SpaceX investigation
The U.S. Coast Guard this week opened an investigation into a scrapped SpaceX launch after a Royal Caribbean cruise ship sailed too close to the spacecraft’s hazard zone.
An operator was forced to abort the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket mission on Sunday evening nearly 30 seconds before its launch after Royal Caribbean cruise ship Harmony of the Seas approached the rocket’s exclusion zone, according to Florida Today.
“We can confirm the cruise ship was Harmony of the Seas,” Coast Guard spokesman David Micallef told the news outlet in a statement. “The Coast Guard is actively investigating Sunday’s cruise ship incursion and postponement of the SpaceX launch.
“Our primary concern is the safety of mariners at sea, and we will continue to work with our federal, state and local port partners to ensure safe and navigable waterways,” he reportedly added.