SpaceX was forced to abort its Falcon 9 rocket launch 11 seconds before liftoff on Sunday due to concerns an aircraft had entered restricted airspace near the launch site. The company postponed the launch, which aimed to send Starlink satellites into orbit.
The incident occurred during a live broadcast of the countdown, when a voice announced “hold, hold, hold” at the 12-second mark. Moments later, the same voice stated there was a possible aircraft in the airspace.
It is unclear which aircraft prompted the aborted launch, but several planes flew close to the restricted area around the scheduled launch time. Delta Flight 480 from Los Angeles to Honolulu was suggested as a possible culprit by some outlets, although the airline has denied any issues.
The incident highlights tensions between rocket launches and commercial aviation. A similar incident occurred just three days ago, when a Starship rocket owned by SpaceX blew up over the Caribbean, resulting in dozens of planes diverting.
The rescheduled launch is now set to take place at 7:45 a.m. PST on Tuesday.
Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/spacex-had-abandon-rocket-launch-131458985.html