SpaceX launch of 143 small satellites set for this morning
SpaceX is poised to launch 143 small satellites in a single Falcon 9 rocket this morning from Cape Canaveral for its third Florida mission of 2021.
A 22-minute window for liftoff opens at 10 a.m. at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s launchpad 40.
The Elon Musk-led company scrubbed liftoff Saturday because of clouds and rain. Today’s forecast is 70% go, but there are clouds and lingering rain showers along the Space Coast that could prompt another delay.
Transporter 1 includes a record-setting number of satellites, and owners include private companies, the U.S. Department of Defense and NASA. The rocket also has 10 SpaceX Starlink internet satellites on board.
After takeoff, the Falcon 9 rocket will turn to the southeast, something that’s rare for Florida rocket launches, to put the satellites into polar orbit.
About eight minutes after launch, SpaceX will attempt to recover the rocket’s reusable booster on its drone ship Of Course I Still Love You.
On Wednesday, SpaceX launched a batch of 60 Starlink satellites as parts of its goal to create a large constellation of satellites that can deliver fast, affordable internet to remote parts of the globe. The 10 Starlinks from Transporter 1 are the first to be put into a polar trip around the Earth, joining the more than 1,000 SpaceX has sent up so far.
An earlier January launch deployed a satellite for the Turkish company Turksat to expand television and internet services for the Middle East, southern Europe and parts of Africa and help with military operations.
