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SpaceX Delays Launch of Upgraded Falcon Rocket

SpaceX has upgraded its workhorse rocket.

This photo provided by SpaceX shows a Falcon 9 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, May 10, 2018. SpaceX has delayed the launch debut of its upgraded workhorse rocket. The latest version of the Falcon 9 was supposed to blast off Thursday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, carrying the first satellite ever for Bangladesh. But the countdown came to an abrupt halt with just 58 seconds remaining. SpaceX says it will try again Friday.
This photo provided by SpaceX shows a Falcon 9 at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., Thursday, May 10, 2018. SpaceX has delayed the launch debut of its upgraded workhorse rocket. The latest version of the Falcon 9 was supposed to blast off Thursday from Florida’s Kennedy Space Center, carrying the first satellite ever for Bangladesh. But the countdown came to an abrupt halt with just 58 seconds remaining. SpaceX says it will try again Friday.
SpaceX via AP

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (AP) — SpaceX has delayed the launch debut of its upgraded workhorse rocket.

This latest version of the Falcon 9 was supposed to blast off Thursday from Florida's Kennedy Space Center, carrying Bangladesh's first satellite, which would bring the internet to all corners of the country.

But the countdown came to an abrupt halt with less than a minute remaining.

Flight controllers scrambled to figure out the cause of the automatic abort, but with time running out, called it quits for the day. SpaceX says it will try again Friday.

SpaceX chief executive Elon Musk says the improved boosters can be reused more than 10 times each and require little or no work between launches. His goal is to eventually launch the same booster twice within 24 hours, drastically reducing costs.

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