Space Force: Weather looks excellent for SpaceX Starlink launch this week

Emre Kelly, Florida Today
·2 min read

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Update: SpaceX is now targeting no earlier than around 6 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 2, for this launch. The company has not yet released any updates about the mission, but maritime and aviation notices were pulled and re-issued for the new Thursday

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A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket should lift off into excellent conditions around Cape Canaveral this week, local Space Force forecasters said Sunday.

If conditions remain stable and teams at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station's Launch Complex 40 remain on schedule, a Falcon 9 rocket with dozens of Starlink internet satellites will take flight at 6:20 p.m. Wednesday. Conditions during that instantaneous window stand at 90% "go."

"A rather benign weather regime will remain in place across the Space Coast through the remainder of the weekend into the middle of next week," Space Launch Delta 45 forecasters said in a pre-launch report. "There will be light winds during the launch window and limited low-level moisture. The primary concern for a Wednesday evening launch is a few cumulus clouds with onshore flow."

Post-liftoff conditions, like upper-level winds and weather around the booster recovery zone in the Atlantic Ocean, were all listed as "low risk."

The favorable conditions also extend beyond Wednesday. If SpaceX teams need more time to prepare, the forecast looks identical for a Thursday attempt. Local temperatures are expected to hover around a comfortable 70 degrees at launch time.

The launch marks the 32nd for SpaceX's Starlink internet constellation, which already has roughly 1,700 operational satellites in low-Earth orbit. The company recently said more than 100,000 customers have signed on to receive their user terminals and internet connection packages, which initially cost $499 for hardware and $99 a month thereafter.

Spectators curious about Falcon 9's flightpath should note that the rocket will angle toward a northeastern bias after liftoff.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Contact Emre Kelly at aekelly@floridatoday.com or 321-242-3715. Follow him on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at @EmreKelly.

Launch Wednesday, Dec. 1

  • Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9

  • Mission: 32nd batch of Starlink internet satellites

  • Launch Time: 6:20 p.m. ET

  • Launch Complex: 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station

  • Trajectory: Northeast

  • Landing: Drone ship

  • Weather: 90% "go"

Visit floridatoday.com/space at 5 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 1, for live updates and video.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Space Force: Weather excellent for SpaceX Starlink launch from Florida