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Space X has decided to postpone the launch of Razaksat, which was scheduled for 20 April. A press release from the company says: ‘Due to a problem in compatibility between the Razaksat spacecraft and its Falcon 1 launch vehicle, operators have decided to postpone the launch of Malaysia's Razaksat satellite.’

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The launch of Malaysia's Razaksat satellite has been delayed yet again.

The decision was announced to media last night (21 April).

The Falcon-1 rocket is operated by Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX). Astronautic Technology (M) Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur has built the satellite. It will be operated by the Malasian Remote Sensing Agency.

'A concern has been identified regarding the potential impact of predicted vehicle environments on the satellite,’ said the company press statement.

'Based on these concerns, the SpaceX team is evaluating options to minimise this impact and ensure mission success. Our engineers are addressing this issue and we look forward to launching Razaksat once the issue is fully understood and resolved.’

No new launch date has been published.

This latest problem follows many years of delay caused mainly by the lengthy process of making the Falcon-1 space-ready.

SpaceX is revolutionising access to space with a family of launch vehicles designed to increase the reliability and reduce the cost of space transportation by a factor of 10.

On 28 September 2008, a Falcon 1 became the first privately developed liquid fuel rocket to orbit the Earth.

The company currently has orders for 25 flights, mainly from US government agencies.

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