SpaceX blast-off delay

The next SpaceX launch and landing attempt has been postponed until Friday after bad weather stopped the countdown clock.

The Falcon 9 rocket, carrying the JCSAT-14 telecommunications satellite, was due to head space-wards on Thursday with turbulent winds scrubbed those plans. The new launch date is May 6 at 2221 PT (0521 UTC) and conditions are reportedly looking good for launch.

Whether or not SpaceX will be able to bring the first stage of the Falcon back down for a sea landing – as planned – remains to be seen. The landing will be trickier than SpaceX's first water landing because the rocket will have less fuel for maneuvering, but the science upstart wants to push the limits of its hardware to see what is possible.

In the meantime the autonomous landing ship the Of course I still love you is in position and waiting for its payload. ®