SpaceX reschedules Falcon 9 Starlink launch to Sunday for pre-flight checkouts

Update: SpaceX, citing pre-flight checkouts, said that teams are now targeting Sunday, Feb. 26, for the launch of this Starlink mission. No updated launch time was provided. The company also said that if all remains on track for NASA's SpaceX Crew-6 mission slated for liftoff at 1:45 a.m. on Monday, Feb. 27, teams will stand down from Sunday's Starlink mission to prioritize the crewed mission to the Space Station.

Weather conditions are expected to be fantastic Thursday, Feb. 23, for SpaceX's afternoon launch from Florida's Space Coast.

A Falcon 9 rocket, targeting liftoff during a roughly six-hour window that opens at 1:37 p.m. EST, is likely to have a 95% chance of "go" weather conditions, according to forecasters with the U.S. Space Force.

Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station will host SpaceX's 71st launch of the company's Starlink internet-beaming satellites during a window that runs until 7:30 p.m. EST.

"Weather is not expected to be a great concern for this particular mission," Space Launch Delta 45 forecasters said Monday. "It is possible that we could see a few cumulus clouds floating around during the day, but at this time, it does not appear that they will pose a particular problem for launch operations."

Shortly after liftoff, the rocket's first stage is expected to somersault and touch down for a landing on a drone ship in the Atlantic Ocean.

Meanwhile, SpaceX's last launch of the month from Florida is set to send NASA's Stephen Bowen, and Warren Hoburg joined by the United Arab Emirates' Sultan Alneyadi and Russian cosmonaut Andrey Fedyaev to the International Space Station. That Falcon 9 and Crew Dragon liftoff from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center is set for 1:45 a.m. EST on Monday, Feb. 27.

Launch Sunday, February 26

Company / Agency: Internal SpaceX mission
Rocket: SpaceX Falcon 9
Location: Pad 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station
Launch Window: TBD
Trajectory: Southeast
Weather: TBD
Landing: Drone ship
Live coverage: Starts 90 minutes before liftoff at floridatoday.com/space
About: A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket will launch the company's 71st Starlink internet mission from Cape Canaveral.