6.07.2022
Weather looks decent for July's first SpaceX Falcon 9 launch Thursday morning
SpaceX is set to launch its first mission of July Thursday morning and the weather looks pretty good.
The company's next batch of Starlink internet satellites is scheduled to launch aboard a Falcon 9 rocket between 9:01 and 10:41 a.m. EDT, Thursday, July 7, from Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station.
According to a Tuesday report from the Space Force, conditions during that window were calculated at 80% "go."
Space Force forecasters said Tuesday that the afternoon sea breeze this week is expected to increase "the chances of early afternoon thunderstorms," but conditions in the morning should remain favorable for a launch attempt on Thursday.
SpaceX has launched more than 2,500 satellites of its Starlink internet constellation since the first operational flight in 2019. The company now advertises standard internet plans beginning at $110 a month with service available across a swath of North America, Europe, and Australia.
If the launch is delayed to a backup opportunity around the same time on Friday, July 8, the likelihood of favorable weather increases to 90% "go." The primary concern for both days is cumulus clouds in the area that could produce rain.
About eight minutes after launch the 230-foot tall first stage of the Falcon 9 rocket will somersault on return and is expected to land on a drone ship stationed in the Atlantic Ocean, no sonic booms are expected for the Space Coast with this one.
Quelle: Florida Today
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Update: 7.07.2022
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On Thursday, July 7 at 9:11 a.m. ET, SpaceX launched 53 Starlink satellites from Space Launch Complex 40 (SLC-40) at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station in Florida.
This was the 13th flight for the Falcon 9 first stage booster supporting this mission, which previously launched Crew Demo-2, ANASIS-II, CRS-21, Transporter-1, Transporter-3, and now eight Starlink missions.
Quelle: SpaceX