Dec. 30 (UPI) — In what is expected to be SpaceX’s last launch in a record-breaking 2024, the company announced it has postponed the deployment of its new Starlink satellite until New Year’s Eve.
SpaceX gave an explanation of the reason for the delay in its e on its website.
“This is the 16th flight for the first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew-6, BlueBird-1, USSF-124, mPOWER-B, and 11 Starlink missions,” SpaceX said.
If the launch goes as planned, it will be the 134th orbital launch of the year by SpaceX, breaking its previous record of 96 launches last year, an increase of about 40%.
With its busy schedule, SpaceX has had some setbacks. On July 12, the top tier of a record-breaking Falcon Nine launched from the Vanderberg Space Station failed to deploy 21 Starlink satellites, wasting all 20 on board.