UPDATE: New launch date, still tentative pending investigation into the technical issue that forced tonight’s scrub, is now March 2, 2023, at 12:32 am Eastern.
The fourth manned launch of SpaceX’s Endeavour Dragon capsule, carrying four astronauts, was scrubbed tonight at T-2:12 because of an issue with ground ignition system of the rocket. As of posting no additional details had been released, as the launch team was in the process of standing down, unloading the fuel from the rocket in preparation for getting the astronauts out of the capsule safely.
Assuming the issue can be fixed quickly, there is another launch opportunity tomorrow, February 28, at 1:22 am (Eastern). For SpaceX a launch scrub for technical reasons has become remarkably rare. In fact, the only other scrub since 2020 for technical reasons took place in July 2022. During that time the company successfully launched more than 100 times, thus getting off the ground as scheduled about 99% of the time, excluding weather delays.
While the Endeavour capsule will be making its fourth flight, when this launch finally takes place the rocket’s first stage is a new stage and will be making its first flight. This has also become a relatively rare event for SpaceX. In 2022, of the company’s 61 launches, only three used new first stages. So far this year this launch will be the second new stage to fly, out of the thirteen launches so far.
