Nov. 14 (UPI) — SpaceX is scheduled to launch another round of Starlink satellites into lower Earth orbit, with a launch set to leave the Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday morning.
After a fueling delay, SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket is expected to blast off at about 8:21 a.m. EST, with a backup time of 9:33 a.m. EST. SpaceX announced an additional alternative date of Friday at about 5:17 a.m. EST.
The 45th Weather Squadron said there will be an 85% favorable for liftoff.
“A front will approach the spaceport from the north Thursday, with conditions trending drier and only a small possibility of the isolated shower Thursday morning,” launch weather officers said, according to SpaceFlightNow.com.
“High pressure across the Northeast and the approaching front will create breezy conditions Thursday, with gusts around 20 mph possible. Additionally, a layer of mid-level clouds may linger across the area Thursday morning.”
The launch will place 24 additional Starlink V2 Mini satellites into lower Earth orbit. It will be part of a constellation that will allow Internet service around the world, even in its most remote areas.
The launch will also be the 18th for the first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket, which will return to Earth about eight minutes after liftoff and land on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.
The liftoff is part of a double launch for SpaceX, which five hours earlier another SpaceX rocket lifted 20 Starlink satellites into space from the Vandenberg Space Force Center in California.
