ULA Scrubs Wednesday Launch; ViaSat‑3 F2 Rescheduled for Thursday Night from Cape Canaveral

CAPE CANAVERAL SPACE FORCE STATION — United Launch Alliance (ULA) called off a Wednesday attempt to loft a communications satellite and now plans a second try Thursday night.

What happened

Wednesday’s launch was aborted after engineers identified a problem with a booster’s liquid‑oxygen (LOX) tank vent valve, ULA said. The issue halted a planned two‑launch sequence that would have included a separate SpaceX mission.

Thursday’s plan

ULA now intends to fly the ViaSat‑3 F2 mission from Cape Canaveral Space Launch Complex‑41 during a 44‑minute window opening at 10:16 p.m. ET. An Atlas V rocket will carry a Ka‑band communications satellite built for Viasat, a California‑based company.

Why it matters

Viasat’s ViaSat‑3 F2 is designed to expand broadband capacity across the Americas to meet growing customer demand. A successful Thursday liftoff would be the Space Coast’s 93rd mission of the year, tying last year’s total and keeping the region on track for a possible 100‑launch year — a new milestone if reached.

Looking ahead

Blue Origin is planning a second launch of its New Glenn rocket from Space Launch Complex‑36 on Sunday; that flight is scheduled to carry a pair of NASA spacecraft bound for studies of Mars’ magnetic environment. Meanwhile, SpaceX has at least five Florida launches on its schedule this month, primarily for Starlink missions.

Sources: ULA, Viasat, SpaceX, NASA