On Sunday night, SpaceX made an attempt to launch a Falcon 9 rocket carrying 22 Starlink internet satellites from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. However, just 25 seconds before the scheduled liftoff at 11:38 p.m. EDT, the launch director called for a hold due to upper-level winds, and the launch was scrubbed.
SpaceX is now targeting another launch attempt today at 8:42 p.m. EDT for the Starlink 6-22 mission. There are no expectations of local sonic booms. The Falcon 9’s first stage booster, making its 14th flight, is set to land on a drone ship out at sea about 8½ minutes after liftoff, following a southeastern trajectory.
The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron forecasts a 95% chance of favorable launch weather. They anticipate dry and seasonably cool weather, with a low risk of thick clouds during the backup window.
If today’s launch proceeds as planned, it will be the Space Coast’s 55th launch of the year.
Looking ahead, SpaceX is preparing for the launch of NASA’s Psyche spacecraft aboard a Falcon Heavy rocket from Kennedy Space Center on Thursday morning. The Psyche mission will journey to the metallic asteroid of the same name, which orbits the sun within the asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, following a 2029 rendezvous.
Stay tuned for live launch coverage updates, which will be posted 90 minutes before the launch window opens, and the SpaceX live webcast will be available on this page about five minutes before liftoff.
Disclaimer: The views, suggestions, and opinions expressed here are the sole responsibility of the experts. No Nook Explorer journalist was involved in the writing and production of this article.