SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket carrying a batch of Starlink internet satellites from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station. The launch was delayed by 24 hours due to inclement weather, but after the delay, navigational warnings indicated a new launch window from 11 p.m. EST to 3:31 a.m. the following day.

The Falcon 9 rocket’s payload fairing contained the Starlink satellites, which were deployed into space without any sonic booms expected during the launch. The rocket’s first-stage booster successfully landed on a drone ship in the sea approximately 8½ minutes after liftoff.

The Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron predicted a 60% chance of favorable launch weather, with concerns focused on liftoff winds and the possibility of cumulus cloud rule violations. However, the squadron expected the weather conditions to improve as a low-pressure system moved away from the launch site.

This launch was part of a busy schedule at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station and Kennedy Space Center. Recently, a Falcon 9 rocket sent two communications satellites into medium-Earth orbit, a SpaceX Dragon cargo capsule was launched to the International Space Station, and another batch of Starlink satellites were deployed into low-Earth orbit.

The latest schedule updates for launches from Cape Canaveral can be found at floridatoday.com/launchschedule. SpaceX’s Starlink missions have been contributing to the record number of rocket launches on Florida’s Space Coast.

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