SpaceX planning Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral amid shaky weather

Anthony Talcott, Digital Journalist

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. – SpaceX announced that it is planning a Falcon 9 launch from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on Thursday evening, more than a day after Idalia passed through Florida.

Liftoff is targeted for 7:52 p.m. from Space Launch Complex 40 at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, though if needed, there will be five additional launch opportunities starting at 8:40 p.m. and ending at 11:29 p.m., SpaceX officials said.

The launch has a 20% chance for “go” at the opening of the launch window, though that figure could grow to 60% by the tail end as Idalia pulls farther away from the state, according to a forecast by the 45th Weather Squadron.

Idalia made landfall in Florida as a Category 3 hurricane on Wednesday, rolling through the Big Bend region before moving into southern Georgia and the coastal Carolinas. The forecast shows that squally weather could remain an issue at the Spaceport, though it’s expected to gradually improve as the night stretches on.

Should the launch be scrubbed, SpaceX explained that there will be six backup opportunities available on Friday, Sept. 1 from 7:25 p.m. until 10:56 p.m. In that case, the chance for “go” will start out at 40%, growing to 70% by the end of Friday’s launch window.

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SpaceX said this latest launch will see the Falcon 9 rocket take another batch of 22 Starlink internet satellites into orbit.

The launch will also be the seventh flight for the first-stage booster supporting this mission, which was previously used to launch Crew-5, GPS III Space Vehicle 06, Inmarsat 16-F2, CRS-28, Intelsat G-37 and a separate Starlink mission.

After stage separation, the booster will land on the A Shortfall of Gravitas droneship in the Atlantic Ocean.

News 6 will stream the launch live at the top of this story when it happens.

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