A surprise power outage in California threw a wrench into SpaceX’s plans to launch its Falcon 9 rocket Tuesday, delaying NASA’s cutting-edge TRACERS mission. The FAA confirmed the Santa Barbara-area outage disrupted critical air traffic control systems, forcing a last-minute postponement to “ensure public safety.” 🌍✈️
The TRACERS mission—a duo of satellites designed to study Earth’s magnetic field and solar interactions—will now aim for liftoff on Wednesday. NASA assured fans the rocket and its sci-fi-worthy payloads are “in good health,” ready to explore “funnel-shaped holes in the magnetic field” once conditions improve. 🔭🛰️
This isn’t just another delay: TRACERS’ research could unlock secrets about space weather and its impact on tech like GPS. For now, space enthusiasts will have to wait one more day for this cosmic light show. 🌌✨
