Spacex's Falcon 9 Launch Scrubbed Again at Final Countdown

WHO:

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX, Elon Musk

WHAT:

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX aborted the Falcon 9 launch of the Starlink 17-39 mission after ignition.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 rocket's nine Merlin engines briefly ignited before shutting down.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - This was the second launch scrub in less than a week for SpaceX.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Starlink 17-39 mission was intended to add two dozen Starlink V2 Mini satellites to SpaceX's constellation.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch was scheduled to be the 85th Falcon 9 rocket launch of the year and the 667th to date.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX stated, “Standing down from today’s Starlink launch; vehicle and payload remain safe.”

WHERE:

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch was set to occur from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The launch was scheduled from Space Launch Complex 4 East.

WHEN:

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 launch was timed for 7:49 a.m. PDT (10:49 a.m. EDT / 1449 UTC).

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The last known abort after engine ignition occurred on June 14, 2024.

WHY:

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX did not provide an explanation for the launch abort.

HOW:

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - The Falcon 9 rocket is powered by kerosene-fueled Merlin engines.

[11:18 a.m. EDT] - Spaceflight Now - SpaceX ended its broadcast prior to offering further details on the launch attempt.

(UPDATED July 20, 2026 17:27 UTC)

SpaceX has aborted the Falcon 9 launch of the Starlink 17-39 mission after the rocket's nine Merlin engines briefly ignited and then shut down. This marks the second launch scrub in less than a week for SpaceX, which was set to add two dozen Starlink V2 Mini satellites to its constellation from Vandenberg Space Force Base. Although the launch was scheduled for 7:49 a.m. PDT, SpaceX stated that both the vehicle and payload remain safe, but did not provide further details on the reason for the abort.