Live coverage: Falcon 9 disintegrates after launch

The first launch for Iridium’s next-generation mobile communications fleet has been pushed back four months — from December until April — to resolve a technical problem inside the spacecraft’s Ka-band communications payload.

The mission will be the sixth trip to the orbiting outpost for Ax-3 Commander Michael López-Alegría and the first for the other three crew members. Launch is planned for Wednesday, Jan. 17, at 5:11 p.m. EST (2211 UTC).

SpaceX conducted a final Launch Readiness Review on Monday ahead of the scheduled liftoff Wednesday of NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken on a test flight of the Crew Dragon spacecraft to the International Space Station. Launch remains set for 4:33:33 p.m. EDT (2033:33 GMT) Wednesday, weather permitting.