Will Invest 90L’s rainy, cloud-generating impacts thwart SpaceX from launching a Falcon 9 rocket for a second straight day?
Stay tuned. Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY Space Team live coverage of this evening’s Starlink 10-2 mission from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX has pushed back the liftoff time three times. New target time: 8:30 p.m. EDT — or nearly four hours later than originally scheduled.
SpaceX stood down from its initial Wednesday launch attempt as thick cloud cover and showers shrouded the Cape. Today, the Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron only pegged the odds of favorable weather throughout the launch window at 25%, warning of anvil clouds, cumulus clouds and surface electric fields.
No Central Florida sonic booms are expected. After soaring skyward along a northeasterly trajectory, the Falcon 9 will deploy a batch of 22 Starlink internet satellites, which are packed inside the fairing atop the 230-foot rocket. The first-stage booster will target landing aboard a SpaceX drone ship out at sea 8½ minutes after liftoff.
Scrub!
Update 8:22 p.m.: SpaceX just called off tonight’s launch attempt, citing the weather.
The new target liftoff time is 4:35 p.m. Friday.
SpaceX booster to land on drone ship
Update 8:15 p.m.: Tonight’s mission marks the 16th flight for this Falcon 9 first-stage booster, SpaceX reported.
The booster previously launched SES-22, ispace’s HAKUTO-R MISSION 1, Amazonas-6, CRS-27, Bandwagon-1 and 10 Starlink missions.
Following stage separation, crews expect the booster to land on the SpaceX drone ship Just Read the Instructions in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes, 18 seconds after liftoff.
SpaceX launch countdown timeline
Update 8:05 p.m.: Here’s a rundown of SpaceX’s remaining countdown timeline. T-minus:
- 16 minutes: Second-stage liquid oxygen loading begins.
- 7 minutes: Falcon 9 begins engine chill prior to launch.
- 1 minute: Command flight computer begins final prelaunch checks; propellant tank pressurization to flight pressure begins.
- 45 seconds: SpaceX launch director verifies “go” for launch.
- 3 seconds: Engine controller commands engine ignition sequence to start.
- 0 seconds: Liftoff.
SpaceX Falcon 9 fueling about to begin
Update 7:55 p.m.: Falcon 9 fueling procedures are about to begin at Launch Complex 40, SpaceX just announced.
However, the SpaceX tweet cautions that “weather is 40% favorable.” If the mission gets scrubbed, the next launch opportunities begin at 4:35 p.m. Friday.
SpaceX pushes launch to end of window
Update 7:41 p.m.: SpaceX has now pushed back tonight’s launch to 8:30 p.m., the very end of the launch window.
SpaceX launch would be 45th of year
Update 7:20 p.m.: Tonight’s Starlink mission is slated to become the 45th orbital launch of the year thus far from Florida’s Space Coast.
That cadence remains on track to easily surpass last year’s annual record of 72 launches.
Starlink now available in 100th area
Update 6:49 p.m.: On Tuesday, Starlink officials announced that their high-speed internet service is available in Sierra Leone, the network’s 100th country, territory or other market around the world.
Clouds dissipating over Cape Canaveral
Update 6:08 p.m.: This National Weather Service radar loop shows cloud cover is dissipating over Cape Canaveral Space Station and NASA’s neighboring Kennedy Space Center.
SpaceX pushes back liftoff for second time
Update 5:24 p.m.: SpaceX is now targeting 8:14 p.m. for liftoff.
Radar shows storms just west of Cape
Update 4:46 p.m.: The National Weather Service special weather statement has been extended to 5:15 p.m., and the impacted area now extends northward to the city of Cape Canaveral.
This NWS radar loop depicts this slow-moving area of nasty, stormy weather.
Bad launch weather near the Cape
Update 4:17 p.m.: Gloomy weather reports continue coming in from National Weather Service forecasters at the Melbourne Orlando International Airport station.
This time, a special weather statement warning of 40 mph winds has been issued until 4:45 p.m. for the Merritt Island-Rockledge-Cocoa-Port St. John area, just west of the spaceport.
SpaceX launch prep underway in Brevard
Update 3:56 p.m.: Brevard County Emergency Management officials have activated the agency’s launch operations support team ahead of SpaceX’s upcoming Falcon 9 launch.
Poor launch weather continues at Cape
Update 3:34 p.m.: The National Weather Service has extended its special weather statement to 4:15 p.m. — providing a key indicator as to why SpaceX pushed back its original 4:46 p.m. launch target time.
Wind gusts up to 40 mph are possible from Christmas and eastern Orange County to Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, Titusville and points stretching north of Mims.
SpaceX pushes back launch 1½ hours
Update 3:21 p.m.: SpaceX just announced the new target liftoff time is 6:10 p.m.
SpaceX launch: All eyes on weather
Update 3:15 p.m.: After yesterday’s postponement, many launch spectators will keep their eyes peeled to weather reports this afternoon.
A National Weather Service special weather statement remains in effect until 3:30 p.m. for a large swatch of territory stretching from the Christmas area eastward to KSC, Titusville and points northward.
Meteorologists warn of wind gusts up to 40 mph.
For the latest news and launch schedule from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and NASA’s Kennedy Space Center, visit floridatoday.com/space.
Rick Neale is a Space Reporter at FLORIDA TODAY. Contact Neale atRneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @RickNeale1
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