The aerospace company ran into weather problems for a second day in a row.
"Standing down from today's launch of COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation FM2 due to poor weather conditions at the launch site tonight; next opportunity is tomorrow, January 29 at 6:11 p.m. EST," SpaceX tweeted.
A Falcon 9 rocket mounted with the spacecraft was initially scheduled for liftoff Thursday from Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. That launch was also scrubbed due to clouds and wind.
The new satellite will ensure "complete operative continuity of the entire COSMO-SkyMed constellation, which has been in orbit for more than 15 years," Italian space services company Telespazio, based in Rome, said of the mission.
The Italian Space Agency has financed the mission and plans to control the spacecraft from the country's Fucino Space Center about 80 miles east of Rome.
When it does launch, the first-stage booster is expected to land at Landing Zone 1 at Cape Canaveral.
The COSMO-SkyMed satellite constellation, built by France-based Thales Alenia Space, provides high-resolution images of the Earth's surface.
The images are used to map topographical features and resources, provide defense and security intelligence, track shipping and to monitor disasters, forests and agriculture.
Source: United Press International
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