Space

SpaceX Scrubbed Its Launch At The Last Minute

Computers monitoring SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket triggered an automatic abort right before liftoff.

SpaceX Scrubbed Its Launch At The Last Minute
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SpaceX was supposed to launch its new and improved Falcon 9 Block 5 rocket Thursday, but the mission was canceled at the last minute — literally.

Computers monitoring the rocket triggered an automatic abort just 58 seconds before liftoff.

There's been no word about what caused the cancellation, but it's happened to SpaceX before. Twice last year, SpaceX's computers halted Falcon 9 launches within seconds of takeoff.

The new Block 5 rocket is the final version of SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket. The company says it should be capable of at least 10 flights with little to no need of refurbishment.

If conditions are good, SpaceX says it plans to launch the rocket and its payload again Friday afternoon.