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Third time is NOT the charm; SpaceX scrubs rescheduled launch

Due to the weather, Thursday's launch has been rescheduled. A new launch date was set for Dec. 22.

BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. — SpaceX has once again postponed a launch of the most powerful satellite ever built.

The rocket was initially scheduled to take flight Tuesday morning, but a last-minute abort kept the Falcon 9 grounded. Wednesday’s launch was called off nearly two hours ahead of launch time.

SpaceX said engineers need to further evaluate the sensor readings that caused Tuesday’s countdown abort.

The new launch date was scheduled for Thursday at 9:03 a.m., but due to the weather, SpaceX said it was standing down, again.

SpaceX announced that the new launch date is Dec. 22 at 8:55 a.m.

Vice President Mike Pence missed seeing a SpaceX rocket soar during his visit to the Space Coast on Tuesday. But he still got to view the company's new crew capsule, designed to carry astronauts to the International Space Station as soon as next year.

Pence broke the news Tuesday that President Donald Trump had launched the Pentagon's new Space Command.

It's an effort to better organize and advance the military's vast operations in space that could cost as much as $800 million over the next five years.

Trump signed the one-page memorandum Tuesday authorizing the Department of Defense to create the new command.

The goal is to set up a command to oversee and organize space operations, accelerate technical advances and find more effective ways to defend U.S. assets in space, including the vast constellations of satellites that American forces rely on for navigation, communications and surveillance.

The move comes amid growing concerns that China and Russia are working on ways to disrupt, disable or even destroy U.S. satellites.

Pence later toured a SpaceX hangar and admired the sleek, white Dragon capsule being readied for a January test flight, minus a crew. The next capsule, still in California, will carry astronauts.

The vice president calls the spacecraft "very cool" - and not what he expected. He says the interior reminds him of the movie "The Martian."

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