SpaceX Falcon 9 Launch Scrubbed 11 Seconds Before Liftoff Due to Delta Air Jet
2025-01-20
A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launch was scrubbed with just 11 seconds to go on Sunday morning after a Delta Air Lines plane reportedly flew into restricted airspace near the launch site. The live broadcast of the launch showed the control room urgently calling "Hold, hold, hold!" as the launch was aborted at the 11-second mark. Investigations revealed the Delta Air Lines Boeing 767, en route from Los Angeles to Honolulu, flew over Vandenberg Space Force Base, the Falcon 9 launch site. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) will investigate how air traffic controllers allowed the Delta flight to enter the restricted airspace. This near-miss comes days after SpaceX's Starship rocket exploded, causing flight diversions.