Welcome to FLORIDA TODAY’s Space Team’s live coverage of the SpaceX Starlink 6-30 mission tonight from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
SpaceX is targeting 11:20 PM EDT to launch a Falcon 9 rocket from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Falcon 9 will deploy a constellation of 23 Starlink internet satellites, which are positioned inside the payload fascias atop the 230-foot rocket.
No local sonic booms are expected. After soaring toward the sky along a southeast trajectory, the rocket’s first stage booster will aim to land on a drone ship at sea 8 and a half minutes after liftoff.
When SpaceX’s live webcast hosted on X (formerly Twitter) becomes available approximately five minutes before liftoff, it will be posted at the top of this page.
SpaceX Falcon 9 launch is coming
Updated at 11:05 PM EST: Fifteen minutes before SpaceX’s scheduled launch at 11:20 PM EST, the countdown appears to be going as planned. Refueling is going well at Launch Complex 40.
As a reminder, here’s a list of key upcoming countdown milestones. T minus:
- 7 minutes: The Falcon 9 begins engine cooling before launch.
- 1 minute: The flight command computer begins final pre-launch checks; The fuel tank pressure starts until it reaches cruising pressure.
- 45 seconds: SpaceX’s launch director checks the “go” for the launch.
- 3 seconds: The engine control module controls the start of the engine ignition sequence.
- 0 seconds: Falcon taking off 9.
SpaceX is looking to launch Starlink on Friday
Updated at 10:58 PM EST: Although SpaceX has not yet made an announcement, a navigation advisory from the National Geographic Intelligence Agency indicates that Cape Canaveral’s next launch window will open late Friday night and extend 4 1/2 hours into early Saturday morning.
The next launch window opens at 11 PM EST on Friday and extends until 3:31 AM on Saturday. Those hours reflect the hours of tonight’s Starlink 6-30 mission.
The SpaceX Falcon 9 is now being refueled
Updated 10:46 PM EST: “All systems and weather are currently ready for launch,” SpaceX officials just said in a tweet announcing that Falcon 9 fueling procedures had begun at Launch Complex 40.
This means that tonight’s Starlink 6-30 mission is now locked in for liftoff at 11:20 PM EST, otherwise the launch must be postponed.
Once fully fueled, the Falcon 9 rocket will contain more than 1 million pounds of propellant, which the rocket can burn in less than three minutes after liftoff.
SpaceX booster lands on drone ship
Updated at 10:33 PM EST: Tonight’s mission marks the 17th flight of a Falcon 9 first-stage rocket, SpaceX reports.
After stage separation, the booster is scheduled to land on the Read Instructions Only drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean 8 minutes and 27 seconds after liftoff.
SpaceX launch weather looks promising
Updated 10:12 PM EST: According to the National Weather Service, the sky is partly cloudy with a high of 57 degrees at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
Northwest winds blowing at 5 mph, visibility 10 miles.
SpaceX provides late confirmation of launch
Updated 9:52 a.m. EST: SpaceX officials did not publicly confirm tonight’s Starlink launch attempt on X (formerly Twitter) until 8:16 PM EST, more than three hours before the scheduled launch of 11:20 PM.
Space Force: 90% chance of early “launch” weather
In its launch forecast, the Space Force’s 45th Weather Squadron put a 90% chance of “push-to-launch” weather arriving early during tonight’s window, dropping to 80% as the evening descends and cold, dry air filters in from the northwest.
“(Sunday), models indicate that these upper-level clouds will likely increase in coverage and thickness as the window progresses. If the bases become low enough, this could be a concern for the base of thicker cloud layers,” the forecast said.
“However, since these clouds will be associated with the jet stream rather than thunderstorms, there is more leniency in the rule to allow a lower rule without causing a violation,” the forecast said.
For the latest schedule updates on the Cape, visit floridatoday.com/launchschedule.
Rick Neal is Florida Today’s space correspondent (for more of his stories, click here.) Call Neale at 321-242-3638 or rneale@floridatoday.com. Twitter/X: @Rick Neal1
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