SpaceX launched a radio communications satellite for SiriusXM from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Sunday afternoon amid blue skids and puffy clouds, two days after scrubbing the flight with 30 seconds until liftoff.

SpaceX had originally targeted the launch of the Falcon 9 rocket for 11:22 a.m. Sunday but pushed it back until 12:30 p.m., which was "optimized for launch and recovery," the company posted on Twitter.

There was a window of one hour and 59 minutes. And the weather had improved to 80 percent "favorable," SpaceX tweeted.

The company didn't say what caused the halt Friday, which occurred before the rocket was to lift off at 12:55 p.m. EST from Complex 40.

Watch Falcon 9 launch of the SXM-7 mission live → https://t.co/bJFjLCzWdK https://t.co/gUeUtmHHks— SpaceX (@SpaceX) December 13, 2020

The launch was the 25th SpaceX launch this year and the seventh for the reusable first-stage booster. It previously launched an uncrewed Crew Dragon test flight for NASA in 2019.

The first stage separated from the Falcon 9 and landed on a drone ship, Just Read the Instructions, in the Atlantic Ocean.

The satellite, SXM-7, is to aid delivery of SiriusXM's entertainment and data services to more than 100 million subscribers in North America, according to the company. SiriusXM and its streaming app, Pandora, reach 150 million people per month, the company said.

"Following ... the launch, the [satellite] will join five other satellites in SiriusXM's active satellite fleet," Kate Tice, a SpaceX senior engineer, said during a live broadcast. "After joining the fleet, there's an expectation that it will replace the XM-3 satellite."

The XM-3 was launched in March 2005. Maxar has built all seven of SiriusXM's satellites, including the first spacecraft that were launched in 2000.

XM Satellite Radio's first broadcast in 2001, nearly four months before Sirius. The two companies merged n 2008.

The satellite includes a large antenna and solar arrays that span 100 feet when unfurled, weighing in total more than 15,400 pounds. Built by Maxar Technologies in Palo Alto, Calif., it is designed to provide service for 15 years or longer.

Paul Brinkmann contributed to this report.

Related Links
Rocket Science News at Space-Travel.Com

Tweet

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The Space Media Network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceMediaNetwork Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceMediaNetwork Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

SpaceX's 'Starship' rocket prototype explodes during vertical landing maneuver
Moscow (Sputnik) Dec 10, 2020
SpaceX's prototype SN8 rocket crashed and exploded on Wednesday evening during a test flight in Texas. The rocket is intended to ferry humans to the moon and Mars one day. A Wednesday test flight of the new SN8 rocket ended disastrously when a momentary engine malfunction caused the rocket to plummet into the ground and explode. "This suborbital flight is designed to test a number of objectives, from how the vehicle's three Raptor engines perform to the overall aerodynamic entry capabilities ... read more