SpaceX postpones Falcon 9 rocket launch over weather concerns

The launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled for Monday, Jan. 9 from California’s Vandenberg Air Force Base has been postponed over bad weather.

The forecast is calling for rain for most of the week, pushing the launch date back to Jan. 14 at the earliest, industry sources confirm.

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The delay was also confirmed on Twitter by Iridium Communications, a SpaceX customer that is sending 10 satellites into orbit aboard the Falcon 9.

High winds and rain in forecast at VAFB. First launch of #IridiumNEXT now planned for January 14th at 9:54:34 am PST. #NEXTevolution.
— Iridium (@IridiumComm) January 8, 2017

The upcoming flight is the first for the Falcon 9 since an explosion last September destroyed the rocket and its payload on the launch pad at Cape Canaveral.

The private commercial space company announced the findings last week of its investigation into the explosion. It blamed buckles in the tank that contained liquid helium for the explosion.

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