SpaceX pushes back Starlink launch to Wednesday

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket stands poised to launch the company's Starlink Satellites in May. A similar rocket is scheduled to carry 60 more of the spacecraft into orbit Wednesday. File Photo by Joe Marino-Bill Cantrell/UPI

ORLANDO, Fla., Jan. 28 (UPI) — Weather concerns have prompted SpaceX to push back a launch attempt of Starlink satellites by another day. The company now is targeting 9:06 a.m. Wednesday from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla.

SpaceX originally said the launch would occur Monday morning, but pushed that to Tuesday because of rain and clouds near the pad. Then, on Monday evening, the company announced another slip to Wednesday “due to poor weather in the recovery area” for the first stage booster landing at sea.

Even while launching from Florida, SpaceX has dealt with a number of winter weather delays for recent launches. The Starlink delays follow a delay due to high seas in the landing area for an abort test of the company’s Crew Dragon capsule earlier in January.

SpaceX is attempting to beat several competitors into space that have new high-speed internet networks, including OneWeb, Amazon and Telesat. So far, SpaceX is winning the race.

SpaceX has 182 of its dinner table-size Starlink satellites in orbit, each weighing about 573 pounds. The rocket scheduled to lift off Monday carries 60 more satellites. SpaceX intends ultimately to launch tens of thousands of satellites to beam broadband around the globe.

SpaceX previously launched 60 Starlink satellites at a time in May and November and Jan. 6, with two test satellites launched before that.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here