took place shortly before midnight on May 20.

The company concluded the launch broadcast without providing a specific reason for the abort. When it does launch, the Starlink 12-15 mission will carry 23 Starlink V2 Mini satellites into low Earth orbit, including 13 that feature Direct to Cell capabilities.

Initially targeting an 11:58 p.m. EDT liftoff on May 19, SpaceX has a backup launch opportunity planned for May 20, starting at 11:18 p.m. EDT. A post on social media by SpaceX indicated, “Falcon 9 had an auto abort just prior to T-0. Vehicle and payload are in good health and teams are resetting for a launch attempt no earlier than Tuesday, May 20.”

The 45th Weather Squadron had previously forecasted a 95 percent chance of favorable conditions for the launch window, with only a “very small chance” of launch weather violations due to cumulus clouds.

This mission will debut Falcon 9 booster 1095, which was seen rolling past the Kennedy Space Center Press Site Saturday afternoon on its way to Space Launch Complex 40. This marks the fourth new booster launched by SpaceX in 2025. Currently, there are 18 other boosters in rotation, although B1072 has only flown once during the Falcon Heavy launch of the GOES-U weather satellite in June 2024.

Following liftoff, the booster B1095 is set to target a landing on the SpaceX droneship ‘Just Read the Instructions.’ If successful, this would be the 121st landing on this vessel and the 449th booster landing overall.

Meanwhile, Iridium announced plans to launch its next 20 satellites on two previously flown Falcon 9 boosters from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The first of these missions is scheduled for December 22.

In a separate development, United Launch Alliance canceled a planned Atlas 5 rocket launch at Cape Canaveral due to issues with valves at the launch pad.