Weather could foil an early morning SpaceX Falcon 9 launch set for Thursday

Jamie Groh, Florida Today
·2 min read

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Update: Liftoff of Falcon 9 at 4:32 a.m. EST! The rocket boosted 56 Starlink satellites to orbit then landed on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. Read our full post-launch story here.

The fifth launch of the year from Florida's Space Coast is set to liftoff early Thursday morning, though the weather could foil those plans.

Space Force forecasters called for a 70% chance of "go" conditions ahead of a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch during a roughly two-and-a-half-hour launch window from 4:02 - 6:24 a.m.

If SpaceX can launch from Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday, the Falcon 9 will carry 54 of the company's internet-beaming Starlink satellites to join the more than 3,500 already in orbit.

After liftoff, the rocket's first stage will touch down on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean. There will be no local sonic booms with this one.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 fairing branded with the comapny's Starlink internet service logo.
A SpaceX Falcon 9 fairing branded with the comapny's Starlink internet service logo.

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The primary concerns for liftoff on Thursday are thick clouds and lingering conditions from a passing cold front that could enable potential rocket-triggered lightning — a phenomenon that could occur by launching a rocket into an electrically charged atmosphere.

"Unfortunately, the boundary will be very close or over the Spaceport during the launch window early Thursday morning," a report released by the Space Force's 45th Weather Squadron on Tuesday explained.

Conditions look more promising at 90% "go" for a backup attempt on Friday around the same time, should SpaceX need it.

There's a good chance that SpaceX could squeak in another Starlink Falcon 9 mission next week before the end of the month, but a formal request for a launch date has not yet been solidified.

Follow Florida Today's live coverage of SpaceX's Starlink mission set to begin 60 minutes before at https://www.floridatoday.com/space/.

For the latest, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.

Jamie Groh is a space reporter for Florida Today. You can contact her at JGroh@floridatoday.com. Follow her on Twitter at @AlteredJamie.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Weather forecast iffy for SpaceX Falcon 9 launch early January 26