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SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket to launch GPS satellite into orbit Wednesday from Cape Canaveral

Initial launch scrubbed Tuesday morning
Posted at 5:18 AM, Dec 18, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-18 09:51:01-05

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket scheduled to launch Tuesday morning from Cape Canaveral has been scrubbed and rescheduled for Wednesday morning.

According to a tweet from SpaceX, the launch was put on hold due to an "out of family reading on first stage sensors."

The rocket is now scheduled to launch at 9:07 a.m., sending a global positioning system satellite into orbit.

NASA said the satellite, named GPS III SV01, will join 31 operational GPS satellites already in orbit, "delivering positioning, navigation and timing services for the United States and other operations."

This satellite is nicknamed “Vespucci” after late 15th century and early 16th century Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci for which the Americas was named after.

The rocket is set to blast off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station's Space Launch Complex 40.

Last week, Vice President Mike Pence tweeted that he will be in attendance for the launch of "the first Lockheed Martin GPS III satellite - an important step forward as we seek to secure American leadership in space."