SpaceX scrubs 3rd attempt to launch Falcon 9 rocket

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — SpaceX scrubbed its third attempt to launch a Falcon 9 rocket Sunday evening from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station.

No reschedule date has been set.

The rocket was set to deliver a communications satellite for SES into orbit before the reusable rocket attempts to land on a platform in the ocean.

The launch was postponed from 6:46 p.m. to 7:21 p.m. because a ship had entered a restrictive area, the company said.

The rocket was previously scheduled to launch Wednesday and Thursday night, but was scrubbed over concerns of the rocket’s liquid oxygen temperatures on both occasions.

Due to the nature of the mission, the rocket won’t have enough fuel to land the first stage of the Falcon 9 on land as SpaceX did in December.

The original mission was scheduled for September, but was delayed for six months after a failure in the summer.

"It's going to burn so much fuel," said Dale Ketcham of Space Florida. "They're not going to have fuel to get the booster back to CCAFS and that's going to happen in the future as well."

Cox Media Group