The supermoon and SpaceX rose, but ULA scrubs launch, will try again Thursday
As the year's largest supermoon illuminated the Space Coast, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket Wednesday night, while United Launch Alliance (ULA) was forced to scrub its planned mission. The company now aims to make another attempt Thursday at 10:16 p.m.
Two rockets, one sky
Earlier in the day, both the SpaceX Falcon 9 and ULA Atlas V stood on nearby pads at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station — less than two miles apart. Observers anticipated a rare double launch that could have tied the annual record for orbital missions from the Space Coast, but only SpaceX proceeded.
The Beaver Moon rises
The full supermoon, known as the Beaver Moon according to the Farmer’s Almanac, rose at 5:41 p.m. It was the second of three supermoons this year and the closest one, passing just under 222,000 miles from Earth. NASA notes that such proximity makes a supermoon appear up to 14% larger and 30% brighter than the faintest full moon of the year.
SpaceX’s successful Falcon 9 mission
After moonrise, SpaceX launched its Starlink 6-81 mission from Space Launch Complex 40 at 8:30 p.m., carrying 29 Starlink satellites into orbit. The Falcon 9’s night flight coincided with the brilliant glow of the rising supermoon, marking another milestone in SpaceX’s leading launch record for the year.
“Falcon 9 launches 29 Starlink satellites from Florida.” — SpaceX
Author’s summary
As the dazzling supermoon rose above Florida’s coast, SpaceX achieved a smooth launch, while ULA postponed its mission until Thursday night due to technical concerns.