Weather Forces SpaceX to Postpone the Launch of Starlink
Due to bad weather, SpaceX said that it would attempt to launch the Starlink 6-42 mission on Saturday at 7:29 p.m. ET, with backup opportunities available until 11:29 p.m. ET.
The mission was scheduled for Friday at 7:57 p.m. ET by SpaceX.
However, there was a suspicion that Friday night’s launch might not take place. Although there was a 25% possibility of favorable liftoff conditions, the 45th Weather Squadron expressed worry about liftoff winds and the anvil and cumulus cloud regulations.
“Conditions will deteriorate through the day Friday as the Gulf Low moves northeast, bringing gusty winds, showers, and isolated thunderstorms across Central Florida,” the squadron stated.
The squadron said that Saturday night’s liftoff circumstances will improve, reaching a 75% chance favorable, and that the only problems were related to the cumulus cloud rule and the winds.
The LaunchLink 6-42 mission is scheduled to be launched by a Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center’s Launch Complex 39A into low-Earth orbit.
According to SpaceX, if Saturday night’s launch is postponed, there will be another opportunity on Sunday at 7:04 p.m. ET.
A Brief History of First-Stage Boosters
This Falcon 9 first-stage rocket, designated B1060, is part of the Starlink 6-42 mission and has already made 18 noteworthy launches.
- GPS III-3
- Turksat 5A
- Transporter-2
- Transporter-6
- Intelsat G-33/G-34
- IM-1 Nova-C lunar lander mission
- 12 Starlink missions
The rocket is predicted to land on the droneship Just Read the Instructions, which is positioned in the Atlantic Ocean, following the stage separation.
Recognizing the Objective
With the remaining 23 Starlink satellites already in low-Earth orbit, SpaceX intends to launch 23 of them into orbit to offer internet services.
SpaceX is the Owner of Starlink
The following Starlink satellites were recorded by Dr. Jonathan McDowell of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics prior to launch.
- There are 5,634 in orbit.
- 5,564 in operational condition
- There are 5,154 in use in orbit.
